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Hey folks, happy Thursday! I want you to know what I’m up to in addition to my conversations across America [ [link removed] ] and engaging with you here on Substack.
This week, I submitted an amicus brief along with some other folks you probably know, like Judge Michael Luttig, former Governor Christine Todd Whitman, former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, and Homeland Security consultant Paul Rosenzweig, among others, to urge the Supreme Court to reject Donald Trump’s Executive Order No. 14210 as unconstitutional. That order directs the restructuring of entire federal agencies, the elimination of government programs and functions, and the drastic reduction of the number of employees within every agency.
It’s our contention that Trump’s EO, like so much of what he does, is a flagrant incursion into the power of Congress. The Constitution vests all such power in Congress, and it has not explicitly authorized any of these actions. A coalition of unions, nonprofits, and municipalities urged a federal judge [ [link removed] ] today to extend her temporary block on the administration’s implementing of mass layoffs at federal agencies—and she did. Thank you, Judge Susan Illston. Now, Trump is seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court.
I’ll keep you posted on what happens next.
In Today’s Issue
The Social Briefing: Heroes of the Week
Good Reads for This Week
What’s Your Take?
What Can You Do?
The Social Calendar
The Social Soundboard
This Week
SUBSTACK LIVE: Open to all subscribers, unless noted. Don’t miss it!
Monday, 8pm ET [ [link removed] ] (with Steve Schmidt, [ [link removed] ] click if you missed it)
Tuesday, 8pm ET [ [link removed] ] (click if you missed it)
Wednesday, 8pm ET [ [link removed] ] (with David Pakman [ [link removed] ], click if you missed it)
Thursday, 8pm ET (Ask Me Anything! Paid subscribers only!)
FOUNDING MEMBERS! Our monthly Zoom will be held next Wednesday, May 28, at 8pm ET! Mark your calendars now, and we’ll be in touch by email soon with more details. (Do you want to join us, but you’re not a Founding Member yet? Upgrade now [ [link removed] ]!)
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Amid all the bad [ [link removed] ], awful [ [link removed] ], dumb [ [link removed] ], stupid [ [link removed] ], sickening [ [link removed] ], despicable [ [link removed] ], embarrassing [ [link removed] ], irresponsible [ [link removed] ], demoralizing [ [link removed] ], infuriating [ [link removed] ], outrageous [ [link removed] ], terrible [ [link removed] ], horrible [ [link removed] ], Constitution-defying [ [link removed] ] news of the past week, we have to acknowledge the heroes among us. The list is growing, as more and more of us are standing up to the tyrant. Courage is infectious. Be brave!
DEMOCRATS ON THE HILL. I have to admit, I was really proud of some of them in committee hearings this week, where they grilled Trump’s Cabinet members and agency heads, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. [ [link removed] ], Kristi Noem [ [link removed] ], Lee Zeldin [ [link removed] ], and others, like a real opposition party should. I was particularly impressed with Sen. Jacky Rosen’s [ [link removed] ] comments to Marco Rubio. Well done, Senator.
THE SUPREME COURT. Another surprise. The Supreme Court upheld the Constitution and the law, blocking Trump [ [link removed] ] from restarting Alien Enemies Act deportations. That’s great news. You can’t stand with the Constitution and the law AND stand with Trump. You can’t stand with both. You have to choose. I choose the Constitution and the law. I know you do too.
THE JUDICIARY. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell [ [link removed] ] ruled this week that the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace was “unlawful” and conducted by “illegitimately-installed leaders.” With the action found null and void, the leaders of the USIP regained control of their offices on Wednesday. Bravo! Judge Brian Murphy [ [link removed] ] of the District of Massachusetts ruled yesterday that the Trump Administration “unquestionably” violated a court order when it tried to transfer detainees to South Sudan without a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their removal to a place where they might face torture. Good call. And today, District Judge Myong Joun [ [link removed] ] blocked Trump’s EO calling for the closure of the Department of Education and the reduction of half its workforce. Excellent.
WENDY MCMAHON. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon [ [link removed] ] resigned her position this week, stating “the company and I do not agree on the path forward.” What she means is she’s not going to compromise her independence or her integrity as CBS’ corporate parent negotiates a settlement with Trump over his bogus lawsuit against 60 Minutes. It’s sad that we’re losing so many good people, but it’s heartening to see that some folks are still willing to make personal sacrifices for what’s right.
ABOVE THE LAW. A snarky legal industry website called Above the Law [ [link removed] ] is best known for its coverage of legal news, attorneys’ salaries, and stories of lawyers behaving badly. But since Trump started targeting law firms, Above the Law delivers a daily public smackdown to what it calls “The Yellow-Bellied Nine”—the elite firms who pledged a collective $1 billion in free legal work to Trump. Good for them.
Did we miss anyone? Send your heroes our way [ mailto:[email protected] ]!
Good Reads for This Week
Can We Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time? [ [link removed] ] —To the Contrary
Voters Want Dems to Stand Up to Trump, Not Self-Flagellate [ [link removed] ] —Public Notice
The Path Forward for Democrats [ [link removed] ] —The Long View
The Authoritarian Shift: How Presidential Retaliation Threatens Democracy at Home and Abroad [ [link removed] ] —Jack Hopkins Now
The Emergency We Cannot Feel: On the Psychological Unreadiness for American Collapse [ [link removed] ] —Notes from the Circus
Heeding the Warnings [ [link removed] ] —America, America
Nobody Likes a 'Moderate'—Until the House Is Burning [ [link removed] ] —Matt Lewis & the News(letter)
The Republican Party’s Populist Betrayal [ [link removed] ] —The xxxxxx
Are Trump's Voters Starting to Sour on Him? [ [link removed] ] —The Message Box
Check In on the Authoritarians in Your Life [ [link removed] ] —Persuasion
What’s Your Take?
