Yes…that’s the signal, Jennifer…if Newsom or Pritzker or Hochul suddenly goes quiet…we don’t pile on…we fill the gap…we scream for them…not at them…we name the pressure…we call out the threat…we keep the frame from collapsing.
And we pair the noise with action…demand family protections for public servants…press law enforcement for counter-intimidation…flood the zone with truth so the whisper loses power.
That’s the covenant…they fight when they can…we fight when they can’t…no shame…no blame…just a relay of resolve until the spell breaks.
Yes but and then what? Roll over? Our defenses have been dismantled courtesy of the maniac et al, we’re wide open to all kinds of threat and probably being damaged already...What recourse is there? This is the part when it just sounds overwhelming.
So when our brave governors go silent, they’re being threatened, families being threatened, and we are to write letters or call elected folks to demand protection for them?
Maybe their risk can be spread out somehow across....I know nothing about this, it seems. Tell me when to write or call and I’ll do that.
I’m right there with you, Jill…I feel that same fury boiling. Putin and his Kremlin thugs think intimidation is power…but when Americans see it for what it is…we don’t cower…we fight louder.
And you’re already doing the exact right thing...demanding protection for lawmakers and officials. That’s how we snap the spell…we don’t wait for them to beg for help...we make the pressure visible ourselves.
And those words you ended with? Perfect. That’s the lineage we’re in…from Jones to Henry to every American who ever stood up when silence was demanded. We’re carrying that banner now. We are.
I've thought this about members of congress, but never dreamed it could be so widespread. But it makes sense. I'd probably cut off my right arm if somebody threatened my kids. And now that we have a regime in place that enthusiastically participates, it looks pretty discouraging.
I hear you, Jan…and I feel the same. It’s one thing to imagine a stray member of Congress being leaned on…but when you realize how widespread it could be...it hits different.
Because you’re right...any parent would cave if the kids were on the line.
That’s why it’s so discouraging now…we’ve got a regime in place that doesn’t just tolerate intimidation but joins in. But the fact you’re naming it…seeing it…calling it out…that’s the first step to breaking it. Once people understand how the pressure works...the fear loses half its grip.
Now…I want to confess something here. I was infuriated about Biden and Harris’ lack of response after the election. It burned hot for about six months…and has since cooled to a calm kind of pissed-off.
Part of that comes from my own background. A number of the men I served with in the Navy went into combat knowing full well they likely wouldn’t come back. They did it anyway. And they didn’t come back. Even so…I know they’d go again if given the chance. That kind of sacrifice brands itself into you.
So yeah…that’s where my bitterness came from. It’s not a good fit for this situation... because Biden and Harris weren’t elected to charge into combat. Their lives were already at greater risk because of the offices they held...but the Secret Service exists to keep them out of direct harm’s way. It’s not the same.
That doesn’t mean the anger just dissolves. It doesn’t. But bringing critical thinking into it…balancing emotion with reason…lets me manage it now. At first I just wanted to be mad. I felt like I owed that to the warriors I knew and loved who gave everything. And maybe I did. But now…I see the situation clearer. Meaning...I don't carry the same level of anger.
I knew what I was writing about in this issue...even back then…but I let myself stay emotionally hijacked for a while. Why? Because not feeling that way felt wrong. That’s the trap of emotions. They feel so damn justified that we defend them…cling to them…resist moving out of them.
It just took me a bit to let go. That’s not weakness...that’s a signal there’s still room to grow. And I take that as fuel.
Every time I notice I’ve got expanding left to do...I use it. I work at it constantly. It starts with awareness…and the decision to get better. With that...every year...you’re stronger than the one before.
Jack, what you shared snd share is necessary. Still, I believe that anyone who has paid proper attention has known, or should have known the hints of great danger and if connections by reading and/or by observing since 2015, if not earlier. They dismissed his rhetoric in all those hours of trying to brainwash people. They scoffed at the threats. Some people even were thrilled by them, and how sick that was and is!
