Today’s week ahead first takes a peek behind us at the events of last week, because they will certainly inform what we have our eyes on for the coming one.
Jay you expressed a sentiment a few weeks ago or maybe it was months. I am paraphrasing, it was something to the effect of you noticing people were posting how weary they were with all the Trump nonsense and waiting for some Justice. You suggested, respectfully that maybe some of us were coming from a place of safety. You said Asian Americans such as yourself, African Americans, gay, trans poor etc were living with real persecution. You suggested we muster our energy to fight for social Justice by writing or calling our representatives, registering people to vote, being an ally in any way we could.
Doing something positive has helped me to revive and refocus energy into helping with positive change rather than waiting for Justice.
If you don’t already read it you’d really enjoy reading the substack Chop Wood Carry Water. It’s a daily newsletter with news and events and letters to the govt and petitions. It’s very hopeful and I think you’d like it.
Just to comment on one small section of this, I disagree that you are enjoying DeSantis's slipping in the polls too much. Personally. as a Floridian, I am getting endless amounts of enjoyment from the news and hope he disappears just like Jeb did.
If I could LOVE ❤️ Jay’s and your comments about “DeSantis is deSinking” I surely would. This lifelong Floridian is furious at the damage he is creating in our state! Keep sinking, guv.
"So after two years of slow going, it’s now everything, everywhere, all at once in the two grand jury cases against Trump in D.C."
While this line may have been a bit premature - but hopedully only a bit! - I bet it was just too tempting not to use right now. I look forward to Jay using it again when the shit really hits the fan, the sooner the better.
From where I sit as a litigator, when the prosecutor has successfully moved to compel all your top advisors and broken through your attorney-client privileged so powerfully that your own lawyers are now witnesses for the prosecution, that’s EEAAO in my book!
I applaud your common sense appraisal of the reasons for the slow (difficult to endure) process of our legal system. As you so cogently point out, Trump has more resources that the “common man” to fight the system, so of course, this isn’t the level playing field we wish we had. My hands are folded in hope that he doesn’t manage to win the Republican nomination again, and possibly (although I can hardly stand to say it) win the presidency for another term. If that should happen, I really do think I’ll need to leave the country.
My thoughts as well about leaving the country. How many immigrants do you think Canada will accept? Also, if he is elected, I fear our Social Security will be one of the first social programs to get tossed.
That wouldn’t be HIS first thing, but the republicans would certainly try. Frankly, I’m more worried about him pulling us out of NATO. The world political stage would be at terrible risk, from Ukraine to China to Russia and all the Arab countries.
“That leaves us with the most likely assumption, which I stand by: The prosecutors are being very meticulous and are moving forward methodically, and this means indictments are taking far more time than most people have patience for.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I’ve thought this all along, what kind of professional is too afraid to do their job? What kind of professional waits for someone else to go first. This is nonsense and disrespectful to the profession and to the nation at large. Because as you said if any of that is true we certainly are in deep shit. I have more faith in people than that. Hell I even have more faith in Americans than that. With that being said I have to disagree with you on the number of maga supporters. I just do not believe the numbers could possibly be as high as 40% I don’t think those nutcases total more than 25% and hopefully more like 20%. We can’t be going by how many people voted for him in 2020. That was 3 years ago and a lot has happened since then. Sure he may have the majority of the Rs support but the Dems have a majority in this nation. A large one. Now if only all of us could vote.
I agree with you, Kate, about the % of MAGA voters. The numbers I've seen put them at 15% to 20% of all voters; and 40% to 50% of R's. I also recently read those numbers may be eroding. Much water still to go under the Trump bridge, and a lot of messaging to do from our side. Ultimately, the D solution is voting, voting, voting - as you said.
Just as Michael Moore has been stressing, there are more of us than there are of them! The rest of the media needs to get onboard. We are the majority and we can initiate change.
Stay calm and democracy on.....pedantic, perhaps, nut that's really the gist of it....
We have to take a leap of faith that justice is whirring and ticking, and meanwhile we need to keep up the firm and unassailable insistence on what we choose for this country.
