Give Me to Your MAGA Family Members for Christmas

This is The Social Contract Community Issue, our free weekly edition built by and for the readers of The Social Contract. If you have something to share with the community, we’d love to hear from you. Please send it our way at [email protected]. Thank you!

Are you done with your Christmas shopping? Are you one of those people who finishes their shopping by Labor Day and has everything wrapped by Halloween? Well I’m not, and half of America isn’t done shopping yet, so if you’re like me, we’re in good company.

Here’s another thing we might have in common: I have MAGA family members. Yup, it’s true. Last week on my podcast, my guest, Kristofer Goldsmith, said we should shun our MAGA loved ones at the holidays, so that there are personal consequences to their vote for the evil fascist in the White House. And I get it. I understand exactly where he’s coming from, and I don’t judge him or anyone else for it. Sometimes the frustration isn’t worth it.

But if you’re someone who can’t (or won’t) avoid your MAGA family, I have a last-minute gift idea and a solution to political discord at Christmas. Give them me. Joe Walsh. The former Tea Party guy who used to be a MAGA gangbanger and knows how to get through to them like no one else. Every week, I reach a few of them—not a lot, but a few—and I’d like to think I could do the same for you.

It’s simple. Give “The Social Contract with Joe Walsh” to your far-right relative, and let me knock some sense into them. My mission in life is to put the truth in front of our MAGA brothers and sisters. And you know I’m not afraid to go there. So let me do the work this Christmas. Go back to your cookies and egg nog, and leave the political arguments to me.

Interested? Click the button below, and choose the GIFT tab when you reach the subscription options page. Boom. Shopping done.

HO HO HO FROM JOE

On a very serious note, I’ve seen some movement in MAGA world over the past few days over the disgusting, disgraceful comments Donald Trump made in response to the heinous murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Character still matters. Character is destiny. Rob Reiner was full of character and decency and talent. Trump has none. Trump is evil. His comments made that crystal clear, and the MAGA faithful saw what they voted for on full display.

This Week on The Social Contract

My Substack Lives are open to all subscribers, unless noted. Please join us this week!

* Please note that my engagements this week are all pending how I am feeling, as I’m still recovering from surgery. I will let you know via Notes of any cancellations.

• Wednesday with Michael Cohen at 4pm ET

• Wednesday at 7pm ET

• Thursday with Edwin Eisendrath at 4pm ET

• Thursday AMA with Paid Subscribers at 7pm ET

• “Welcome to the Party, Pal!” with Mike Nellis on Friday at 12pm ET

Why PAXIS Is Crowdfunded, Not Billionaire-Funded

Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported PAXIS! As you probably know, we reached our first funding goal of $25,000 on Saturday, fewer than six days after we launched. It’s incredible, and we are so grateful for your support. Now that our Stage 1 goal is reached, the first PAXIS rights agent and delivery channels are being built and will be rolled out in 30 days. That’s all thanks to you.

There’s a good reason why PAXIS is being built by small donors instead of via one or two big checks from rich donors. Here’s why: If this tool is going to stand with immigrants and families when ICE shows up, it has to be owned by the people who are at risk, not by a couple of wealthy individuals or corporations. Big donors almost always come with strings—namely, PR agendas and less control.

But if we own it, we’re accountable only to the immigrants, families, neighbors, and allies this invaluable tool will serve. That brings us to our next goal. Stage 2 ($50,000) is about getting PAXIS into the hands of hundreds of thousands of people. So please keep spreading the word about PAXIS, and please give what you can to help us reach our Stage 2 goal by Christmas!

DEFEND OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS

Here’s what some of you are thinking about this week. Thank you all so much for your prayers and best wishes, too!

I saw that you just had a surgical procedure and, of course, my best thoughts and vibes to you during this recovery time. In the meantime, I’m thinking I’ll make a contribution towards PAXIS, because it’s a pretty solid idea, and I want to help how I can. What better way, right? Season of giving, they say. Feel better, and keep up the fight, as we all are doing. —Brian I.

Hey Joe. I wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you as you battle whatever health issue you’ve run up against. I appreciate your candor, your enthusiasm, and your dedication to your cause. Praying for a speedy recovery and for your wonderful wife as she takes care of you as well.

Hang in there, buddy. Rooting for you from deep southeast Kentucky. —Gary C.

Hello Joe. Being a lifelong moderate Democrat from Wilmette, Ill., and now Highland Park, Ill., I had known about, disliked, and been offended by your vitriolic and flame-throwing style of politics ever since you burst on the scene many years ago. Following your short Congressional career, you then found your way on the far-reaching and dangerous Salem Radio Network, which made my disdain even stronger.

But, since 2018, when you courageously showed tremendous integrity and character by walking away from the fascistic, authoritarian, Republican Party, with its complete surrender and capitulation to Trump, you have garnered my full and absolute respect and admiration.

I am grateful for the decency, honesty, and ownership you have displayed, and wish more people from your former party (and many more Democrats) would show this same kind of courage, backbone, and respect for our nation, our democracy, and our Constitution.