Hillary spoke out. Many people chose not to believe her. Other people caused “noise” to prohibit support for her snd the truth. We knew of connections he had to Russia and how he was trying to put President Obama down. Russia came up with the emails and in the debates when he was running against Hillary. His behaviors during and since the previous time in office indicated whose side he is on and what ways he admires in this world. Kamala spoke out beautifully in the first and only debate with him. He refused to debate again, in part to avoid her pointing out the truth. Instead, many people chose to join the bandwagon of his lies, of his finger-pointing, and of his cruelty. That is why I have never understood how anyone who paid attention could ever think of supporting him. President Biden spoke in a special address to us. That might have been after the election, but he did put much information on online. I know many people who would refuse to recognize the truth even if folders or documents, as you mentioned, were handed to them, and as you said, instead of “a Highlight magazine”. What can we do about that? I believe we have known to some extent, though certainly not totally, that definite trouble would follow if people did not pay attention and vote accordingly. I still admire the people who told us what they could and possibly tried to tell us more. Thank you for describing some details of how things work. Our collective goose cannot be cooked, and it must not be! Still, where is the strength of the glimmer of crucially needed hope?
You’re right…the danger signs were flashing as far back as 2015…maybe even earlier…and too many dismissed it as “just talk.” Hillary warned…Obama took the hits…Kamala cut him open in that debate. The tells were there…clear as day.
And yet…millions chose to look away…or worse...cheer it on. That’s the sickness we’re up against. You nailed it...there are people who wouldn’t believe the truth if you handed them the folder...stamped it...signed it...and read it out loud.
So what do we do? We keep pressing…we keep exposing…we keep making noise until silence is impossible. That’s the only antidote to brainwashing...relentless counter pressure.
And the hope? It’s right here. In the fact that you saw it early. That you’re still seeing it now. That you haven’t let the noise drown out the truth. The hope isn’t abstract...it’s in the collective refusal to surrender. It’s in our numbers. It’s in our insistence that the goose won’t be cooked…not on our watch.
Fascinating. Seems like Newsom has set himself up as the “gloves off” candidate, maybe he has protection. Or wants to be a martyr, which I rather doubt. I would still like to know if Clooney ever issued a full-page apology in the NYT. “No? Get outta here.”
I get where you’re coming from, Randy…Newsom has definitely stepped into the “gloves off” role…and maybe he does feel more insulated…or maybe he just decided that silence costs more than risk.
I don’t see him as a martyr type either…but I do see him as someone willing to swing hard when others won’t.
And Clooney? No…no full-page mea culpa that I’ve ever seen. And honestly…that tells you everything. They expect us to forget the damage...shrug off the noise...move on. But the receipts matter. Accountability matters. And we’re not in the mood to hand out free passes anymore.
Appreciate the feedback, truly. Watching him the best I have been able since the crickets of November, I have been unsuccessfully looking for cues but when he did move, it made the surprise that much better as he dove right into the deep end.
And of course you got right to my point about the non-ad, I really find this silence from the “coastal elites” (I had to type that without looking) unsurprising but still unforgivable.
This explains so much. I always new trump was a plant, the shiny object to caise upheaval and distraction. It explains his inability to actually function as president. He doesn't want to. It's also extremely scary and infuriating!
This also explains Murkowski's comment about being threatened and scared. It wasn't so much about orange as it was the deeper threat.
We will need to get louder and shout for the truth tellers. We will also need to be the truth tellers!
Exactly, Jo…you nailed it. Trump’s never wanted to govern…he’s always been the shiny object...the chaos machine...the distraction while the real work of dismantling happens behind the curtain. That’s why he flailed as president...because “flailing” was the function.
And yes…Murkowski’s slip makes more sense through that lens. It’s not just fear of Trump himself…it’s the deeper threats pressing on anyone who dares to break rank. That’s why our job isn’t just to cheer for truth tellers…but to be them…to amplify them…to shout so loud the intimidation loses its grip.
I’m grateful you see it the same way…and you’re right...the fury is fuel.
Evidence of election interference has been presented to Kamala Harris several times with no response from her or the DMC or the election officials. Threats would be the reason for silence.
I too was disappointed with silence from Harris in particular since the election. Her voice seemed to be expected and called for. There’s a feeling she’s missing opportunities to stand up for Democracy but we got silence. Now what you’re suggesting seems understandable and I certainly hope they are making a plan to counteract what is happening.
I felt that same disappointment…especially with Harris. Her voice mattered…people were waiting for it…and the silence landed like a gut punch.
But when you view it through the lens of threats…it starts to make sense. Not excusable…but understandable.