Remember that this country is predicated on the consent of the governed.
Yet what you’ve stated about the difference between “any of us” and Trump having the ability and tools to obstruct and delay lands square in the problems with the justice system in our country (probably many countries); those who have money & connections, get. Those who don’t are shit out of luck. It’s why individual insurrectionists and interrupters are in jail and Trump is not. The moneyed class, whether they actually have money or not, are much less likely to receive actual punishment like prison, but can ‘settle’ instead. While I agree that prosecutors are more likely than not looking to bring as airtight a case as possible, which takes longer, too often I see a quote about the unique problem of indicting ’a former President’ as if that alone should shield them. And any portion of these cases should require any Trump appointed judge to recuse; why that’s never been raised is ludicrous. He should not be able to run to a friendly court for his frivolous delays. If that sounds political, well nothing is more political than shielding a former government official from indictment just because they have served. Just as many people serve themselves in office as serve The People. And he is one of the former, that much is obvious.
Yes, I’ve written a great deal about the inequities of our system based on money, class and gender. The presidency alone is quite a hurdle. Add the fact that he grifts millions from his followers and is a white man of privilege, and you’ve got quite the toxic stew of advantage.
My first thought in regard to Ted Nugent’s remark about Zelensky was that it was pure projection. And I took note of the fact that while he seemed to think using the word homosexual was an insult, perhaps unsure of that, he had to add the word weirdo to it.
Ted Nugent is and always will be a has-been ! For him to call Zelensky a homosexual weirdo is probably projection ! The repugnants like to name call because they have nothing more !!
Great article! It helps to hear from your experience to embolden my patience regarding tRump. I am not giving up on this country and will keep fighting for democracy. 👍
Jay you expressed a sentiment a few weeks ago or maybe it was months. I am paraphrasing, it was something to the effect of you noticing people were posting how weary they were with all the Trump nonsense and waiting for some Justice. You suggested, respectfully that maybe some of us were coming from a place of safety. You said Asian Americans such as yourself, African Americans, gay, trans poor etc were living with real persecution. You suggested we muster our energy to fight for social Justice by writing or calling our representatives, registering people to vote, being an ally in any way we could.
Doing something positive has helped me to revive and refocus energy into helping with positive change rather than waiting for Justice.
If you don’t already read it you’d really enjoy reading the substack Chop Wood Carry Water. It’s a daily newsletter with news and events and letters to the govt and petitions. It’s very hopeful and I think you’d like it.
Thank you! I didn’t know about Chop Wood Carry Water.
Yay! The more the better for us all
Well said, Jay. I’m here for the fight.
You are being recommended by a reader in the comment above!
Just to comment on one small section of this, I disagree that you are enjoying DeSantis's slipping in the polls too much. Personally. as a Floridian, I am getting endless amounts of enjoyment from the news and hope he disappears just like Jeb did.
Good, I’m not alone in my DeSchadenfreude!
Ha! Me too
Me too!
I’m in Pennsylvania and I can’t wait for his candidacy to implode!
If I could LOVE ❤️ Jay’s and your comments about “DeSantis is deSinking” I surely would. This lifelong Floridian is furious at the damage he is creating in our state! Keep sinking, guv.
"So after two years of slow going, it’s now everything, everywhere, all at once in the two grand jury cases against Trump in D.C."
While this line may have been a bit premature - but hopedully only a bit! - I bet it was just too tempting not to use right now. I look forward to Jay using it again when the shit really hits the fan, the sooner the better.
From where I sit as a litigator, when the prosecutor has successfully moved to compel all your top advisors and broken through your attorney-client privileged so powerfully that your own lawyers are now witnesses for the prosecution, that’s EEAAO in my book!
Thank you for your summary for the week. It keeps me informed. And hopeful.
Thank you for this measured, straightforward and sane approach to what lies before us. We must keep our heads.
Thank you again for leaving us with some hope!
