Chop Wood, Carry Water 1/21

Breathe. Act. Rest. Repeat.

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.

Well, here we are again. Sigh. Somehow it feels even worse than before.

I won’t take time to rehash the many outrages already visited upon us by the new Trump Presidency. Of them, I am sure, you’re well aware.

What I will do is offer you a few reminders. They’re not meant to be a panacea—nothing can sugarcoat the dangerous moment we’re in—but I do hope they help take the edge off of the worst of your anxiety.

First, remember that Trump’s flurry of Executive Orders were meant to dishearten, dismay, and overwhelm you—to provoke “shock and awe.” Don’t give him (or his team) the satisfaction. Remember, EO’s provide red meat for Trump’s base, but we know from recent history that they’re not always enforceable. Many will be held up in litigation for years, and some—like the birthright citizenship order—will almost certainly be deemed unconstitutional. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be upset by them, but it’s easier to tolerate the distress when we remember that not all of these orders will actually come to pass.

Second, on climate specifically, remember how much power states have. While Trump has withdrawn from the Paris agreement, states can and will continue transitioning to clean energy—some more and some less, for sure, but the direction the country—and the world— is going in is clear. Clean energy is cheaper. It’s abundant. And it’s popular. Trump can posture as much as he wants, but he can only do so much to slow the inevitable. Remember, much of the money for Inflation Reduction Act programs is already out the door. The projects being funded are largely bringing jobs and economic stimulus to red states. Trump can try to stop them, but doing so will be politically costly. Meanwhile Blue states can and will work to make up the losses we suffer on a federal level.

Third, remember, as Dan Pfeiffer reminded us yet again this morning, that Trump’s policies are deeply unpopular. Americans elected him by a slim margin because they wanted cheaper eggs. Not a single EO Trump announced yesterday will meaningfully accomplish that goal. Mass deportations will achieve the opposite. So will tariffs. Ending birthright citizenship is unpopular. Pardoning the January 6 rioters is deeply, deeply so. Trump is assuming he can do whatever he wants and maintain Americans’ support. He is wrong.

Fourth, never underestimate Trumpworld’s propensity for self-destruction. Some of the work of ridding ourselves of these crooks will be done without our lifting a finger. Vivek Ramaswamy, for example, is already gone. Others will soon follow. Remember, the average lifespan of a Trump appointee is “one Scaramucci.” Bannon has sworn to destroy Musk. Musk seems hellbent on destroying himself. Enmities and grudges abound. Internecine battles will be the order of the day. To some extent we can trust in this band of brigands to destroy itself. Of course, bad actors can and will be replaced, but some of the worst offenders will swiftly leave the scene. We can rely on it.

Fifth, there’s us. And really, this is the most important part. As Robert Hubbell often says, “we’re not potted plants.” Quite the contrary. We are a force to be reckoned with. We have agency, intelligence, courage, strength, and vast numbers on our side. We have the artists. We have the educated. We have the decent majority. We have money. We have the moral high ground. We have a vast network of seasoned activists who know how to fight and have shown themselves willing to do so. We have democracy movements the world over rooting for us. We have some incredible elected officials. We have a ton of experience winning tough fights.

Most importantly, we have each other.

This is going to be a slog, folks. I wish it weren’t our reality—I really do. But it is, and it’s important for us to see the danger with clear eyes. That means not underestimating the threat, yes. But it also means not overestimating it. Trump and his team are formidable, but they’re not superhuman. They’re beatable. Their greed makes them clumsy. They have blind spots. We will find them and exploit them. We are up to the job. We have to be.

We will not be able to take on every challenge, nor should we. They want us to exhaust ourselves right off the bat. That’s why they’re “flooding the zone.” We must not rise to the bait. We’ll do what we can, then go back to our lives and insist on maintaining joy at all costs.

I repeat: we must insist on maintaining joy at all costs.

I’m sure you’ve all seen “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Remember the Who’s in Whoville? Remember how they held hands and sang when all the trappings of Christmas had been taken from them? Remember how much this infuriated the Grinch?

Hold hands and sing, my friends. Every Goddamn day.

Then come back to the fight. We’ve got this.

One more thing. Indivisible sent a Laken Riley Act update this morning:

Last night the Senate held its final vote on the Laken Riley Act, and it passed 64-35, with 12 Democrats voting yes alongside every Republican. This is a disappointing outcome but it’s also proof of how much pressure works. When this fight began, only nine Senate Democrats stood against it. By final passage, that number grew to 35, thanks to your relentless calls and advocacy. That’s 26 more Democrats who found their spines last week -- and it shows how much we can shift the narrative when we fight. Now, the bill moves to the House, where we face another tough fight.

I’ve given you call scripts below for the 12 Dem Senators who voted yes (ugh) and also all of our House members. Also please remember to thank the 35 Dems who voted no, and remind them you’ve got their backs when they fight. You can find how every senator voted here.