And you’re right...if threats are the reason...then silence isn’t weakness...it’s pressure doing its work. That means the burden shifts to us…to call it out...to demand protections... to keep the ground from collapsing underneath leaders we still need.
And yes…I believe they are planning...even if we can’t see it I can't say exactly what that looks like...or who, specifically. Perhaps it's just hope. In the meantime...our job is to make damn sure the intimidation doesn’t get the last word.
That this is happening right here, right now, is something I never thought I'd see in this country. It's terrifying and infuriating all at the same time. I wonder if those that bought the lies, that Trump couldn't have thought up himself, and voted for the liar, who is not just a puppet of the kremlin, realize and admit what they have done to our country!
I think part of the media blitz campaign is to overload minds and senses, but those who just sit back and let it happen because it's too much trouble to think things through need to wake up and do everthing they can to undo what's being done!
I feel that same fury, Karen…it’s surreal to watch it play out here...in real time...in our own country. You’re right...Trump didn’t create these lies on his own...he was the vessel…and too many people bought in without ever stopping to ask what they were really signing our nation up for.
And yes…the media blitz is part of the strategy...flood the zone...overwhelm the senses... make people too exhausted to sort truth from fiction. That’s the trap.
The antidote is exactly what you said: wake up...push back...refuse to sit it out because it feels hard. The damage is real…but so is our power if we choose to use it.
Exactly, Anne…Romney flat out admitted it. He didn’t just hint...he said he received threats serious enough to factor into his decisions.
That’s not speculation...that’s testimony from a sitting U.S. Senator.
And if it happened to him...you can bet he’s not the only one. His honesty just cracked the door open on what most of the others are too scared to say out loud. He absolutely did.
As does the Kremlin, does the current president himself command silence? Below is a partial list of his brother and sister republicans that he has intentionally insulted (maybe these insults are really threats?). The insults / threats issued by the current president are quoted.
Jen Bush, “low energy”, “Bush III”
Ted Cruz, “lyin’ Ted”
Heidi Cruz, “ugly”
Mike DeWine (R), “a Democrat liberal”
Ron DiSantis, “DeSanctimonious”
Carly Fiorino, “look at that face”
Lindsey Graham, “nut job”, “disgrace”, “one of the dumbest human beings”
John Kasich, “major loser”
Megyn Kelly, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever,”
Marco Rubio, “Little Marco”, “lightweight”, “choker”, “Mr. Meltdown”
…and we are now hearing total silence from some or watching unending derrière kissing from others.
You’re onto something important here, Mary…because Trump’s “insults” have never just been insults. They’re signals…warnings…tests of dominance.
He labels someone…and everyone else watches to see if that person bends or fights back. And you’re right...some go silent...others fold into sycophancy.
It’s the same psychology the Kremlin uses. Dress the threat up as a joke or a jab…so if anyone calls it out...it looks petty. But everyone on the inside hears the real message: “step out of line and this is what happens to you.”
That’s why the silence is so telling. It isn’t about clever nicknames…it’s about conditioning compliance
Sorry, I just posted a rant of my own that didn't address this newsletter's content. I'm glad you wrote it Jack. It wasn't an option that occurred to me because I don't understand why anyone would threaten someone elses family. It's not moral or ethical. So it's good you put it here to open our eyes when we don't even know what to look for.
TBH, that scenario never crossed my mind and I can't believe that it didn't even with all of the movies I have watched with exactly that happening, but it makes perfect sense. And I have been pretty harsh on Harris online. Now that I am looking at the other side of the coin... like you, Jack... I am not AS pissed as I was.
As always, I appreciate your perspective. You have opened up my mind more than you know and I am grateful to you for that.
I get that completely, Libbey. I never wanted to land here either…but once you put the threat lens over the silence...it suddenly makes sense in a way nothing else does.
And like you, my anger has cooled...not vanished...but shifted into something sharper... more focused.
I don’t excuse the silence...but I understand it differently now.
And I’m grateful you’re willing to open up to that “other side of the coin.” That’s the whole point here…to widen the frame...to see what’s hiding under the surface. I appreciate your words more than you know. I do.
I feel that, Cherae…because when you put yourself in those shoes...when it’s your kids or your grands...the whole picture shifts.
That’s the leverage…the one pressure point none of us want tested. It’s raw...it’s ugly...and it’s exactly why we have to name it out loud. Silence only serves the ones making the threats.