There have been a number of well-attended protests of the authoritarian takeover of our national government across the country since January 20. I’m curious how many of you have already participated in one, or plan to participate in a protest soon.
What Can You Do?
GET OUT THERE AND PROTEST! There are two big resistance protest opportunities coming up. Join if you are able!
June 6: Huge rally on the Mall in D.C. to stand up for our veterans! More info at Unite for Veterans [ [link removed] ].
June 14: Our “No Kings” protest day, with protests taking place in every state in the country. More info at 50501 [ [link removed] ].
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! One of our readers, Megan Rothery, sent us this:
Use this spreadsheet [ [link removed] ] to call/email/write any of our representatives as often as possible. Not just your own state reps, reach out to those in other states. Be as loud as you can and share this. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
Thank you, Megan!
SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY PROUDLY! Let the world know you stand with the No Kings movement with a #NOKINGS shirt! Here’s mine:
To get yours and look as good as I do, visit oneflaginitiative.org [ [link removed] ], or become a Social Contract Founding Member [ [link removed] ], and we’ll send you one for FREE (plus you’ll get an invite to a once-a-month Zoom with me and other special VIP events), with our thanks.
#NOKINGS merchandise sales directly support Conversations with Joe, my personal effort to restore the social contract across America.
Did you catch Walsh Wednesday, my weekly meetup with Michael Cohen? If you missed it, here it is:
THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEWS & QUOTES
Egberto Off the Record [ [link removed] ]
The Next Stage of Our Democracy Crisis: Competitive Authoritarianism [ [link removed] ] —Salon.com
Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh Rips ‘Weak Loser’ Trump Over Walmart Tantrum [ [link removed] ] —The Daily Beast
Former GOP members of Congress reject charges against N.J. Rep. McIver [ [link removed] ] —NJ.com
Former Congressional Republicans decry charges against LaMonica McIver [ [link removed] ] —USA Today
Here’s what some of you are thinking about this week…
Joe,
I'm a fan of your show. I'll try to be brief. WE know Trump is a liar, among so many other things. In light of the daily BS, I believe (could be wrong) folks need to focus on bringing to light to MAGA a few of the promises made and not kept. Simple questions and make them explain. Be nice if we had a functional media, but anyway.
Preface with Trump being the smartest person ever, best memory, etc.—a stable genius, as he claims.
1. Trump said he’d balance the budget in his first term. Did he?
2. Trump said he’d build the wall (sea to sea) in his first term (so easy, because he's a great builder, etc.), and Mexico would pay for it. Did he build the wall? Did Mexico pay for it?
3. If you say he built the wall, then how are people coming daily through it? Wasn’t it supposed to be impenetrable, as he said it would be? Who opened the gates? How are they getting through it?
4. Regarding tariffs, if the foreign country pays for them, as he claims, then why is he now telling retailers to “eat” the price increase? And why does he not want companies to publish the tariffs on products, since tariffs are such a great thing for us? Shouldn't he want them shown, since they are so wonderful? He said we (the U.S. and consumers) would not pay; only foreign countries would pay. Please explain.
5. Bonus question: If Obama was not born in the U.S. and was an illegitimate president (i.e., birther BS), then why no uproar about Ted Cruz running for the White House (prominent birthers even supported him), since Cruz was, for sure, not born in the U.S. (born in Canada)? Unless I am the only one besides Ted and his parents who know he was born in Canada, how does this fly?
Seriously, I believe it is far too simple to stand up to this BS…and to confront people with actual facts and make them explain, in real time.
Lord knows the list could span pages and years; these are simple and focused. Feel free to use, if you so desire. Take care. —Bill Tratnack
Hi Joe,
I am a lifelong Democrat, a veteran of the Korean War, a student of the law (Rutgers University School of Law), and a former political activist. I haven't always agreed with you on certain policy issues, but I am in total agreement with your analysis of how our government is being used as a casino; and it would appear that a majority of the voting public (Republicans, some Democrats, most all of the Independents, and a large portion of the general public) are literally afraid to stand up, speak out, get in the way, and practice a little civil disobedience to stop this “TV wannabe” from actually becoming a king. We can thank the Supreme Court for that one.
Question? Where are the “guts and tenacity” of the above-mentioned groups in taking action to stop this takeover of the American political system by a bunch of “cowards and oligarchs?” I am not so sure that the voters, this time, will be able to turn this country around. The Congress and the courts must do their jobs by force from the American people NOW! We must stop waiting to see what will happen.
As I learned from my experience in the military, when you know where the enemies are, and what they are doing, you must organize the troops and attach them from all angles, constantly and with great force. All citizens and institutions of the American populace, who proclaim that they love this democracy, must now be willing to attack, knowing that there are always some risks involved.
The biggest problem I see facing the American public is their refusal to recognize that we cannot continue to use the same old playbook to fight this battle. We cannot come to a gun fight with a knife.
These characters in this administration are not playing by the laws of this country. They are rewriting them, including the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. We had the warning, but were so busy running down every negative rabbit hole Trump created, we really were not reading or listening to what the MAGA party was saying to us OUT LOUD.
Finally, and for all those Americans who sincerely want to stop this madness, take a lesson from the South Korean people, when their president wanted to remain in office as a dictator. They rose up, and threw him out of office. —Pickett Thomas, Jr., Esq.
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