A long time ago, when I was serving as Corporation Counsel in the Hudnut Administration, I had a conversation with an active Republican friend that I’ve long remembered. I don’t recall the issue, but at one point she offered an observation that has proved all too true: The problem with too many of our elected officials is that they are representative.
The clown car that is the Trump administration wouldn’t be possible but for the 40% of Americans who–polling tells us–approve of our would-be king and his demented court.
That figure absolutely terrifies me. How is it possible that some forty percent of our fellow citizens look at the daily disasters–the assault on reason, on education, on accurate history, on science–and disregard the effects of monumental ignorance and incompetence on their own daily lives? How do they look at nutjobs like RFK, Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard and so many others and say, yep, those are our guys?
I recently came across two unrelated articles that raised that question once again. TNR recently profiled a new official hired by the odious and entirely unfit Pete Hegseth. It noted that Hegseth is taking his cues from even-nuttier precincts.
Far-right extremist Laura Loomer says that she is now working with the federal government to identify individuals within the Department of Defense who are leaking information to the press.
Speaking with CNN in an interview published Monday, Loomer claimed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had personally turned to her for help quieting down the noise coming from his department. The self-appointed “loyalty enforcer” has had enormous success influencing the Trump administration from the outside: An analysis by The Daily Beast found that at least 16 individuals were fired from the federal government after Loomer singled them out.
And who did he replace them with? According to the article, Hegseth trusts only his wife and a small inner circle. (America feels safer already…)
Talking Points Memo has highlighted another “qualified” appointment.
It’s almost hard to be shocked anymore by the characters Trump has tapped for top positions in federal agencies, but at Puck News, this Julia Ioffe profile of Lew Olowski, who is running human resources for the State Department, is a stunning cascade of bizarre revelations.
Once a member of the legal team for convicted Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić, Olowski had been a first-tour foreign service officer since 2017 when Marco Rubio summoned him to Washington from an overseas assignment in January. He alarmed department veterans by giving weird speeches about God, prayer, the Bible, and dolphins.
“He quickly made a name for himself at Foggy Bottom by marching into the office of the ombuds and telling everyone that they were being put on administrative leave, and that their office was being dissolved,” Ioffe writes. “The office’s employees later discovered that they had been transferred to the Office of Civil Rights, whose chief counsel was Heather Olowski, Lew’s wife, and the minister of a church that the couple runs.” From there, Olowski set about rooting out all supposed DEI “by changing the way the State Department recruits and promotes people, including by introducing the concept of ‘fidelity’ as an attribute that diplomats should be graded on.” Fidelity to Trump, that is.
These examples bring me back to my unanswerable question: how did we get to the point where forty percent of Americans are satisfied with the appointments of these ignorant and deranged individuals–perfectly happy to place the prospects of this country in the hands of people lacking any expertise or qualifications?
I’m pretty sure that most of them are Fox viewers blissfully unaware of the situation, but that simply raises a somewhat different question: what explains the gullibility and the chosen ignorance of so many of our fellow citizens? Is the obvious answer–the virulent racism– that widespread?
Forty percent…..
since when is 40% a majority? The 60% need to get off their collective butts and make the necessary changes we must have to continue as a democracy!
I wonder how many of “them” supporting Trump and MAGA actually understand who they are against among the DEI? The “Inclusive” is a broad spectrum including the low income, low educated, medium income working class who have been convinced that they are in that position due to the dark skinned, foreign ethnic ancestry and primarily Jewish religion based “others”. The majority of “average American” working class are the Trump and MAGA primary targets who will be hit harder once the new tariffs go into effect almost immediately but will maintain their support of the openly criminal administration.
Trump and MAGAs represent the wealthiest in this nation and those who will not be sending their children into the war(s) Trump is pushing so hard for as in the Ukraine and Gaza situations as he supports Putin and Bibi in their genocides. Our national economic level is lowering daily and those “representing” this nation before the world are getting wealthier daily. The Trump appointees all appear to have qualified for their appointments by failing IQ tests, sure to make decisions to deprive the working class of any benefit, primarily financial and health care, from their labors.
We thought Trump could never be in the White House and that we would never support a king or dictator as our leader, yet here we are with no Representation at any level of government and sinking fast. Our Revolutionary War and the Civil War, along with the Civil Rights Movement, have been lost in the distraction of currently upholding sex trafficking involvement by the sitting president, his administration and his Supreme Court.
They do NOT represent me!
