Helicopters Over Chicago, Masked Agents at the School Gates, and How Democrats Use Power — with Mike Nellis and Steve Schmidt

Endless Urgency is free to read, but we’re hustling to launch our new content studio and pay our new Community Manager a living wage. Paid subscribers make it all possible—just $8/month if you’re down to support 👇

Upgrade to paid

Hey folks,

We went live with Steve Schmidt from The Warning, and it got intense fast. We dug into the rot inside MAGA culture, the cowardice of Republican leadership, and what it actually means to fight back. It was honest, furious, and necessary.

• [00:01:07] “If you don’t want to be called a Nazi, don’t hire them.” I said it plain. We talk about the culture Republicans have created—one where hate symbols and extremist rhetoric aren’t accidents but expectations.

• [00:07:24] The “paid protester” lie. We get real about why they fear millions in the streets, how disinformation shields Trump’s movement, and what real resistance looks like when it’s rooted in people—not parties.

• [00:14:12] What it means to use power. We talk about Democratic timidity, how the GOP moves without shame, and why we can’t afford another cycle of hand-wringing. I name names and push for moral courage, not caution.

• [00:21:36] How Democrats finally got a message right—tying the shutdown fight to health care costs. It’s simple, sharp, and human. We unpack why people need to feel what we’re fighting for, not just read about it.

• [00:29:48] Generational change, primaries, and message discipline. We dig into why messy primaries make us stronger, how younger leaders are stepping up, and why Democrats need better communicators—people who can speak human again.

If you want voices willing to tell the truth about power, become a paid subscriber today. This work only happens because of people who care enough to keep it alive. Let’s build something real, together.

With urgency,

—Mike

Upgrade to paid