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The Kimmel Move Was Pathetic and is Already Backfiring GNR [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-09-20
This week has been super disturbing (I might just start cutting and pasting that into the first line of these).
But I do worry that people are taking the wrong lesson from the atrocities of this week.
Yes, it is awful awful awful that this terrible administration leaned on a network to cancel a show because the host frequently laughs at them.
Yes, it is terrible that the network caved and suspended (indefinitely) that late night host.
It is totally normal to be distressed by those things. I am distressed by those things. Thinking, feeling, patriotic Americans should be distressed by those things.
But if the lesson you are taking from this week is that Trump and his folks are awful, then, my friends, you are a bit late to the party.
If the lesson you are taking from this week is that billionaire corporations are awful, then, my friends, you are a bit late to the party.
Let’s face it. You knew both of those things already.
Let me remind me of another thing that you already knew: these people are truly weak and pathetic.
Strong leaders and strong people are not afraid of mockery. They don’t like it. No one likes it. But it doesn’t scare them.
This is a sign of weakness. This is pathetic.
Of course Trump can’t handle mockery. He has the lowest approval ratings of any president ever at this time in his term (even beating his own pathetic ratings from the first time. lol).
We are destroying him in every special election that comes up.
He has failed at every single task he said he would “do on day one.” Failed.
He had to go back on his threats to take over Chicago because Chicago was like “nah.”
And to be clear: I am not minimizing this. We need to fight this. We need to raise our voices against this. And it is ok to be freaked out. it is GOOD to be freaked out by this.
But it is also good to see it for what it is: pathetic and sad and the sign of a total and complete loser.
The lesson I take from this week is a lesson of what we are: a movement that is fighting him and is capable of winning.
And I have receipts:
From Jess Craven
Yesterday we saw a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s attacks on free speech. It will also, however, almost definitely mark a positive turning point for our movement. I can feel the energy shift, the crescendoing outrage, and the building determination. Trump is moving too fast, and overreaching too dramatically. He’s getting even nonpolitical people angry. With his escalated actions he is sowing the seeds of his own eventual downfall. Is it an accident that polling this week shows him with the lowest approval ratings he’s had this term? Or that 1 in 4 Trump voters now regret their vote or are disappointed in his performance? Or that Trump’s support with Gen Z is cratering, fast approaching his lowest-ever approval rating among that group? Or that his approval is plummeting with Latino voters? No. It’s not. Americans are turning on him—it’s a fact. And these articles were all published before Trump’s FCC pressured ABC into firing Jimmy Kimmel. I’m telling you, folks: one thing nearly all Americans agree on is that speech must not be censored. These attacks are going to backfire. They already are.
what can you do (also from Jess Craven):
When friends reach out to you, then, as they have to me, and say something to the effect of “I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore. What can I do?” Tell them a few simple things: Cancel your Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions TODAY. Yes, even if you were excited to watch a certain show. This is a sacrifice we can—and must—all make. Join an Indivisible chapter right now. They are the movement leaders other leaders look to. They help coordinate our actions. You can also look to see if there’s a Visibility Brigade in your area. They’re great, too. Commit to attending the October 18 No Kings protest at all costs. We need it to be gargantuan. Bring 5 friends. Bring ten.
That is great advice and I followed steps 1 and 3 (I already did step 2).
and I am not the only one. And it is working. From Choose Democracy:
Activists tell me that the Disney-ABC website has already gotten so many cancellations their website crashed last night. National organizers have put together a call for boycotting Disney (please join!). Unions are rallying against the censorship. A script with folks to call has been set-up to fight for free speech (it's easy).
Disney+ cancellation page crashes as customers rush to quit after Kimmel suspension
The suspension triggered strong responses across social media and beyond. Hashtags like #CancelDisneyPlus and #CancelHulu trended as users shared screenshots of their canceled subscriptions.
And there are signs that Disney knows they fucked up and are desperately trying to spin this and desperately trying to get Kimmel back!
Because, again, Trump is an idiot who can’t get out of his own way
Donald Trump has chosen his political martyrs poorly
For some time, I’ve been noting that Donald Trump has chosen his political martyrs poorly. Every person he takes out in his authoritarian abuse could serve as one more person who will inspire others to fight back. Jimmy Kimmel’s plight is a good way to make the consolidation and control of the media by oligarchs and Trump flunkies visible and meaningful to people who otherwise wouldn’t care. So depending on what happens (he has not yet been fired and so might capitulate to demands Sinclair is making of him, and it’s not clear how long he’d remain under contract if he tried to quit), this could be a really useful teaching opportunity for people who hear Kimmel but not more political actors.
