The Constitution or a King: Time to Choose

Hey everybody. Hope you are doing well today. I’ve had a rough few days battling a virus (if you saw my interview with Jim Acosta, you could probably tell I wasn’t my usual self). It’s almost as if the sickness I feel watching what’s happening in Washington has manifested itself physically, in the most unpleasant way possible. Stay well out there!

When you signed up for this newsletter, you saw a message that said the Social Contract is spreading a message of tolerance, respect, informed decision-making, and citizen engagement to better equip Americans to defend democracy and reform our political system. That’s what we aim to do here.

Some of you might be saying, “Then why are you always calling out Donald Trump?”

Fair question. Let me answer it.

What makes a contract a contract? It’s an agreement between two or more parties. If one side isn’t holding up its end of the agreement, it no longer exists. It is broken. When I got into national politics 15 years ago, the social contract was pulling apart at the seams but was still largely intact. Now it’s completely torn.

It’s on us to repair it, but I firmly believe we don’t do it by appeasing the force that tore it apart in the first place—and shows no signs of stopping the damage, much less fixing it. Making nice with cancer (or a virus!) won’t heal it. Trump has a long, sordid history of violating business contracts. Why would he care about a contract that doesn’t profit him? Trump is a lost cause.

But Trump voters are not.

I know, I know. They should have known better, certainly after Jan. 6, right? Absolutely. I agree with that premise as much as anyone on this planet. I also think people who call anyone who disagrees with them “libtards” suffering from a “woke mind virus” aren’t likely to care much about social contracts. And I’m fully aware that Trump’s approval ratings are as high as they’ve ever been. All stipulated.

What still gives me hope, however, is the journey I and other former Trump supporters took. I believe in my heart there are others just starting that journey. The only “good” thing about Trump is, he’s so dishonest, so corrupt, so lawless, and so authoritarian that he’s forcing us as a people to decide what kind of country we want to be. Do we want someone in the White House with utterly unrestrained powers? Do we want to be ruled by a king? Trump is forcing us to answer those questions.

For some, the answer is obviously “yes.” That’s nothing short of a catastrophic civic tragedy. Is it fatal to the American Experiment? I don’t know. I hope not. What I do know is that we need to be ready to rebuild the social contract with everyone who is willing when the dust settles on the ruins of this administration.

That’s why we’re here.

Note: My team is working on a deep dive about Elon Musk that I think you’ll find enlightening, compelling, and share-worthy. Exclusive to paid subscribers. Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help fund this important work and access this piece. It will be well worth it!

TRUST THE PROCESS. It’s the process of democracy that makes us a democratic republic, not any one policy. I don’t care what you think of foreign aid. If you hate the idea of using soft power to enhance America’s standing around the world, I might disagree with you, but it’s your right to believe it. The problem is the president can’t shut down agencies funded by Congress, and that’s why we have a problem with Elon Musk unilaterally shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development. And that’s why a judge rightly halted it.

WHAT RULE OF LAW? As Musk posts propaganda on X 24/7, he is also actively breaking U.S. law. According to Armand Domalewski, “the change in the National Institutes of Health funding formula, to me, is the most explicit and direct way Elon has broken the law. Congress passed a law explicitly banning the Executive from making changes to the indirect cost percentage.” Yet another judge will likely block this, too, which leads us to the question of the hour…

WOULD TRUMP DEFY A COURT ORDER? Is anyone seriously asking this question? Of course he will. We’re talking about someone who tried to overthrow an American election and faced zero accountability for it. His vice president fired a warning shot. Trump will absolutely defy the Constitution. He already has—and openly plans to continue doing it. It’s just a matter of how bad it will get. Our only saving grace here may be Trump’s ego. He does occasionally respond to public pressure, so keep it up.

CORRUPTION, INC. Any average working American still under the impression that Trump is on their side, not the elites and politicians, should take note. He is dismantling the government ethics office and consumer protection bureau that protect your rights while ordering corruption charges to be dropped against anyone who kisses the ring, like NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Welcome back to Tammany Hall, my friends.

BOW DOWN TO MOTHER RUSSIA. You tell me…why would Trump share on Truth Social this article about Vladimir Putin cheering on his tariffs because they will divide and hurt America and Europe? And why would Trump suggest that our ally Ukraine “may be Russian someday”? Maybe because he works for Putin? Just a thought.

So what can you do?

1. Start having conversations again. Not online, in real life. It’s going to feel uncomfortable. I know because I have these discussions all the time. You will get frustrated. You will be disappointed. It will be a challenge. But try to break the ice. I guarantee you there are Americans who have no idea what’s going on. Use the talking points in these newsletters (minus the profanity lol). They need to know.

2. Join the growing #NOKINGS community! Let’s build a community right now of Americans who rally around and identify with that basic truth: we don’t have kings in America. We’ll figure out where to go beyond that down the road. I’ve changed all my profile pictures to #NOKINGS, and you can too. Grab the #NOKINGS graphic below and go to www.oneflaginitiative.org for instructions on how to change your profile pics.

3. Please watch my latest video. If you can’t see it, join our community (and help me keep a fact-checker gainfully employed!) by upgrading to a paid subscription...