Oh yes, we elect “representatives” in this country, but as studies and reports have shown for decades, they don’t go to work for us once elected. They are assets of the oligarchy. The same could be said for the reporters at local news outlets. Look at Fox News and the Wall Street Journal.
Look at what happened when employment numbers failed to meet The Donald’s expectations. They were fired because they painted him in a bad light. I had little trust in “independent government agencies,” but I don’t even bother looking at them.
Trump said he is “looking into options” for serving an illegal third term. He’s violated the Emoluments Clause repeatedly—lawlessness and disorderliness rule in the WH. Only fealty to the King serves the day.
As for the 40%, I would say it’s higher. We’ve had two elected officials in Muncie defect to the Republican Party because the Democratic Party has swung too far left. LOL
Swinging left must mean accepting the gay and trans community because there is nothing left of center in the local or national DP. The Democrats even want to receive vouchers so they can attract moderates. Now, there is a counter strategy!!
If you look at every piece of legislation passed, it takes from the poor and lower classes and gives to the oligarchs. It’s ALL about enriching the oligarchic owners. Get hold of 1990s interviews with Noam Chomsky, who spells it all out so eloquently. I would claim that about 70% of American citizens could be classified as ignorant and racist. Trump wants to strike ALL references to our racism from books, and then we won’t be racist anymore. LOLOLOLOL
One bright spot is that I’ve noticed Pete Buttigieg speaking out more and more as a sign of a potential run again. He and Bernie were destroying the field until the DNC told them to fold their cards and support Biden. And you wonder why so many voters stay home. The oligarchic donors control the party, and a large majority of them are as ignorant as Trump. Chomsky called that in the 90s as well…
Well, look on the bright side; soon, almost everything and every little action will be criminalized.
Once branded as a criminal, you will then have your memory erased.
This is not science fiction. This is real.
“Cognify” is the program title. We.Are.Done.
Ian; Trump has been branded a criminal for decades on many levels, officially convicted in our courts in recent years and it is his criminal acts and convictions which have been erased from voters’ memories. He has been given full immunity to continue his crimes and support criminals of the lowest of the low by his personal Catholic Supreme Court (he isn’t a Catholic) till he feels it is safe to Pardon them…how soon will Maxwell be Pardoned and released to sin against children again? The well known history of Catholics covering up child molestation by their Priests…and rarely mentioned, Nuns…continues today around the world. I won’t be surprised when the Supreme Court upholds freeing and Pardoning Maxwell is the final outcome by Trump.
Your immorality is hanging out this morning;; no surprise.
Those who approve of the destruction of the Union are leftovers from the South Carolinian Chivalry, who proposed seceding from the Union before Lincoln was inaugurated, so they could continue living off the work of others, namely their slaves.
Then, they bombarded our Ft Sumter to seal the deal.
That’s what Trump and the Truly, Terrible Twenty, including Mike Johnson, and feckless Justice Roberts are living off now.
Save the Slaves no matter the cost to the Union.
History is no longer content to rhyme with the present, it is fully repeating it, now that our sun rises and sets on Mar-a-Lago and the Sun God’s Golden Throne.
And the thirty some percent, all say Amen to the passing of the Republic.
Yes, pete, “…the Sun God’s….” He wants to be the next Louis IV, thinks its due him.
Forty percent is scary, and my idiot cousin, with her list of his many accomplishments fits right in there. They are all over the place, these fools, and Trump knew it long ago.
I suggest that you search Indivisible and watch their training videos. They are available on YouTube. They will take you step by step on how to resist.
The religious right, in hand with Catholics, have so successfully branded Democrats as baby-killers, an insidiously false label, that this 40% have been essentially absolved from ignoring at least, and being violent toward at worst, the Democrats. Throw in white fear of the “other” and our message is just not heard.
I would love to see the US Bishops stand up loudly and strongly against Trump and the Supreme Court. They could recall their vast theological riches calling for a preferential option for the poor and the immigrant, as well as freedom of conscience (admitting their own failure to form that conscience!). They could admit their failure to adequately address clergy abuse and to support women has resulted in woefully inept leadership in shaping a message about abortion. They could stop this condemnation of people who vote for “pro-choice” candidates. They could LEAD. And they should be SO grateful to the nuns and religious sisters who, for the most part, are shining examples of what we all should be! It’s time the US Bishops took the stage to split the hairs and TEACH.
Gotta love the passion and re-examination of actual truth this morning. As Ian suggests, we may indeed be finished – certainly as a democratic republic. Todd’s fixation on the oligarchs as the ruling class approaches accuracy every day.