Even the far right a-holes hate this move
Tucker Carlson says Trump administration is using Charlie Kirk’s killing to trample First Amendment
“And trust me, if it is, if that does happen, there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than that, ever. And there never will be,” the pundit added. “Because if they can tell you what to say, they're telling you what to think...There is nothing they can't do to you because they don't consider you human.”
and the WSJ Editorial Board!
The FCC, Disney and Jimmy Kimmel
That’s what happened Wednesday as Brendan Carr, President Trump’s man at the Federal Communications Commission, threatened Disney and its affiliates if they didn’t punish late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for comments about Charlie Kirk. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Mr. Carr told a podcaster, in words that could have been uttered by a New Jersey mob boss. We want to be clear that none of this justifies the right’s resort to regulatory censorship. As victims of cancel culture for so long, conservatives more than anyone should oppose it. They will surely be the targets again when the left returns to power.
and, lord help us, Karl Rove is on our side!!
‘They’ Didn’t Kill Charlie Kirk It insults his memory to blame political opponents for one man’s heinous act.
and this:
the speed and zeal with which Disney bent the knee left Carr and the administration in an awkward spot.
There aren’t that many truly universal rules in U.S. politics—way fewer than we thought a few years back, it turns out!—but “the government can’t openly punish your political speech” is supposed to be one of them. The Democratic reaction has been white-hot, with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes summing up the mood well: “This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.” Even Sen. Chuck Schumer stirred his stumps enough to call for Carr’s resignation: “He is one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen,” he wrote on social media. The usual crop of reliable GOP partisans is brazening through it. “For all the concerns about the First Amendment,” former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Fox News last night, “what about all the amendments Charlie Kirk lost, because Charlie Kirk has no amendments right now.” But you get the sense this is pure, grinding, grim duty that nobody’s having much fun with. Carr himself has more of a personal interest in sidestepping what he did to Kimmel. He spent the Biden administration explicitly arguing that “the FCC does not have a roving mandate to police speech in the name of the ‘public interest.’” The irony, of course, is that Trump himself is perfectly, serenely unconcerned about all this. The Stasi may insist it is playing no role, but he’s gonna just go out there and illustrate the entire playbook. “Great News for America,” Trump wrote . “The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. . . . That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
He just can’t get out of his own way. Moron.
Trump Is Going to Lose the War on Free Speech
The good news is that, unlike the speech crackdowns in the wake of 9/11 or the McCarthy period, there is no widespread support for such blatant overreach. Trump is not a popular president, Kirk was nowhere near as revered as conservatives seem to believe he was What MAGA will learn, as enough time passes, is that they cannot engineer full cultural control. They cannot force millions of people to suddenly pretend to think Kirk is a fallen martyr who should never be critiqued again. They cannot convince college students, through brute pressure on gutless administrations, to salute the Israeli flag and cheer Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal incursions into Gaza. The moral panics of the 20th century, for all their vileness, had genuine backing across the culture; there was widespread anti-communist mania that fueled the Red Scare and made red-baiters like Richard Nixon into major political and cultural figures. After September 11th, George W. Bush enjoyed an approval rating north of 90 percent, and anti-war dissidents were forcibly suppressed as many Americans cheered on new invasions. The specter of another mass casualty terrorist attack was the Bush administration’s justification for the Patriot Act, Guantanamo Bay, and spying on American citizens. Trump has no comparable emergency to gesture towards. they will never have organic support from the culture again. They have been exposed for what they are: sniveling would-be commissars longing for a dystopia they will never, no matter how hard they try, be able to build. They can’t trick young people into backing the Israeli government or treating Kirk like Martin Luther King Jr. They can’t make all media into MAGA propagandists. Their wrath, if unnerving, is ultimately pathetic.
Again, no one is minimizing how awful and disturbing this is. I just want you to recognize that, due to our unity and hard work, we are pushing back and winning. This was a huge mistake which Trump will come to regret.
Now lets get to the good news from the week — because there is a lot!
