59 Comments
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Gayle Donsky's avatar

How do we know if we’re premium members?

DBrian's avatar

If your subscription is $250/yr, then you are a premium member.

more cowbell's avatar

i have notifications active and do not see any link to the 5pm ET discussion, and am wanting to join

D . O. Olson's avatar

Hopefully that reckoning will come with arrests and jail sentences for those involved. A sentence of 10 yrs would be perfect to repay all of us, for what this regime of hate has foisted on us these last 10 yrs of American life.

Gordon's avatar

Trump has already gone after the media, judges, law-firms, universities, etc., - so this scenario was just a matter of time! I think that it’s quite possible that Trump has deliberately inserted some of his January 6th “hostages” inside some of these protests to deliberately stir-up trouble, - just to create a reason to release his goon-squad military to squash these protests! There have been MANY protests, rallies, and marches all over the country, that have been impactful and peaceful, - so this NOT an unexpected move from this autocrat’s playbook! We must continue to protest and march, - but go in groups and be careful!

Tamie Swain 🌊📎's avatar

And if someone acts up (violently) everyone should sit down!

E Shelton's avatar

Expect Guard was brought in because Homeland Security’s asinine plan of taking untrained agents from other agencies to beef up ICE.These amateurs look and act unprofessional. .

Not enough criminals, so going after working-class tax payers just to satisfy Trump’s grandiose ego.

Disgusting on so many levels.

Rickey Woody's avatar

these "untrained" I would bet are proud boys, oath keepers and other wannabes that just signed up to participate in this lawlessness

Integral Doc's avatar

They will also show up as protesters and jump-start some violence.

E Shelton's avatar

Ricky, I mean here real Fed agents but untrained in immigration and crowds, such as financial crimes investigators.

The militia types are a whole other (worse) issue.

Marge Wherley's avatar

Gordon, I think you nailed it. I am expecting provocateurs at this Birthday Parade. Excuse to use the insurrection act against the people : best birthday present ever!

Gordon's avatar

Yes, I agree. It’s the perfect “set-up” for Trump.

E Shelton's avatar

Put someone(s) in your group in charge of constant situational awareness.

Steve Rasmussen's avatar

He has already threatened vengeance for any dissent at his vanity parade. I believe he wil try to declare martial law nationwide.

Peggy's avatar

A reckoning sounds good to me.

Linda Guffin's avatar

I urge all here to write on the WH website and tell #47 and his pretty eyed second that protest is a right, a sacred right. I have written both. Hey, we also get to be archived …. Not so unique now with DOGE.

B Bear's avatar

Seems like the admin is trying to provoke peaceful demonstrators into acting in a way that can be “interpreted” as “violent” to justify their invoking stronger military action. The admin is meeting at Camp David with military leaders now.

I 🙏 we show up on No Kings Dicktators Day in large peaceful numbers and everyone stays safe✌️

Gayle Donsky's avatar

Your interview with Joyce was excellent!! Her questions excellent, and your answers extremely “lucid” and articulate. You clarified what we are facing.

Greg DeGug's avatar

I’m sure you you’re aware the Live Substack w/ Joyce Vance (love you both) suddenly froze about 25 minutes in … required a hard reboot 🤷🏼‍♂️

Greg DeGug's avatar

…and thank you for another wonderfully insightful and helpful essay !! 🙏🏻🐾

Jim Giardina's avatar

I think what is too often overlooked when we consider what is happening to our political system is the role of the Republican Party. Conventional wisdom has it that Republicans are standing down as DOGE vandalizes the system because they fear the repercussions of not doing so. I disagree for two reasons:

1. The GOP is a radical party and as such even those dubbed moderate are extremists.

For more than half a century the right,acting through the GOP has advocated destroying government. With Trump, the Party finally has what it always wanted in a president, someone who is actually willing to do that.

Steve Rasmussen's avatar

Every Republican that I know has been radicalized to embrace tRump's fascism and reject democracy. These people easily abandon what's left of our democracy (anocracy) by saying that we have never been a democracy. MAGA has long put out propaganda that says we have never been a democracy, so it's easier to destroy something we never had. It's the ultimate in thought control.

HarveyCan 58's avatar

Excellent post, my only exception taken is that the GOP (Gaslighting Oblivion Puppets) have cellularly transformed into MAGA (Moneyed Arrogant Grandiose Assholes). I don't think a functional or even RINO (Rigid Idiots Narcissistically Ossified) group exists anymore. I do agree that these MAGA bot pod people are afraid of their own voters. They don't want to pay 250K a year for private security to prevent their loyal constituents from killing them or their family. Yet they still want to collect a salary for representing these deplorables who just might kill them.

It would only take 6 from each chamber to stand up to stop Trump. Only 2 defied Biden in the Senate and gummed things up. Can we somehow recruit and protect 6 in each chamber to defy MAGA?

Mo Khan's avatar

Should the protests stop for 2-3 days in LA., let ICE and any national guard that show up, all walk around Looking like Buffoons

HarveyCan 58's avatar

I've seen many overhead shots of about 100 protesters surrounded by 400 cops and 1000 reporters!

Ellen Lewis's avatar

Well said, and so important for us to bear in mind as we do go and protest, feeling nervous about our safety.

Mo Khan's avatar

Just like the BLM protest, they likely won’t wait for people to do something wrong. They will put in oath keepers and others to pretend that they are peaceful resistor is only have them do something violent than react to that.

User's avatar
Comment deleted
Jun 9, 2025
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Marge Wherley's avatar

Not just agitators, Linda, but arsonists, rioters, armed.

E Shelton's avatar

Followed at night by criminal gangs who loot and random troublemakers of the kind that set fire to cars after the World Series.

E Shelton's avatar

Like the Proud Boys did the BLM protests in the northwest cities.

Hope all the rally organizers will instruct the protesters on what to do if/when someone acts out.

Marge Wherley's avatar

We had provocateurs at the George Floyd protests. White vans with obscured/missing license plates, Boogaloo Boys in Hawaiian shirts. Arson and destruction got the news coverage they wanted. I expect it will happen again - on steroids and with thousands of police, national guard, military in Blue Cities on Birthday Parade Day.