Thank you, Tom. I wrestle with that too…because on one hand...fighting fire with fire risks burning down the whole damn house.
On the other…if you keep showing up with water pistols while the other side is hurling Molotovs...you lose every time.
The answer isn’t to mirror their cruelty…it’s to match their ferocity with tactics that hit just as hard…but without surrendering the moral high ground.
That means relentless exposure...counter-pressure...and never letting the threats stay hidden in the dark.
They are fighting with an "anything goes" attitude about what they are willing to do. When you're working against that...and your "rules of engagement" are you can only throw it under strict and rigid situations...you're probably going to get your ass handed to you.
I understand the logic. Exposure will require public disclosure of the threats etc which most won’t do.
One must ask “where is the line?”
Nuclear bombs on Japan sure got their surrender. I fear that this type of thing in USA might be warranted.
The British marched in formation and fought and fired on command in the revolution. The colonists won because they hid behind trees and fought unconventionally. Neither of these had moral high ground. I firmly believe we are beyond exposure and reason and moral high ground “Passive secession” and consequences.
So if Newsom, Pritzker, Hochul, etc suddenly backs down, we’ll know why. And we’ll scream for them, not at them.
Yes…that’s the signal, Jennifer…if Newsom or Pritzker or Hochul suddenly goes quiet…we don’t pile on…we fill the gap…we scream for them…not at them…we name the pressure…we call out the threat…we keep the frame from collapsing.
And we pair the noise with action…demand family protections for public servants…press law enforcement for counter-intimidation…flood the zone with truth so the whisper loses power.
That’s the covenant…they fight when they can…we fight when they can’t…no shame…no blame…just a relay of resolve until the spell breaks.
-Jack
Jennifer, you are absolutely right about that! Thank you!
Yes but and then what? Roll over? Our defenses have been dismantled courtesy of the maniac et al, we’re wide open to all kinds of threat and probably being damaged already...What recourse is there? This is the part when it just sounds overwhelming.
So when our brave governors go silent, they’re being threatened, families being threatened, and we are to write letters or call elected folks to demand protection for them?
Maybe their risk can be spread out somehow across....I know nothing about this, it seems. Tell me when to write or call and I’ll do that.
OMG. This makes me so infuriated. Putin and his Kremlin pigs can shove it up their asses.
Thank you Jack Hopkins for making me think bigger. What we all knew and saw comes together.
I’m going to contact folks now to demand extra protection for my lawmakers and officials.
Words to live by:
“I have not yet begun to fight!”
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
I’m right there with you, Jill…I feel that same fury boiling. Putin and his Kremlin thugs think intimidation is power…but when Americans see it for what it is…we don’t cower…we fight louder.
And you’re already doing the exact right thing...demanding protection for lawmakers and officials. That’s how we snap the spell…we don’t wait for them to beg for help...we make the pressure visible ourselves.
And those words you ended with? Perfect. That’s the lineage we’re in…from Jones to Henry to every American who ever stood up when silence was demanded. We’re carrying that banner now. We are.
-Jack
I've thought this about members of congress, but never dreamed it could be so widespread. But it makes sense. I'd probably cut off my right arm if somebody threatened my kids. And now that we have a regime in place that enthusiastically participates, it looks pretty discouraging.
I hear you, Jan…and I feel the same. It’s one thing to imagine a stray member of Congress being leaned on…but when you realize how widespread it could be...it hits different.
Because you’re right...any parent would cave if the kids were on the line.
That’s why it’s so discouraging now…we’ve got a regime in place that doesn’t just tolerate intimidation but joins in. But the fact you’re naming it…seeing it…calling it out…that’s the first step to breaking it. Once people understand how the pressure works...the fear loses half its grip.
Now…I want to confess something here. I was infuriated about Biden and Harris’ lack of response after the election. It burned hot for about six months…and has since cooled to a calm kind of pissed-off.
Part of that comes from my own background. A number of the men I served with in the Navy went into combat knowing full well they likely wouldn’t come back. They did it anyway. And they didn’t come back. Even so…I know they’d go again if given the chance. That kind of sacrifice brands itself into you.
So yeah…that’s where my bitterness came from. It’s not a good fit for this situation... because Biden and Harris weren’t elected to charge into combat. Their lives were already at greater risk because of the offices they held...but the Secret Service exists to keep them out of direct harm’s way. It’s not the same.