We are fighting back
from Choose Democracy
the majority is showing signs of organizing itself. Our capital is under a National Guard occupation where residents are woken to neighbors being pulled from their homes and jobs by masked men. But individuals are countering in a host of ways: trolling police with Star Wars music, DC police officer openly condemning this takeover, running emergency hotlines, swapping Know-Your-Rights materials, and so much more. A great article on this is here — unsurprisingly outside of legacy media which is better at printing stories of fear than of courage. Or look to Chicago. Despite a crusade of fear and threats, Chicago scared off Donald Trump from sending National Guard. Yes, ICE vans are still prowling neighborhoods, homelessness remains criminalized, and political infighting runs deep. But the National Guard were never sent in. Trump had made the pronouncement — "we're going in" — complete with fear-mongering and racist overtones. The people said no — sure, with polls showing 68% opposed (but no authoritarian cares about a poll) and so the people also said no with protests in the street and pressure to align their politicians in formation. So the Governor said no, "There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders." The Mayor said no, penning an NY Times article saying, "the National Guard is the wrong solution to a real problem." A longer dive is needed to tell this story, but it's a remarkable story of Chicagoans coalescing across historic divides and a fractured political scene uniting the Mayor, Governor, other political leaders, and community and labor groups. Initially many thought it couldn't be done. But the story of Chicago needs to be encouragement (to give courage) that we can face down the bully together. Because Donald Trump backed down. He slunk away looking for a weaker target. (So Memphis is now the next target and local organizers are reporting that groups who have historically struggled to come together are meeting and planning there, too.) Chicago showed our pushback can work. From these stories let us take a bit of courage. Courage isn't the absence of fear — in fact courage can only be shown when you have fear. So, yeah, I've got some fear. We all have. And let's encourage each other to step into courage, too.
Democrats are amazing
Another thing you can do in addition to canceling Disney +/Hulu? Share stories about Democrats doing great things! THERE ARE SO MANY!!
Why don’t people realize this? I think this is because (a) people don’t follow the nitty gritty of what Dems have been doing (b) people define the party as being their least favorite members and forget that it also includes their most favorite members, and (c) people forget what a party that doesn’t control the House, Senate, or WH can do (and can’t do).
Here are some AMAZING stories of Democrats from just this week! Make sure to use your voice to amplify them when you can.
former President Barack Obama
During an appearance in Pennsylvania this week, former President Barack Obama condemned the killing of Charlie Kirk, while adding that it’s still okay to debate Kirk’s arguments: “I can say that I disagree with the suggestion that my wife or Justice Jackson does not have adequate brain processing power.” Obama also made it clear that extremist views “were not in my White House. I wasn’t embracing them. I wasn’t empowering them. I wasn’t putting the weight of the US government behind extremist views.” The statement that stood out to me the most from Obama is: “We always have to fight for our democracy … I often say democracy is not self-executing. It depends on us as citizens, regardless of our political affiliations, to stand up for certain core values. Because, otherwise, we may not have them.”
x Former President Obama, who has been speaking out against President Trump more and more, says that media companies need to stop capitulating to threats from the administration. — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yasharali.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T15:16:26.034Z
Kathy Hochul: Why I Am Endorsing Zohran Mamdani
In the four years since I became governor of New York, one of my foundational beliefs has been the importance of the office working hand in hand with the mayor of New York City for the betterment of the 8.3 million residents we both represent. The question of who will be the next mayor is one I take extremely seriously and to which I have devoted a great deal of thought. I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him. We’ve had our disagreements. But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.
