Trump has been attacking Kimmel, Colbert, Meyers, Stewart and other comedians because their comedic attacks are working.  Yes, there may be a wee bit of thin skin involved.  But more importantly Trump knows from his own experience with his political rallies that insults, comedy, and wild accusations get people’s attention.  Even violence or the threat of violence can get people to pay attention.  But comedy, and especially satire are a mainstay of American politics from the earliest years of our Nation, even before we had a nation; satire was used against the King George to rally people to the cause of Independence.

Comedy has a special way of breaking through with ideas.  Pointing out the absurdities of a deranged Orange King in order to gain the opportunity to remind us of American values, morals, and ethics is extremely effective.

This coming year,  building to the mid-terms, the opposition to Trump would do well to have rallies headlined by comedians, and followed with politicians addressing policy and return to democratic norms.   The absurdities and the danger of the Trump administration must be pointed out continually, but there must be leadership to replace it, something that raises us up.   Happy warriors with positive positions on affordability, on health care improvements, and sensible border security and immigration policy.  The disregard for the issues that matter to Americans and the abject cruelty of the current administration actions can be pointed out through comedy and once the attention is gained then new policy can be addressed.

Sensible leadership would be addressing the rules of the road for AI as this may have profound impact on future jobs and how people work.  Sensible leadership would be addressing the cost of housing for young families, they would be addressing the denial by insurance companies of doctor prescribed procedures and medicine.  They would eliminate surprise medical costs.  Sensible leadership would give undocumented workers with no criminal history a path toward documented residency in our country.   Sensible leadership would not confuse and conflate war fighting with crime enforcement.

Yes, a winning combination is to use satire and comedy to point out the absurdities of a want-to-be autocrat and follow it with real solutions for real people.  Trump used the showmanship of his rallies to gain the attention of people who otherwise felt ignored by policy wonks and coastal elites, in order to bring in to play the prospects of an oppressive autocratic government.  He did it because it worked, and it got under the skin of the “politically correct”.   The loyal opposition to Trump should return the favor!

Unrelenting pressure!

I believe the assault on our democratic norms, the assault on the free press, the use of the Department of Justice for revenge and retribution, the use of our military to support a paramilitary ICE organization (as they did in Chicago this week), and the radical downsizing of the federal government during an engineered government shutdown are all pretexts to the big game that will be played out in 2026.

Project 2025 was the launch.  What is coming is the full affect of a completely empowered executive branch of government that identifies as a white christian nationalist autocracy.

The ridiculous display of the “Secretary of War” telling the generals and admirals gathered about a warrior ethos.  Their job is to kill.  Then  to hear how they are going to he asked to fight the enemies within, and use American cities as training grounds.

The stated intent by the administration is to punish Democratic cities, to defund Dem agencies (whatever those are) to fire federal workers, and to put troops into Democratic cities… at the time of a shutdown.

I believe that the Administration will eventually back down on the ACA subsidies after a time of suffering so they can say they fixed the impasse, and they will likely restructure (not much) and rebrand the ACA subsidies as TrumpCare in order to appeal to the MAGA base.

While at the same time the intimidation of Dem cities will continue and the cut backs at Agencies of the Federal government will be used to restructure a smaller government to be adherent to the principles and policies of an increasingly autocratic and powerful executive branch.  Troops backing a paramilitary ICE in the cities will be there, in-part, to foment a crisis and create the emergency that is needed to close down the 2026 election and/or intimidate voters in urban areas so that the election is not free and fair.

This is about solidifying power…and this will fundamentally change us from a democratic republic to an elected dictator, and this will lead to the anointment of our future leader (when Trump leaves) with elections as only showmanship.  The congress will exist in name only without any real power.  The Department of Justice will be the Department of Retribution, and the Judiciary will be cowed into going along to keep their jobs, as will the not-so-free press.  The Department of Defense is now the Department of War and is slowly being turned toward “the enemy within”… The constitution will be a memory of the way it was as America gets reimagined as a one-party-in-power country with white christian nationalist undertones to keep the people under the control of leaders expousing that this is what God wants, and this is what is good for keeping America powerful and protected.

Now what can be done about this…

For a start, the Dems need to give in on the Continuing Resolution Bill… Put forward that they are taking the Republicans word that they will negotiate to continue ACA subsidies, that the president said he is firing workers because of the shutdown, and thus can stop doing so… and allow the president to reconstitute infrastructure funding that benefit all Americans… and when they backslide, hold them to account. Let them disappoint the American public, and as well as their own MAGA base.  Only then is it possible to erode their power base.

The Dems also need to focus on the impact of tariffs on the economy, especially our farmers and industries dependent on foreign materials such and lumber and aluminum.  Force Trump to address this.  He will make a victory lap when he subsidizes those hurt by tariffs, but dems can claim they pushed this along.  It is best for industry and farmers and important to show the failure of a president who is wielding  dictatorial powers.

And We the People need to continue to hold our leaders accountable to the Constitution of the United States of America everywhere we can.  Our freedom of speech especially, our right to assemble (peaceful demonstrations), as well as, our insistence on free and fair elections.  We need to communicate to all who are being deluded that what is coming is not nationalism, and it’s not christian, and most of all not American.   We should use humor when we can, we should speak with understanding, as many believe what they are being told, and most importantly they want to believe that we are good and fair people.  We must show empathy for others and remind those who are deluded that empathy and fairness is fundamentally American.  We must encourage and defend leaders from all walks of life who can communicate truth; entertainers, educators, religious leaders, press and politicians.   Also we must vote with our money.  Where we vacation, which entertainers we seek, what products we buy.

This is going to be a very difficult coming 12 to 14 months, and much will hinge on what happens with this government shutdown and turmoil that comes from it.

It is difficult but we must keep the faith that our Republic will emerge from this great challenge with an intact Constitution and people who desire to be united in the insistence of freedom in our 251st year of Independence from tyranny.

America is changing.  We must decide if we are going to continue to evolve as a free and powerful country or revert to an oppressed and weakened country.