The concept and reality of voter sloth and disinterest will plague our history for decades … barring thermonuclear destruction. The “voters” who stay home are absolutely complicit in this MAGA horror show. Shame on them. Shame on MAGA and all its mindless drivel. No, we cannot forgive them, for they know exactly what they’re doing: Burning it all down so they can feel like they’re doing something with their intellectual dwarfism.
The people are giving up on politicians as our country sinks “low”. In the meantime. they would rather ignore what they can’t seem to change and spend their money and “joy” on celebrities, sports, gambling and just plain old “fun”. Let’s amuse ourselves….to death. As long as you are not a designated “other”, you are likely ok.
And now the Dunce in charge of the FBI is sending federal agents to arrest Texas legislators at the behest of John Cornyn. May I ask the question- wither thou jurisidiction?
They don’t just accept them, they _love_ them. And what’s not to love? They are fundamentalist bigots who hate the same people they do. With the bonus that they make the left go a little crazy.
It doesn’t even matter if the policies actually hurt MAGA. They’ll “rationalise” that away.
Reality is unimportant. A nuisance, if anything.
Remember, Pres. Eisenhower was gobsmacked to realize that 50% of the population had/have IQ’s below 100!!!!!!!!!!
And, as per Todd, the oligarchs are almost certainly well aware of it.
Every day seems more and more like “der Fuhrer” has risen from the dead and is alive and well in Nazi America. The 40% of gullible Americans that prefer extreme right-wing fictitious propaganda over truth that is backed up by facts are just like the 1930s Germans that believed their divine savior would improve their economic condition and replace class identity with a shared racial identity.
I think there is something critical that people on our side tend to misunderstand. MAGA is not a cult of Trump. Trump is a creation of MAGA. Trump is terrible in numerous ways, of course. But he molds himself on what MAGA likes, not the other way around. During the first campaign, he would “try out” material and ideas–“Build the wall! Lock her up!”–and see how the crowd reacted. He kept material they liked. That’s how the whole “wall” thing started, for example.
This Epstein case is a crack in that foundation. For the first time, Trump _can’t_ go where MAGA want him to go.
The point is that even once Trump is gone, MAGA will still be the same. They _like_ Trump but they don’t _need_ him. Project 2025 is a creation of some of the more powerful MAGA people. It’s a direct reflection of their deepest desires and beliefs. The leaders around Project 2025 are the true scary people.
If your basic view revolves around opposing Trump instead of opposing Project 2025, then you are undermining efforts within the true war. Ultimately, Trump is a distraction from the real enemy; it’s time to refocus.
I have a shirt, that on the back says,
the American trucking assoc, (ATA) does not represent me or my truck.
our country is now represented by those with the most money and
lawyers/courts you could ever buy..they do jot represent me..
Tood:
Chomsky had it right, and was part of our gen, sorry he never gave
civics to kids across America..
Balance is needed. to far left or too far right, won’t work.
We cannot have everything. It never was perfect, but at least it was not insane.
I have been pondering whether the administration accepted their gig knowing how insane Trump is, but thought what the hell, I can grift while I “serve”. Or did they think that the Project 2025 playbook was something worthwhile that they could go to the mat for, in spite of Trump’s insanity.
The party in power condones racism and exclusive, elitist ways. The captive audience or core of Maga and project 2025 are sure they’re on the right path and others are totally wrong. Since trump can’t deliver the final nail in the coffin to the accused liberal Epstein pedophiles the Maga coverage is questioning its own.
JD Vance was scheduled to meet with Governor Braun here in Indpls. to plan how to wrangle more Republican seats by redistricting before the 2026 election.
The Catholic Church is project 2025 worst nightmare when it comes to their stand on immigration. I expect more push back as the rounding up and detaining of immigrants increases.
If government officials are an accurate reflection of average Americans, we are in deep trouble as a nation. I still think we are better than the clown shows in DC, FL, TX, IN, etal.
I still believe (and hope that I am right) that the real number of pure bigot/monarchists is much lower, maybe a third the people.
I recently watched a rerun of The Waltons, where one of the sons had an army buddy who was Jewish. He had received news, smuggled out of Poland, about the death camps. Papa Walton called his Senator and was reassured that they weren’t real. A voice-over at the end spoke about how wrong they were.
I think there are a large slice of Trump supporters who don’t believe (or want to believe) how bad MAGA really is, and — they like that bumper sticker answers that the Republicans have perfected over the bad messaging of the Democrats.
Therein lies my hope that we can recover.