Senator Schumer (yup, that guy)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune weak, said Republicans will own any government shutdown and insisted that Democrats shouldn’t agree to fund federal agencies unless Congress clamps down on the administration’s ability to unilaterally cut spending. This is a very different Schumer than the one who helped Thune keep the government open in March. During an interview on Fly Out Day, Schumer didn’t sound like a man who is going to fold. “It’s different in many different ways,” Schumer said, comparing this funding fight to the one in March. “First, the Republicans have shown who they are. They’ve decimated people’s health care between March and now. They’ve done so much harm to the American people, on health care, on electricity costs, on tariffs, that the American people are far more down on Trump than on the Republicans than they were.” This is going to come as welcome news to House Democrats Schumer’s view on funding fight. As a reminder, the Democrats’ position right now is that Congress should fund the government until Oct. 31 while permanently extending the enhanced premium subsidies for Obamacare and reversing the massive Medicaid cuts in the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Schumer also is seeking to bar Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought from impounding funds approved by Congress or offering more rescissions packages.. Schumer is convinced that Trump and Republicans will own the shutdown, which flies in the face of decades of political history about the fallout from these types of showdowns. “Look, Donald Trump is heading the show here,” Schumer said. “And he has said, ‘Don’t negotiate with the Democrats. We don’t need them.’ There’s one of two things. Either he doesn’t understand the Senate — even in its most rudimentary way — or he doesn’t know how to count. The only good way to get this done is a bipartisan negotiation.” According to Schumer, Johnson and Thune are simply Trump’s puppets and exhibit “weakness” for not wanting to sit down with Democrats. Schumer said Democrats “love the contrast” of their bill and the GOP’s, chiefly because, in his view, Americans prefer bipartisanship. To be clear, Schumer has shifted appreciably on the political implications of a shutdown with Trump in the White House. In March, one of his principal reasons for keeping the government open was that Republicans would make a shutdown painful. But now, nearly seven months later, Trump’s poll numbers have slid, especially on the economy. Schumer also said he’s working much closer with Jeffries to plot this showdown: “We want changes in health care to undo the damage they have done, and we want to make sure if we pass any appropriations bills, they can’t just undo it unilaterally with Vought, OMB and rescissions. We’ve made that clear for months, and we’ve been united for months. Our whole caucuses are united, just as we were all united.”
Top Democrats call for Brendan Carr’s resignation in wake of Kimmel suspension
x if you’ve spent more than two minutes reading my posts you know how much contempt I hold Dem leadership in but this is good and they should reiterate it on TV demanding a resignation rather than just calling it “unacceptable” is correct and they are threatening subpoenas when they get that power — Micah (@rincewind.run) 2025-09-18T15:22:56.384Z
Democratic mayors are backing colleges even ‘if we're going to get our a—es handed to us’
Mayors of blue cities poised to feel the economic hit of President Donald Trump’s feud with universities are lining up behind one message for the schools: don’t cave. The Trump administration’s decision to withhold federal funds from schools that don’t abandon diversity efforts and adopt new antisemitism policies is forcing universities to submit or risk losing the cash. That financial fallout could start to bleed into the communities these universities call home. Harvard froze its hiring and Northwestern University began laying off hundreds of employees amid funding cuts and new restrictions. Despite the economic risks many cities face if their universities are at odds with a raft of White House policies, some mayors argue the stakes are about free speech and the future of academia.
Governor Stein Announces Standing Orders to Increase Access to COVID-19 Vaccines
To increase access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for those who so choose, Governor Josh Stein earlier today directed the State Health Director, Dr. Larry Greenblatt, to issue Standing Orders if, in his medical judgment, it advances the public health. Dr. Greenblatt, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Chief Medical Officer and State Health Director, has now issued Standing Orders that allow seniors 65 years or older and adults over 18 years who meet certain criteria to get a COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy without having to get a prescription from a provider. “Health care providers and pharmacists recommend vaccination as a safe and effective tool to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This action ensures that North Carolinians most at risk who want protection from COVID-19 can get it as we enter the cold and flu season.”
Senate Democrats to force votes on Trump tariffs on Canada, Brazil
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) says he will force Republicans to vote on resolutions to revoke President Trump’s authority to invoke reciprocal tariffs on Canada and Brazil, two of the nation’s largest trading partners, amid rising prices and general public discontent over the economy. Kaine and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will introduce two resolutions that would repeal tariffs against Canada and Brazil, according to the Associated Press.
x Cory Booker to Kash Patel: "I am not afraid of you!" — Dr. Jack Brown (@drjackbrown.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T18:11:31.147Z
x Cory Booker tells Kash Patel in a fiery exchange, "You may be in charge of the FBI, but I'm not afraid of you!" — Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T18:06:31.136Z
Maryland joins regional public health coalition as federal panel reviews vaccine policy
Maryland has joined a coalition of Northeastern states and cities aimed at protecting vaccine access and advancing other health initiatives, the Department of Health said in a statement. press release from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The state joins Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and New York City to create the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The group has been in the works for months, according to afrom the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “This collaborative will make decisions based on scientific evidence and strive to ensure equitable access to quality health care,” a spokesperson from the Maryland Department of Health wrote in an emailed statement. The alliance plans to work together on public health emergencies, vaccine recommendations and other research efforts, according to the group’s press release. made recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine this fall, but each state and city will remain independent in setting regulations for its residents, the press release said. It has alreadyfor the COVID-19 vaccine this fall, but each state and city will remain independent in setting regulations for its residents, the press release said.
