Ups and Downs, Heroes and Clowns

What a week of ups and downs. While I spent half of it in the painful fog of surgery and recovery, your generosity in supporting PAXIS (as of this writing, we’re over $21,000, thanks to you!) really helped brighten some otherwise down days for me.

But let’s be honest: EVERY week in Donald Trump’s America is like a ride on a rickety roller coaster—brief flashes of hope or courage followed by predictable plunges back into madness. That whiplash has become the norm in this political era. How many times did we think something or someone would finally expose Trump as the clown he is to the MAGA faithful? The Access Hollywood tape, Robert Mueller, the “perfect phone call,” the Covid collapse, January 6th, stolen classified documents, 34 felony convictions, Jack Smith, and on and on.

It ain’t happening. Trump isn’t a traditional politician. He’s a cult leader with followers, not supporters. That key distinction explains why he endures, why he dominates, and why he never becomes the “lame duck” so many beclowned pundits keep trying unsuccessfully to manifest.

And yet, amid all the chaos and cruelty, there are unexpected moments that surprise us. This week it came from Indiana Republicans, who found themselves under intense threats and pressure from Trump to follow Texas’ lead and redraw their congressional map mid-decade. And they said NO. It’s a small win in the grand scheme of things, perhaps. But it’s proof that among all the villains and cowards—and there are many—there are still some quiet heroes, too.

We won’t kid ourselves. Trump is no lame duck. The base won’t abandon him. No “grown-ups” are coming to save us. The heroes who stand up are welcome, but they are not enough. The rest of us still have to fight, organize, build, and stand up for the people and communities already being harmed. Because the clowns are loud, the threats are real, and the stakes are too high to wait for someone else to do the work.

Have a great weekend,
Joe

Amid all the bad, awful, dumb, stupid, absurd, insane, sickening, despicable, cruel, sad, childish, pathetic, hypocritical, embarrassing, irresponsible, dishonest, demoralizing, deplorable, shady, infuriating, outrageous, terrible, horrible, Constitution-defying, fascist news of the past week, we have to acknowledge the TOP FIVE HEROES among us. The list is growing, as more and more of us are standing up to the tyrant. Courage is infectious. Be brave!

1. YOU! For supporting and spreading the word about PAXIS. In case you haven’t heard, we’re crowdfunding an incredible emergency-response AI tool that tells you your rights, in your language, when ICE comes knocking. We asked for your help to get PAXIS to the people who need it in 30-45 days. In five days, we’ve already raised over $21,000 of our $25,000 goal. You did that. Thank you!

2. SAE JOON PARK. Speaking of gratitude, Kristi Noem is missing some. A U.S. Army veteran, Park took two bullets for our country while serving in Panama in 1989, for which he received a Purple Heart. Now, he’s been deported to South Korea by the Trump Administration. He faced Kristi Noem over Zoom in a congressional hearing yesterday, right after she claimed that the DHS had not deported any veterans. Noem said she was “grateful for every single person that has served our country,” but she didn’t thank Park. Since she won’t say it, we will: Thank you, Sae Joon Park.

3. EVERYONE STANDING UP TO ICE. In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey says he won’t cooperate with ICE in his city. A Massachusetts church is using their nativity scene to protest ICE, replacing baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with a sign reading “ICE was here.” Meanwhile, a federal judge has ordered the long-awaited release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to an El Salvador prison in March. And then there are the thousands of Americans training to resist ICE in their communities. They are the patriots we need.

4. FREEDOM OF SPEECH FIGHTERS. Actress Amanda Seyfried refuses to be silenced, saying she won’t apologize for calling Charlie Kirk “hateful,” because she’s “free to have an opinion.” She’s 100% right about that—the Constitution guarantees it. Twelve FBI agents who were fired after they knelt in an effort to deescalate a racial justice protest won’t be silenced either. A DOJ review found no misconduct, but they were fired by the Trump Administration after a video of the incident went viral in what they say was a retaliatory violation of their First and Fifth Amendments. Now, they’re suing to get their jobs and pay back. Right on, freedom fighters.

5. VOTERS. Voters across the nation are sending Trump a message. In Georgia, Democrat Eric Gisler has reversed Trump’s 12-point win in his district, flipping its state House seat from red to blue. In Miami, Eileen Higgins has become the first Democrat to become mayor in nearly 30 years—and where Trump flipped the district in the 2024 election. Voters are unhappy, and they’re making their voices heard.

Did we miss anyone? Send your heroes our way!

Good Reads for This Week

• Trump’s Attack on Immigrants Will Redefine What It Means to Be American —The Next Move

• Trump’s Deportations Are Ripping Mothers from Their Babies —The xxxxxx

• The Trump Who Stole Christmas —The Cycle

• Reaction to Trump’s Pennsylvania Speech —Conor Lamb

• KFile: Hegseth in 2016 Repeatedly Warned of Trump Issuing Unlawful Military Orders —CNN

• Trust in Mainstream Media Is at Rock Bottom. Can It Be Fixed? —American Crisis

• What If It’s Already Too Late? —The xxxxxx

• The Bonfire of the Sanities —The Cosmopolitan Globalist

• THROWBACK: Winter Is Coming—We’re Witnessing the End of Democracy —Bad Choices Make Good Stories

• The Weight of Grace —Tom Joad