Hey MAGA, You Got Duped Again...And Once Again, We're All Gonna Pay the Price

MAGA, remember when Donald Trump told you he would lower the cost of groceries? Lol, right. Remember when he said he would only go after criminal immigrants? Really bad call. Remember when he said his administration would release the Epstein files? Yeah, you fell for that one, too. Hard. And remember when he said he’d be the anti-war President? The President of Peace? The “America First” President? Well, I’ve got some bad news for you…

We just usurped a nation’s sovereignty to take over their natural resources, and according to Trump, “We are going to run Venezuela.”

Look MAGA, I know in this age of Trump, the fundamental concepts of right and wrong no longer matter, the law no longer matters, the truth no longer matters, and here at home our Constitution no longer matters. So I’m probably just shouting into the wind, but…it doesn’t matter what you think of Nicolas Maduro, who is 100% a bad guy. I have no sympathy for Maduro. But what we just did in Venezuela is immoral, unconstitutional, and illegal. And it makes us no different than any other dictatorial regime that invades another sovereign nation.

Don’t kid yourself: this has nothing to do with drugs. Trump issued a full and complete pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández last month, leading to his release from a U.S. federal prison where he was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking. And that’s probably how this will end too: Maduro will buy himself a sweetheart pardon from Trump. Book it.

MAGA, it’s time to grow the fuck up. You allowed this utterly corrupt, dangerous, lawless madman to return to the White House, knowing exactly who and what he is. You did that. Own it. But it’s not too late. We have one opportunity to fix this: help us put maximum pressure on Congress to do its fucking job. Because right now, we don’t have a functioning Legislative Branch. And until and unless we do, the America we knew is gone. Maybe for good.

We’ve built a “know your rights” app for our immigrant neighbors to lawfully protect them against ICE. It’s called PAXIS. We’re crowdfunding it for two reasons: 1) we don’t want Big Tech to have access to our data, and 2) there’s strength in numbers. The more of us who work together to build PAXIS, the more support our immigrant brothers and sisters know they can count on from Americans like you and me.

We’re in Stage 2 of funding, with a goal of $50,000, and we’re so close! Won’t you please help us make PAXIS available to every immigrant and ally who needs it?

HELP US GET THERE!

Amid the daily onslaught of infuriating news, we have to acknowledge the heroes among us. The list continues to grow, as more and more of us stand up to the tyrant and his fascist regime. Courage is infectious. Be brave!

1. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY. On Monday, Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukraine had launched a drone strike on his residence and said he was reconsidering Russia’s position in peace negotiations. Donald Trump was quick to take the bait, taking Putin at his word (again) until a CIA report suggested that he was lying. That’s just what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted from the beginning. Zelensky continues to display almost superhuman restraint and courage in the face of Russia’s aggression and lies—and Trump’s pathetic kowtowing to Putin. Always a hero.

2. KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMERS. A jazz ensemble and New York dance company have taken a stand against Trump’s narcissistic and illegal rebranding of the Kennedy Center. They canceled their New Year’s shows at the Center in what one performer says was “evidently” related to the name change. The jazz ensemble didn’t explicitly reference the name change, but had some powerful words in their statement. They wrote that “jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice.” Thank you for taking a stand for that freedom.

3. CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, AND OREGON. This Monday, Trump dropped his efforts to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. He’s trying to save face by claiming that drops in crime levels in the cities are due to the Guard’s presence, even as they never made it to the streets of Portland or Chicago. In reality, it’s the unwavering resistance of local officials and their constituents that kept him in check. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker put it succinctly: “He lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard. Now Trump is forced to stand down.” Well said, and well fought.

4. JUDGE PAULA XINIS. Judge Xinis’ order that Abrego Kilmar Garcia not be detained is the only thing standing between him and ICE. She expressed doubts about whether ICE would follow the order and directed them to state whether they would do so. On Tuesday, the agency responded with a brief confirming that as long as the order stands, it will comply. When the administration ignores the rule of law, we need diligent judges to keep it in line. Good work, Judge.

5. RED-STATERS STANDING UP TO ICE. Patriots in red states across the nation are taking action to protect their communities from ICE’s attacks. In North Carolina, grassroots organizers have set up a hotline to report ICE activity. In Pennsylvania, they’re holding “community defense” sessions and patrolling the streets to monitor ICE. In Texas, they’re holding “know your rights” sessions and raising funds to support separated families. They’re working against the tide to do what’s right. That’s real bravery.

Did we miss anyone? Send your heroes our way!

Good Reads for This Week

• The Decentering of the United States (2025–2032) —SALT

• MAGA’s Somali Freakout: An Explainer —Salty Politics

• Yes, Elon, Seeking Truth IS the Most Important Goal of Journalism —American Crisis

• Praying for the Intolerance of Good People —The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz

• You’re Not Preparing. You Should Be. —The People’s Paper