x Schumer and Jeffries (and further down, Murray and DeLauro) all on the same page. www.politico.com/live-updates... — emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T18:32:05.628Z
Everyone hates him/They suck at this
OMG the polls have been brutal for Trump this week! Wow!
New poll
I always take polls with a grain of salt, but a new Economist/YouGov survey shows Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 39%—the lowest of his second term. And his net approval rating on the economy has fallen to the lowest ever, at -22.
x trump approval hits a new low in today's yougov/economist poll. now worse than he was in yougov's data at this point in 2017 www.economist.com/interactive/... — G Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris.com) 2025-09-16T16:01:42.848Z
One from the Economist from yesterday:
The president's net approval rating is -17%,
down 2.6 points since last week.
39% approve, 56% disapprove, 4% not sure
Once again, Trump has dipped below the last bottom dweller to be the bottom of the heap. And that was (checks notes) Trump in 2017. Whomp Whomp.
New poll reveals warning signs for Trump with Latino voters
President Donald Trump’s approval is plummeting with Latino voters, a voting bloc Republicans are betting on as they fight to maintain their tenuous hold on the House next year, according to a new poll. Trump’s favorability is underwater by 20 points with the demographic, according to a poll obtained by POLITICO and commissioned by the liberal-leaning Latino voter group Somos Votantes.
oh and even this! Republicans Say Country Not Heading in the Right Direction
More than half of Republicans now say the country is heading in the wrong direction, a new AP-NORC poll shows. The new survey conducted between Sept. 11 and Sept. 15 found that 51 percent of Republican voters say the country is heading in the wrong direction, up from 26 percent in March. What’s more, less than half of Republicans (49 percent) now say the country is heading in the right direction, down from 70 percent in June.
yikes.
And this:
x The White House's new TikTok account is getting dominated by anti-Trump creators. 96% of the top comments are highly critical of Trump, attacking him on the Epstein files, the economy and everything else www.instagram.com/p/DOuFWTYDaNw/ — Drew Harwell (@drewharwell.com) 2025-09-18T14:16:05.646Z
hee hee!
Good Legal News
x Another loss for Oklahoma's MAGA mini-me Ryan Walters. OK's supreme court blocked new social studies standards that included conspiracy theories about covid and about Trump's loss in 2020. And they blocked the law putting bibles in public schools. — Adam "Ask Me About Joe Lancaster" Laats (@adamlaats.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T14:49:12.209Z
Fired Prosecutor Challenges Trump’s Claims to Sweeping Power in Lawsuit
Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who handled criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, is contesting her abrupt July firing in a lawsuit that challenges Donald J. Trump’s claim of sweeping presidential power. Ms. Comey, whose father, James B. Comey, is a former F.B.I. director, says in the lawsuit filed on Monday that she was never given a reason for her dismissal. She contends that no plausible explanation exists other than that she is the daughter of one of the president’s best-known adversaries — or her perceived political affiliations.
x Another Jeanine Pirro felony case just crumbled. Prosecutors claimed DC resident Scott Pichon assaulted guardsmen by spitting at them, but moved to withdraw the charge “after reviewing the evidence.” Judge: “The way this is supposed to work is the U.S. Attorney’s Office does its due diligence.” — Dave Jamieson (@jamieson.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T15:31:51.369Z
Utah Supreme Court rejects emergency stay in redistricting case, Utah legislature must draw new maps
The Utah Supreme Court has rejected an emergency request from the Utah legislature to stay the lower court ruling that asks lawmakers to draw new congressional maps by September 25. That means that unless another stay is granted, presumably by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Utah Legislature will need to draw new congressional maps by September 25.
