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What Must Be Done
On his Inauguration Day, Donald Trump pardoned the criminals who assaulted 140 police officers and tried to stop the constitutional transfer of power on January 6, 2021. This week, he stood with a bloody totalitarian Russian dictator and belittled a hero of democracy. In between, he and Elon Musk have illegally and without care set about dismantling the FAA, American efforts to feed the world’s hungry, and the basic safety net that keeps Americans safe. Meanwhile, inflation has gone up and our enemies are sensing opportunity.
If we are to resist the madness, context is important. Periodically, America seems to tear itself apart and indulge its worst instincts. In 1970, the National Guard fired 67 rounds of ammunition at unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State, killing four. At the time, some said that those students deserved their fates because they were “communists”. Six years before that, J. Edgar Hoover attempted to blackmail Martin Luther King and suggested that he kill himself. 22 years before that, FDR signed an executive order, upheld by the Supreme Court, which forced 120,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps.
I don’t remind you of all that to denigrate the country I love, but because we’ve seen government-sponsored political chaos before. Every American generation is faced with attacks on the Constitution, dignity, and basic decency. We are defined by the fortitude with which we respond. Right now, we are responding in three key areas:
The Courts
There have been more than 70 court cases filed against the Trump Administration. We are winning the vast majority and stopping Trump’s assault on the rule of law. The administration, while dragging its feet, has not yet provoked a true constitutional crisis by ignoring judicial orders. If it does, courts will start holding those who aid and abet Donald Trump in contempt, opening the door to seizing their income and assets. The Supreme Court may have foolishly given the President absolute immunity, but that does not extend to the thousands of people who would be required to enforce his illegal actions. [[link removed]]
Our (Limited) Power in Congress
Right now, Donald Trump owns Senate and House Republicans. That ownership is starting to erode as farmers are denied aid, bridges stop being built, and medical research in red states crashes to a halt. But there is no escaping the fact that the people of the United States gave Republican sycophants control of the levers of Congressional power.
Unlike the Senate, the House gives the minority party no real power or legislative tools. Fortunately, the minuscule Republican majority gives us leverage, and we will use it. This spring, we’re voting on government funding and the expiring Trump tax cuts. Expect a fight. As the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I will make absolutely certain that the FBI, CIA, and other agencies abide by the law and are never turned against the American people.
Finally, even in the minority, we have the power to shape public sentiment.
Public Sentiment
Unfortunately, Donald Trump started his term with broad popular support. But polls show that Americans overwhelmingly want an economy that works for them and a government that protects them. Trump has ignored this in favor of a tech bro circus. People are getting tired of it. And over time, they will come to recognize how dangerous it is.
I am laser-focused on the biggest step we can take to preserve our democracy: taking control of the House of Representatives in 2026. Trump wants us to chase every one of his squirrels, so I am focusing on the damage Trump is doing to our economy and to our security. I’m inviting persuadable Trump voters to see that their guy cares not a bit about them, their grocery bill or traditional American values. And I never forget that winning political coalitions are built with patience and persuasion, not with condescension and contempt. Finally, I’m doing a lot of work identifying those media platforms that are speaking to millions of Americans but which we have largely ignored.
We’ve got a big fight ahead, but stand on the shoulders of other fighters. Like the civil rights marchers. Like the suffragettes. Like the generation that defeated fascism and communism. Like the ragtag farmers with muskets at Lexington and Concord.
It’s a tough fight, but deeply worthy. And together, we will prevail.
— Jim
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