Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/17
The loser president.
Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.
OK, I know it’s an absolutely bonkers news moment, so let’s start by taking a few deep breaths. Really.
Let’s stop.
Let’s breathe.
Let’s think of something we’re grateful for.
It’s so important that we not flood ourselves with stress hormones.
It is wild that we’re dealing with this much drama, fear, and outrage on a daily basis, my friends. You’re not crazy for feeling like it’s too much. It really is.
A few examples just from today: the Senate bill is out, and on Medicaid it’s worse than the House version. NYC Comptroller Brad Lander was just arrested by ICE. Trump is threatening to drag us into a war with Iran. Mike Lee hasn’t apologized (although he’s deleted his horrific posts.) Trump was going to stop ICE from abducting farm, hotel, and other vital workers, but now he’s not again. It’s just insanity all around.
What do we do amidst this maelstrom of misery? How survive? How succeed? We keep walking, one step at a time. We take right actions. We build community. We double down on love. We practice self care. We look for the helpers, and we help them.
We do, in short, the opposite of what our opponents are doing.
We also stay incredibly, relentlessly loud. Because remember, friends, NONE OF THIS is popular. In fact, You Gov dropped new polling this morning (see graph above) and Trump’s approval is absolutely plummeting in every single area.
This is the caption from You Gov’s tweet:
NEW Economist/YouGov Poll Net approval for Trump at the start of his 2nd term vs. when last asked for his handling of...
Jobs & the economy +12 | -12
Inflation/prices +6 | -22
Immigration +11 | -8
Abortion -4 | -14
Crime +12 | -1
Those are massive, massive drops. A nineteen point drop on immigration alone! A twenty-four point drop on jobs and the economy! A 28-point drop on inflation and prices! Wow!
And, whole not covered in this poll, Trump’s Big BS bill is faring just as badly. It is wildly, wildly unpopular. Pretty much the only people who don’t disapprove of it are those who haven’t yet heard about it. (It’s our job to clue them in.)
While these abysmal numbers may seem like scant consolation, we should take comfort in them. Trump is growing weaker by the day. A majority of Americans loath him—heck, even Trump voters are starting to sour on him. The less popular he is, the more likely it’ll be that Republicans distance themselves from him. That means our chances of stopping his agenda improve, if only slightly.
It’s not much, but it’s what we’ve got and it could grow into a meaningful advantage. So let’s celebrate Trump’s plunging popularity and make sure everyone knows about it.
We’re in the thick of it, folks. It’s hard, it’s tiring, and it’s overwhelming. But knowing I’m in it with you makes me certain that we will prevail.
I hope you feel the same. Now let’s get to work.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I know the Senate is voting on the GENIUS Act as soon as today. I strongly oppose this bill in its current form. It does nothing to stop Trump from using stablecoins to corruptly profit off the presidency. Please tell the Senator to vote no.
I also just learned that the Senate version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid even more than the House version AND includes a massive new attack on public lands. It also still kills most clean energy tax credits, has vicious cuts to SNAP, student loans, and affordable housing, and defunds Planned Parenthood. It also gives a huge amount of money to ICE. No way. This bill is awful, cruel and stupid. It explodes the deficit, hurts average Americans, destroys the environment, and does it all so rich people and big corporations can have more tax cuts. Please oppose it, and do everything in your power to stop it. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m hugely alarmed that Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller, was just arrested by federal agents. What the hell is happening in our country? The now constant arrests of Democratic lawmakers are outrageous and unacceptable. We don’t live in a dictatorship, and, as this Saturday’s protests proved, we don’t want to. ICE is out of control. Kristi Noem needs to resign, Lander needs to be released, and the arrests need to stop. Please ask the Congressmember to make a statement saying as much. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
While the Trump admin attempts to spread fear in Los Angeles and across the country, Congress is inching closer to handing Trump exactly what he wants: billions of dollars toward funding immigration raids like the ones in L.A., while cutting vital health, education, and nutrition programs. There are many reasons to detest this bill, but taking money from the American people to fund the deprivation of our collective liberties is certainly one of them.
The National Immigration Law Center created an easy form here for folks to call on the Senate to reject this harmful budget and to invest in communities instead.
And for immigrant readers who are hoping to learn more about their rights while protesting, the NILC offers this resource.
Get Smart! 📚
Senate Democrats are holding spotlight forums to draw attention to the Trump administration’s harmful policies and the impact on Americans. There’s one today!
Tuesday, June 17, 3 p.m. ET. (Yes, late notice, sorry!)
The Big Beautiful Betrayal—Working Folks Pay While the Mega Rich Profit
Co-Hosted by Senators Kaine and Murphy
A livestream of the forum is available here.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
A couple of important messaging items on the Big BS Bill:
Navigator is out with new polling this morning finding that:
A majority of Americans now oppose the House-passed Republican budget plan, including a majority of independents.
Highlighting that the tax breaks in the bill would mainly benefit those who are already wealthy increases opposition by nearly 20 points.
Majorities across the political spectrum say they could not support an elected official who votes to give tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations.
I did a video yesterday highlighting that this is the most regressive tax plan in 35 years (it’s based on this must-read NYT report). You can watch it here (on Youtube) or here (on my Facebook page).
Sen. Warren’s comms team has given me access to their awesome slide carousel about what’s in the bill. You can see what it looks like when it’s posted on her account, and then if you want to post it, too, you can find and download all the slides here. Don’t forget she also has this great one-pager to share.
Grab Your Wallet! 💳
Ugh. When T-Mobile—my carrier—launches its “T-Satellite” program this July in partnership with Starlink, Elon stands to gain billions.
Please sign the Tesla Takedown coalition petition to demand that T-Mobile live up to its pledge to be “an even greater force for good” and cut ties with Elon Musk. I assured them that if they failed to act I and my family would move our service to CREDO, and I mean it. I hope you will follow suit!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T
] [Text SIGN PBWVKE to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram](Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
The decision by Secretary RFK Jr. to fire the entire CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replace them with individuals who have promoted anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories is deeply disturbing. It is so egregious that the AMA has called for a Senate probe into these suspicious firings. Appointing figures like Dr. Robert Malone and Vicky Pebsworth, who have spread unfounded claims about COVID-19 vaccines causing AIDS and hypnotizing Americans, represents a dangerous embrace of pseudoscience over evidence-based medicine.
This panel plays a vital role in setting vaccine policy based on rigorous scientific research and data. Undermining its credibility by stacking it with anti-vaccine advocates lacking relevant expertise threatens to erode public trust in lifesaving immunizations. The new appointees, several of whom were involved with the misinformed Great Barrington Declaration, have repeatedly downplayed the risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the effectiveness of measures to combat the spread of infectious illnesses like measles and COVID-19.
Ensuring the ACIP remains an impartial body of leading medical and scientific experts is critical to maintaining robust vaccination programs that protect public health. Congress must take decisive action to remove Secretary Kennedy and his unqualified panel members in favor of individuals committed to following the scientific consensus and global best practices around vaccines.
The consequences of allowing fringe ideologies to dictate national vaccine policy could prove catastrophic. Rigorous evidence and peer-reviewed research, not conspiracy theories, must guide this crucial decision-making process.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Thank you so much for your consistently thoughtful and understanding newsletters. I needed to remember to breathe today - given all the misery (as you reference) that Trump and his team are inflicting on this country, it’s hard to sleep at night. Thanks for your guidance and excellent advice.
Hope folks are waking up to the injustices this regime is inflicting in the open!