Appeals court rules Fed governor Cook can continue to serve
Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook can continue to serve as President Trump's attempt to fire her is litigated, an appeals court decided in a 2-1 ruling on Monday. Why it matters: The Fed's policy committee begins a two-day meeting Tuesday, at which it is likely to cut interest rates for the first time in nine months.
x BREAKING: Judge issues preliminary injunction barring Trump administration from returning unaccompanied minors to Guatemala. Trump appointee Timothy Kelly says administration's 'explanation crumbled like a house of cards.' Doc: ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show... — Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T14:25:19.041Z
x WOW. Judge Kelly takes the Trump admin to task for their outrageous effort to deport children in the dead of the night. Not only does he say their justification "crumbled like a house of cards," he also says the admin was not engaging in "conduct ... that reflect[s] good faith." — Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T14:30:14.288Z
Bad News that Turned Good (and no one noticed)
Here are some stories from the past week that included (a) something bad happening (b) all of us freaking out worrying (c) our voices leading the bad thing to be undone and (d) most people did not notice step C.
Let’s highlight step C!
Why? Because we have agency! We have the ability to make things better!
We so often we panic about things and then completely miss the good turn (or forget to celebrate it).
“Bondi is going to prosecute anything she labels as “Hate speech” as a way to put us all in jail!”
Bondi clarifies: "Hate speech" won't be prosecuted
Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Axios her office is not prosecuting or investigating anyone for alleged hate speech, only for speech that she says unlawfully incites violence. Why it matters: Bondi sought to clarify her comments during a Monday podcast in which she said the Justice Department would "absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech." Her remarks drew criticism from across the political spectrum — including from some fellow MAGA Republicans, who as a group have historically been sensitive to curbs on free speech.
“Trump is going to take down the NYT with a lawsuit!”
x This is the essential point. This will go nowhere. 100% of the issue with all the other media suits is that a rogue president is a huge danger to a big diversified corp which also owns a media company. They can be hit everywhere. The NYT is just the NYT. No vulnerability. — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T15:38:41.228Z
Oh look — it already failed!
“Trump is going after us with the ANTIFA designation!”
Legal experts point out that government officials can designate “foreign terrorist organizations,” but that there is no legal grounds for designating any domestic organization a “terrorist organization,” especially in light of the First Amendment that protects free speech and the right of Americans to assemble peacefully.
Other good news
A record number of congressional lawmakers aren't running for reelection in 2026.
NPR is tracking the record number of congressional lawmakers who have announced they do not plan to run for reelection to their current seats in 2026. That number currently stands at 10 senators and 27 House members. Fifteen are retiring from public office with the rest running for a different office — 11 looking to become governor of their state, 10 looking to make the jump from House to Senate and one, Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, is looking to become his state's attorney general. There are more Republicans signaling their desire to exit Washington (27) than Democrats (10).
That is unheard of — for the party IN POWER to be the one that is giving up. That is a great sign for us THEY KNOW.
And check this out:
If a new Washington Post/Ipsos poll released on Friday bears out, a blue wave may wash over next year’s midterm elections.
The survey found that registered voters prefer that Democrats control the next Congress, by a 9-percentage-point margin. Such a large spread would likely be enough for Democrats to overcome the GOP’s corrupt redistricting efforts across the country.
final words from Jess Craven
Finally, I want to tell you a bit of what I heard yesterday from Heather Booth, a friend and mentor who’s been a civil rights activist since she was 13 years old (she’s now 80). Heather came to a group I’m a member of to speak about her long history of fighting for justice. It was absolutely incredible—I wish it had been recorded. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. Among other things, Heather spoke of participating in the Freedom Summer when she was 18. She told us about registering Black workers in cotton fields, workers who had never been taught to read so signed their voter registration forms with an X. She spoke of the fear she and her friends felt when three of their number were killed by white supremacists, but how they determined that they were willing to “die for freedom” if they had to. She told us that they felt afraid every day. But they did the work anyway. As for despair? It was part of the deal. “We didn’t feel much hope at all,” Heather said. “We didn’t know if anything we did would make any difference.” You see? They took action despite the fear. Despite the very real threats to their safety. Despite the hopelessness. Despite the fact that what they were doing felt inconsequential compared to the need. Despite the fact that people were literally dying around them—the Black family Heather stayed with that summer lost four members to racist violence. It was a terrifying, awful time. Yet, led by courageous, brilliant Black leaders risking absolutely everything, they kept going. A year later, the Voting Rights Act passed
[END]
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