Since 2015, with my steady diet (and donations, including yours) of ex-Republican podcasts (The xxxxxx, Michael Steele, The Lincoln Project, The Accountability Project, Steve Schmidt’s The Warning), I find myself agreeing with every one of you almost all of the time (as I dislike the far left immensely). In each of you, I see honor, integrity, and respect for our Constitution, our laws, and the sacred democracy that your former party is trying to tear down by their selfish and self-serving quest for ever more power. Shame on these sick, twisted, vile, treasonous motherfuckers (please excuse my language)!

Thank you, Joe, for your straight-talk, your honesty, and the character and honor you have displayed by walking away from your comfortable and cushy life. You have my undying respect for your honesty, no bullshit, and straight-talking.

I am praying you are making a steady and quick recovery from your recent surgery. These are important times to band together, and I wholeheartedly endorse your mission statement and very important podcasts. They are my lifeblood, because you (and Steve Schmidt) articulate exactly the way I have felt for 10 long years!

Bless you, Joe Walsh, for your patriotism and love for our republic. —Jim T.

Hi Joe. I hope you are feeling much better today and will continue to feel better with each passing day. I presume that Mabel and Fern are taking excellent care of you.

During this past week, I have become increasingly alarmed about who is actually running our government. I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but after hearing and reading about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, I believe the person in the Oval Office has suffered with this disorder his whole life.

On the one hand, I know that he is out for whatever he can get personally. He doesn’t care about the country at large, and never has cared for it at all. He only cares about what he can glean off of it and the backs of all Americans.

Are his followers so ignorant that they think he gives a rat’s ass about anyone else other than himself? Also, I am becoming more and more convinced that bad actors behind the scenes are actually running the show. This does not bode well for the American people.

In my opinion, he is trying to stay in office for two reasons. One, he is obsessed with thinking being authoritarian is being strong and powerful. Two, he knows that as soon as he is out of office he will be sentenced (hopefully) for the 34 counts of fraud of which he was convicted.

According to a recent post I read last week from Dean Blundell, a psychologist expressed his opinion that the he appears to be being treated for Alzheimer’s disease. According to the psychologist, one of the drugs used to combat and slow down the progression of the disease causes bruising at the injection site for the infusions. It also has a side effect of drowsiness and sleepiness. Patients taking this drug also have to have repeated MRI’s to determine the effects on the brain. Alzheimer’s patients are also known to be aggressive and combative in their behavior.

I have great empathy for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It is heartbreaking to see their minds being essentially turned inside out. By the same token, I do not feel that the head of a country’s government who apparently has these symptoms should be making decisions that effect that country’s security.

In his effort to have only people around him who “toady” up to him, he has put this country in great danger.

I have always felt that the President of the United States should not use social media to govern. I realize that many U.S. citizens do not necessarily view TV or listen to the radio. If there is a major announcement that must be conveyed to the people, it should be done across all media.

What he did on Saturday regarding the mass shooting in Rhode Island was appalling. He put several thousand people in possible jeopardy. What he posted regarding Rob Reiner was the most disgusting thing I have ever read. I totally agree with you. Rest in peace, Rob and Michele Reiner. You will be missed by a whole nation.

I feel Trump is totally unfit to hold the office. The only problem is that all the people in this administration are also equally unfit to hold the office. Watch your blood pressure and rest up. Bless you. —Nancy W.

The thing I would like to touch on is terrorism.

The American people are being terrorized by Trump.

We are all on edge worrying about who will be taken next. Will it be for the color of our skin? Our religious leaning? Our truthtelling?

Will our front doors be battered in by mask-wearing thugs?

Will we be able to afford to feed our families?

Will we be insured for health emergencies?

Will our economy survive?

Will we enter into another war where our babies will have to be put in peril?

Will law and order be lost?

I am terrified! —Connie

I read your take on ICE. I agree with some of your points. But what do we do with those who are here illegally who have not committed any crimes? Do we just look the other way and not try to find them? —Dean Z.

Hey Joe. As a Never Trump former Republican, I appreciate your voice and all that you do. What you do is invaluable.

You may have seen this already, but if you haven’t, it’s worth the 15-minute investment to watch. I wish Trump supporters would. It was created by the Department of War (when it was still the Department of War) in 1947.

Don’t Be a Sucker | Video | C-SPAN.org

I hope you get to feeling better soon; you’re in my prayers. Thanks. —April D.

It might have been Gandhi who said if the world had just one purely and completely good person in it, it would cure the world.

What I’m wondering is, if the current world had just one purely and completely evil person in it (Trump), would it destroy the world? Unimaginable, but I’m starting to wonder. —Stephen M.

Hey, I want to hear from you! Got some feedback to share? Want to send us a 600+-word op-ed? How about a video clip on how we can mend our frayed social contract? Want to appear with Joe on Substack Live? Just need to vent? Send it our way!

Email our editor at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!