That doesn’t mean the anger just dissolves. It doesn’t. But bringing critical thinking into it…balancing emotion with reason…lets me manage it now. At first I just wanted to be mad. I felt like I owed that to the warriors I knew and loved who gave everything. And maybe I did. But now…I see the situation clearer. Meaning...I don't carry the same level of anger.
I knew what I was writing about in this issue...even back then…but I let myself stay emotionally hijacked for a while. Why? Because not feeling that way felt wrong. That’s the trap of emotions. They feel so damn justified that we defend them…cling to them…resist moving out of them.
It just took me a bit to let go. That’s not weakness...that’s a signal there’s still room to grow. And I take that as fuel.
Every time I notice I’ve got expanding left to do...I use it. I work at it constantly. It starts with awareness…and the decision to get better. With that...every year...you’re stronger than the one before.
-Jack
Jack, what you shared snd share is necessary. Still, I believe that anyone who has paid proper attention has known, or should have known the hints of great danger and if connections by reading and/or by observing since 2015, if not earlier. They dismissed his rhetoric in all those hours of trying to brainwash people. They scoffed at the threats. Some people even were thrilled by them, and how sick that was and is!
Hillary spoke out. Many people chose not to believe her. Other people caused “noise” to prohibit support for her snd the truth. We knew of connections he had to Russia and how he was trying to put President Obama down. Russia came up with the emails and in the debates when he was running against Hillary. His behaviors during and since the previous time in office indicated whose side he is on and what ways he admires in this world. Kamala spoke out beautifully in the first and only debate with him. He refused to debate again, in part to avoid her pointing out the truth. Instead, many people chose to join the bandwagon of his lies, of his finger-pointing, and of his cruelty. That is why I have never understood how anyone who paid attention could ever think of supporting him. President Biden spoke in a special address to us. That might have been after the election, but he did put much information on online. I know many people who would refuse to recognize the truth even if folders or documents, as you mentioned, were handed to them, and as you said, instead of “a Highlight magazine”. What can we do about that? I believe we have known to some extent, though certainly not totally, that definite trouble would follow if people did not pay attention and vote accordingly. I still admire the people who told us what they could and possibly tried to tell us more. Thank you for describing some details of how things work. Our collective goose cannot be cooked, and it must not be! Still, where is the strength of the glimmer of crucially needed hope?
You’re right…the danger signs were flashing as far back as 2015…maybe even earlier…and too many dismissed it as “just talk.” Hillary warned…Obama took the hits…Kamala cut him open in that debate. The tells were there…clear as day.
And yet…millions chose to look away…or worse...cheer it on. That’s the sickness we’re up against. You nailed it...there are people who wouldn’t believe the truth if you handed them the folder...stamped it...signed it...and read it out loud.
So what do we do? We keep pressing…we keep exposing…we keep making noise until silence is impossible. That’s the only antidote to brainwashing...relentless counter pressure.
And the hope? It’s right here. In the fact that you saw it early. That you’re still seeing it now. That you haven’t let the noise drown out the truth. The hope isn’t abstract...it’s in the collective refusal to surrender. It’s in our numbers. It’s in our insistence that the goose won’t be cooked…not on our watch.
-Jack
Thank you so much, Jack! You increase our hope and give us strength.
Fascinating. Seems like Newsom has set himself up as the “gloves off” candidate, maybe he has protection. Or wants to be a martyr, which I rather doubt. I would still like to know if Clooney ever issued a full-page apology in the NYT. “No? Get outta here.”
I get where you’re coming from, Randy…Newsom has definitely stepped into the “gloves off” role…and maybe he does feel more insulated…or maybe he just decided that silence costs more than risk.
I don’t see him as a martyr type either…but I do see him as someone willing to swing hard when others won’t.
And Clooney? No…no full-page mea culpa that I’ve ever seen. And honestly…that tells you everything. They expect us to forget the damage...shrug off the noise...move on. But the receipts matter. Accountability matters. And we’re not in the mood to hand out free passes anymore.
-Jack
Appreciate the feedback, truly. Watching him the best I have been able since the crickets of November, I have been unsuccessfully looking for cues but when he did move, it made the surprise that much better as he dove right into the deep end.