I applaud your common sense appraisal of the reasons for the slow (difficult to endure) process of our legal system. As you so cogently point out, Trump has more resources that the “common man” to fight the system, so of course, this isn’t the level playing field we wish we had. My hands are folded in hope that he doesn’t manage to win the Republican nomination again, and possibly (although I can hardly stand to say it) win the presidency for another term. If that should happen, I really do think I’ll need to leave the country.
My thoughts as well about leaving the country. How many immigrants do you think Canada will accept? Also, if he is elected, I fear our Social Security will be one of the first social programs to get tossed.
That wouldn’t be HIS first thing, but the republicans would certainly try. Frankly, I’m more worried about him pulling us out of NATO. The world political stage would be at terrible risk, from Ukraine to China to Russia and all the Arab countries.
“That leaves us with the most likely assumption, which I stand by: The prosecutors are being very meticulous and are moving forward methodically, and this means indictments are taking far more time than most people have patience for.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I’ve thought this all along, what kind of professional is too afraid to do their job? What kind of professional waits for someone else to go first. This is nonsense and disrespectful to the profession and to the nation at large. Because as you said if any of that is true we certainly are in deep shit. I have more faith in people than that. Hell I even have more faith in Americans than that. With that being said I have to disagree with you on the number of maga supporters. I just do not believe the numbers could possibly be as high as 40% I don’t think those nutcases total more than 25% and hopefully more like 20%. We can’t be going by how many people voted for him in 2020. That was 3 years ago and a lot has happened since then. Sure he may have the majority of the Rs support but the Dems have a majority in this nation. A large one. Now if only all of us could vote.
I agree with you, Kate, about the % of MAGA voters. The numbers I've seen put them at 15% to 20% of all voters; and 40% to 50% of R's. I also recently read those numbers may be eroding. Much water still to go under the Trump bridge, and a lot of messaging to do from our side. Ultimately, the D solution is voting, voting, voting - as you said.
Just as Michael Moore has been stressing, there are more of us than there are of them! The rest of the media needs to get onboard. We are the majority and we can initiate change.
Stay calm and democracy on.....pedantic, perhaps, nut that's really the gist of it....
We have to take a leap of faith that justice is whirring and ticking, and meanwhile we need to keep up the firm and unassailable insistence on what we choose for this country.
Remember that this country is predicated on the consent of the governed.
Thank you Jay - be well.
Yet what you’ve stated about the difference between “any of us” and Trump having the ability and tools to obstruct and delay lands square in the problems with the justice system in our country (probably many countries); those who have money & connections, get. Those who don’t are shit out of luck. It’s why individual insurrectionists and interrupters are in jail and Trump is not. The moneyed class, whether they actually have money or not, are much less likely to receive actual punishment like prison, but can ‘settle’ instead. While I agree that prosecutors are more likely than not looking to bring as airtight a case as possible, which takes longer, too often I see a quote about the unique problem of indicting ’a former President’ as if that alone should shield them. And any portion of these cases should require any Trump appointed judge to recuse; why that’s never been raised is ludicrous. He should not be able to run to a friendly court for his frivolous delays. If that sounds political, well nothing is more political than shielding a former government official from indictment just because they have served. Just as many people serve themselves in office as serve The People. And he is one of the former, that much is obvious.
Yes, I’ve written a great deal about the inequities of our system based on money, class and gender. The presidency alone is quite a hurdle. Add the fact that he grifts millions from his followers and is a white man of privilege, and you’ve got quite the toxic stew of advantage.
Brilliant, Jay. Thank you for keeping us clear-eyed, patient, and laser-focused on holding the—and our—center rock-solid.
Another clear-eyed analysis, thank you!
My first thought in regard to Ted Nugent’s remark about Zelensky was that it was pure projection. And I took note of the fact that while he seemed to think using the word homosexual was an insult, perhaps unsure of that, he had to add the word weirdo to it.
Ted Nugent is and always will be a has-been ! For him to call Zelensky a homosexual weirdo is probably projection ! The repugnants like to name call because they have nothing more !!
Great article! It helps to hear from your experience to embolden my patience regarding tRump. I am not giving up on this country and will keep fighting for democracy. 👍