One last thing: with all the chaos surrounding Tiktok, Meta, and the social media-sphere in general, I’ve decided to launch a separate Substack just for my video content. Everything I post on the major platforms I’ll also post there. Like this newsletter it’ll be free to all comers, although a paid option is available. You can find the sign up link here, if you’re interested. Again, it won’t feature any writing. Just videos. A weird undertaking, perhaps, but we live in weird times.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I’m disgusted that Donald Trump pardoned the January 6 insurrectionists. These pardons undermine the US judiciary and criminal justice system and send a message to Americans that attacking US democratic institutions is appropriate and justifiable.¹ I want the Senator to introduce a Resolution condemning them.

Second, Kash Patel strongly supported these pardons. He is unfit to hold any position in government, let alone FBI director, in which position he has openly vowed to prosecute Trump’s enemies. I don’t want to live in a dictatorship and neither should the Senator. Oppose this nomination, please.

[🚨 IMPORTANT: If your Senator is Cortez Masto, Fetterman, Gallego, Hassan, Kelly, Ossoff, Peters, Rosen, Shaheen, Slotkin, Warner, or Warnock please add:]

Also, I understand that the Senator voted for the Laken Riley Act last night, helping to ensure that it would pass. I am beyond disgusted and disappointed in him/her. This bill is cruel, unworkable, and unconstitutional. I can’t believe the Senator supported it. It’s a betrayal and I expect them to do better. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

First, I’m disgusted that Donald Trump pardoned the January 6 insurrectionists. These pardons undermine the US judiciary and criminal justice system and send a message to Americans that attacking US democratic institutions is appropriate and justifiable. I want the Congressmember to introduce a Resolution condemning them.

Second, please oppose the Laken Riley Act when it comes up for a vote. This bill should be called the Dreamer Deportation Act, because that’s what it’ll do. It will also put countless immigrants in danger of long-term detention with no due process and empower MAGA extremists to override federal policy. It’s a travesty. Vote no, thanks.

Come to a Live Event with me and Robert Hubbell in SF!

From the folks at Commit to Democracy:

Commit to Democracy is honored to have Robert Hubbell (author of Today's Edition Newsletter) and Jessica Craven (author of Chop Wood, Carry Water) visit the Bay Area and speak to the Commit To Democracy community.

The event will be held in San Francisco at The Club Fugazi on February 18 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. You’ll hear how they both envision the work we have before us in 2025 and 2026 and see an outstanding performance of Dear San Francisco by the Seven Fingers Circus Group. This performance is creative, dynamic, and thrilling.

We are offering this event to you at a minimal cost of $50 per person. We want as many of you to come as possible. This is not a fundraiser. The ticket price will simply defray the cost of renting the theater. This is a chance for our community to come together.

Help us fill Club Fugazi for this great event!

Get Smart!

On Jan 30th at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT, Caring Across Generations is hosting a webinar: What’s at Stake and How We Win - Protecting Medicaid, Supporting Immigrant Communities, and Putting Families Before Billionaires.

We know how to fight back against these attacks, and we’ll discuss the threats, tools Congressional Republicans are likely to use, and strategies to push back. Register here

Give 💰!

The terrific fundraising organization Oath has created a list of organizations leading the efforts to sue over Trump’s EO’s so you can support them easily with a monthly donation. These recipients focus on Oath’s five most requested issues: protecting democracy, fighting climate change, gun violence prevention, defending reproductive rights, and voting rights.

The groups are: Protect Democracy, Natural Resources Defense Council, Giffords Law Center, Center For Reproductive Rights, and the ACLU.

This makes so much sense to me. I’m signing up for a monthly donation. I hope some of you will, too.

Oath never sells or shares your data and they don't take a cut of your donation, so every dollar raised goes directly to these organizations’ efforts.

DONATE NOW

Win Races! 🗳

Join the WisDems Voter Protection Team in kicking off their 2025 program on January 28th at 6pm CT on Zoom! They'll discuss what's at stake in the Spring Election, share their plans to protect voting rights across the state, and explain all the ways you can get involved in the fight for democracy in 2025.

Voter Protection involves everything from recruiting pollworkers to doing ballot curing to staffing voter hotlines. It’s very fulfilling work. If you want to help us win elections but don’t love voter persuasion work this will be right up your alley!

Sign up here for the kickoff call.

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: ] [H/T Bob Morgan] [[Text SIGN PLZFYD to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

I am appalled at the nominees put forth by the incoming president for numerous cabinet positions and other advisory roles. It is apparent to me that the incoming president is planning to sow as much chaos and debilitate as much of the government as possible, most likely as a means of drawing attention away from his own self-serving actions.

As my Senator, I expect you to vehemently oppose any nominees for whom you have the power of advice and consent, where the nominees are unqualified, compromised, and/or clearly intended to disrupt the services of the functions they will oversee. In particular, we must not allow Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Russell Vought, Linda McMahon, and Kash Patel to be confirmed.

There are many others (current and former personal attorneys, Fox entertainment stars, billionaire buddies, and more) who should be opposed as well, but these are the most concerning. The next four years are going to be difficult enough without having this cast of undesirable characters running the show.

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OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess

1. Line borrowed from this article.