You may have seen this, but: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnnypalmadessa/p/newsom-is-selling-bibles-trump-supporters?r=py0e3&utm_medium=ios
And of course you got right to my point about the non-ad, I really find this silence from the “coastal elites” (I had to type that without looking) unsurprising but still unforgivable.
I keep referring to and reposting this scene from “Greatest Show On Earth” as the perfect visualization: https://youtu.be/hl26Ojtz_Aw?si=tosE1lK0gMZAQ4q6
This explains so much. I always new trump was a plant, the shiny object to caise upheaval and distraction. It explains his inability to actually function as president. He doesn't want to. It's also extremely scary and infuriating!
This also explains Murkowski's comment about being threatened and scared. It wasn't so much about orange as it was the deeper threat.
We will need to get louder and shout for the truth tellers. We will also need to be the truth tellers!
Thanks, Jack!
Exactly, Jo…you nailed it. Trump’s never wanted to govern…he’s always been the shiny object...the chaos machine...the distraction while the real work of dismantling happens behind the curtain. That’s why he flailed as president...because “flailing” was the function.
And yes…Murkowski’s slip makes more sense through that lens. It’s not just fear of Trump himself…it’s the deeper threats pressing on anyone who dares to break rank. That’s why our job isn’t just to cheer for truth tellers…but to be them…to amplify them…to shout so loud the intimidation loses its grip.
I’m grateful you see it the same way…and you’re right...the fury is fuel.
-Jack
Evidence of election interference has been presented to Kamala Harris several times with no response from her or the DMC or the election officials. Threats would be the reason for silence.
I too was disappointed with silence from Harris in particular since the election. Her voice seemed to be expected and called for. There’s a feeling she’s missing opportunities to stand up for Democracy but we got silence. Now what you’re suggesting seems understandable and I certainly hope they are making a plan to counteract what is happening.
I felt that same disappointment…especially with Harris. Her voice mattered…people were waiting for it…and the silence landed like a gut punch.
But when you view it through the lens of threats…it starts to make sense. Not excusable…but understandable.
And you’re right...if threats are the reason...then silence isn’t weakness...it’s pressure doing its work. That means the burden shifts to us…to call it out...to demand protections... to keep the ground from collapsing underneath leaders we still need.
And yes…I believe they are planning...even if we can’t see it I can't say exactly what that looks like...or who, specifically. Perhaps it's just hope. In the meantime...our job is to make damn sure the intimidation doesn’t get the last word.
-Jack
Maybe words of support would add a layer of assurance such as tweeting at Kamala. I personally don’t know which social media she uses.
Thank you, Jack. Sharing and contacting.
Joanne...you're welcome. My pleasure.
-Jack
That this is happening right here, right now, is something I never thought I'd see in this country. It's terrifying and infuriating all at the same time. I wonder if those that bought the lies, that Trump couldn't have thought up himself, and voted for the liar, who is not just a puppet of the kremlin, realize and admit what they have done to our country!
I think part of the media blitz campaign is to overload minds and senses, but those who just sit back and let it happen because it's too much trouble to think things through need to wake up and do everthing they can to undo what's being done!
I feel that same fury, Karen…it’s surreal to watch it play out here...in real time...in our own country. You’re right...Trump didn’t create these lies on his own...he was the vessel…and too many people bought in without ever stopping to ask what they were really signing our nation up for.
And yes…the media blitz is part of the strategy...flood the zone...overwhelm the senses... make people too exhausted to sort truth from fiction. That’s the trap.
The antidote is exactly what you said: wake up...push back...refuse to sit it out because it feels hard. The damage is real…but so is our power if we choose to use it.
-Jack
Mitt Romney precisely referred to threats he received.
Exactly, Anne…Romney flat out admitted it. He didn’t just hint...he said he received threats serious enough to factor into his decisions.
That’s not speculation...that’s testimony from a sitting U.S. Senator.
And if it happened to him...you can bet he’s not the only one. His honesty just cracked the door open on what most of the others are too scared to say out loud. He absolutely did.
-Jack
As does the Kremlin, does the current president himself command silence? Below is a partial list of his brother and sister republicans that he has intentionally insulted (maybe these insults are really threats?). The insults / threats issued by the current president are quoted.
Jen Bush, “low energy”, “Bush III”
Ted Cruz, “lyin’ Ted”
Heidi Cruz, “ugly”
Mike DeWine (R), “a Democrat liberal”
Ron DiSantis, “DeSanctimonious”
Carly Fiorino, “look at that face”
Lindsey Graham, “nut job”, “disgrace”, “one of the dumbest human beings”
John Kasich, “major loser”
Megyn Kelly, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever,”
Marco Rubio, “Little Marco”, “lightweight”, “choker”, “Mr. Meltdown”
…and we are now hearing total silence from some or watching unending derrière kissing from others.
You’re onto something important here, Mary…because Trump’s “insults” have never just been insults. They’re signals…warnings…tests of dominance.
He labels someone…and everyone else watches to see if that person bends or fights back. And you’re right...some go silent...others fold into sycophancy.
It’s the same psychology the Kremlin uses. Dress the threat up as a joke or a jab…so if anyone calls it out...it looks petty. But everyone on the inside hears the real message: “step out of line and this is what happens to you.”
That’s why the silence is so telling. It isn’t about clever nicknames…it’s about conditioning compliance
-Jack
Thank you.
Sorry, I just posted a rant of my own that didn't address this newsletter's content. I'm glad you wrote it Jack. It wasn't an option that occurred to me because I don't understand why anyone would threaten someone elses family. It's not moral or ethical. So it's good you put it here to open our eyes when we don't even know what to look for.
No need to apologize, Karen…I value the rant as much as the reflection.
And you’re right...threatening families isn’t moral or ethical…it’s evil. But that’s exactly why it works.
Most of us can’t even imagine doing it...so we underestimate how far the people who will... actually go.
That’s why I wrote this...to pull back the curtain...so when silence shows up...we know how to read it…and we know where to push back.
-Jack
TBH, that scenario never crossed my mind and I can't believe that it didn't even with all of the movies I have watched with exactly that happening, but it makes perfect sense. And I have been pretty harsh on Harris online. Now that I am looking at the other side of the coin... like you, Jack... I am not AS pissed as I was.
As always, I appreciate your perspective. You have opened up my mind more than you know and I am grateful to you for that.
I get that completely, Libbey. I never wanted to land here either…but once you put the threat lens over the silence...it suddenly makes sense in a way nothing else does.
And like you, my anger has cooled...not vanished...but shifted into something sharper... more focused.
I don’t excuse the silence...but I understand it differently now.
And I’m grateful you’re willing to open up to that “other side of the coin.” That’s the whole point here…to widen the frame...to see what’s hiding under the surface. I appreciate your words more than you know. I do.
-Jack
Oh, jeez, and me smooth outta vodka.
What would I do if it were MY grands?
I’mma have to get back to you on this one.
f£ck
I feel that, Cherae…because when you put yourself in those shoes...when it’s your kids or your grands...the whole picture shifts.
That’s the leverage…the one pressure point none of us want tested. It’s raw...it’s ugly...and it’s exactly why we have to name it out loud. Silence only serves the ones making the threats.
-Jack
Pretty sure I’d be protecting my babies. How would I live with myself if I were not?
All this introspection. . .
Can’t I just watch movies?
Well examined analysis. Should the Dems stoop that low and “fight fire with fire”?
Thank you, Tom. I wrestle with that too…because on one hand...fighting fire with fire risks burning down the whole damn house.
On the other…if you keep showing up with water pistols while the other side is hurling Molotovs...you lose every time.
The answer isn’t to mirror their cruelty…it’s to match their ferocity with tactics that hit just as hard…but without surrendering the moral high ground.
That means relentless exposure...counter-pressure...and never letting the threats stay hidden in the dark.
They are fighting with an "anything goes" attitude about what they are willing to do. When you're working against that...and your "rules of engagement" are you can only throw it under strict and rigid situations...you're probably going to get your ass handed to you.
This is a very important conversation.
-Jack
I understand the logic. Exposure will require public disclosure of the threats etc which most won’t do.
One must ask “where is the line?”
Nuclear bombs on Japan sure got their surrender. I fear that this type of thing in USA might be warranted.
The British marched in formation and fought and fired on command in the revolution. The colonists won because they hid behind trees and fought unconventionally. Neither of these had moral high ground. I firmly believe we are beyond exposure and reason and moral high ground “Passive secession” and consequences.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, strength and resolve with us, Jack.