54 Comments

The trouble here is that Dems were not ready on day one but are reacting, slowly, to each arrow and sling. We needed lawsuits READY to go. We needed protests READY to launch. We needed obstructing strategies of many different kinds at the ready by Congress; instead they act surprised at the turns of events. Our elected officials have truly failed us. We are now controlled by one angry man, and it ain't the president.

Expand full comment

Don't make people feel bad for what was not done. OTOH, what must WE ALL do NOW to organize and fight it. Focus.

Expand full comment

Let the guilt fall where it may; it's true that many people voted in a corrupt regime for stated economic, Middle East policy, and bigoted reasons. Those should feel guilt at not being prepared for this moment are our leaders, Congress members who have held their seats for decades. Who watched Trump operate in person for four years.

We individual voters and donors do not have the means to prevent any of this mess. Those of us who are informed did our duty. And we elected our reps to be proactive, not reactive. That is apart from our civic involvement in opposition to this tyrant; we will remain united. With you here, friend.

Expand full comment

Strong reaction is happening. Slower than is hoped but https://www.youtube.com/live/77b3CWmlHgE?feature=shared

Expand full comment

I was one of the 50,000-plus on the feed. During the Grammys! So the movement is starting.

Expand full comment

For every article on the front page of the Big Newspapers that include the name T r >>>, there SHOULD be at least one article about the nonprofits, the partnerships and think tanks, the individuals (A.G.'s in various states, influencers with large followings of different kinds) and everyone else who IS stepping up to actively and fiercely oppose. The reporting has been imbalanced in this way since 2015 and is one of the reasons T r >>> got elected the first time. News agencies seem more attracted to reporting the details of the horror show than they are attracted to vividly telling the stories of everyone who's fighting AGAINST the horror show. I'd like to see new media Dedicate a portion -- a large portion -- of their reporting to those who are finding the solution, waging the fight. We cannot just wade in the excrement being generated by this "administration"... we must talk about those who are putting up obstacles, fighting with everything they've got to stop the madness. Why? Because this will provide the desperately aforementioned balance, will encourage those of us who are looking for hope and trying to decide on our own courses of action, direct resources and support to the efforts that others might choose to get behind or lend a hand to, and many other very good reasons. In other words: Help to Steal the goddamn limelight. Perhaps having someone in every state and every major city — even in rural areas and RED STATES (especially) to help report the Good News (not because it's good news, but because it's a legitimate and essential part of the actual story. Thank you.

Expand full comment

Healthy. Sane. Necessary.

You are a friend and a patriot. Hope to see you around!

Expand full comment

And considering he signed about 1500 EOs, they've been writing them for ages prior to Jan 20.

Expand full comment

Yup, and we do have an idea on his ideology and it’s an awful picture. Who voted for him? I didn’t see his name on my ballot

Expand full comment

I'd like to see every Egg Price, Gaza, and Oh, No, A (Black) Lady! voters describe how they felt seeing Musk give the Nazi salute at the presidential inauguration. How's your vote working out for you now?

Expand full comment

The president is angry enough for me--more than angry enough. I'm annoyed that his sidekick, by which I don't mean the Vice-Pres, wasn't elected and didn't go through the vetting and questioning process, not to mention the financial disclosures, that appointees go through.

Expand full comment

We need to refer to Musk as “President Musk” over and over. We should act as though Trump is irrelevant and that his power is being usurped by Musk. Eventually Trump will get angry and turn on Musk. Two narcissists cannot work together for long. They will turn on each other because each of them wants all of the control.

Expand full comment

I wouldn't be surprised if Muskrat pushes Shitler out of the way soon.

Expand full comment

Either that or just treats him like a mushroom, feeding him manure and keeping him in the dark.

Expand full comment

I hold all Republican senators accountable for all of these unqualified and unelected nominees who get confirmation. Trump and Musk as I have said before should both be prosecuted. This is called cyber hacking and in other circumstances this is illegal like the congressman said. GOP doesn’t mean Grand Old Party it means Gratifying Oligarch Putin.

Expand full comment

Cyber hacking the easy and old fashion way!

Expand full comment

The Democrats have congressional powers. The senate president Schumer needs to reach out to General Charles Brown. Ask him to have forces physically remove Elon Musk and his minions from government property immediately.

The Democrats need to start impeachment of Trump and Vance immediately even if they don’t have the votes. The American people need to see our elected officials fighting to save our Republic now

Expand full comment

Exactly. It's incomprehensible to me, given the extreme importance and sensitivity of server farms dealing with the full gamut of the Treasury Dept payment system - where the federal payment rubber actually meets the road - that these facilities were evidently not protected with a coterie of armed guards to prevent intrusion. That a couple of "top security officials" put up some "resistance" to entry (what? "Hey, you can't come in here...") and were subsequently put on leave, and accepted that command, is nearly beyond belief.

When J6 happened, there were *armed* sergeants-at-arms kneeling behind congressional entry doors with pistols drawn. And one of them fired when it was necessary. There should AT LEAST be that level of security at Treasury server facilities. You can bet that Google and Facebook and X server farms have their own armed security teams. NO ONE gets to waltz into them unimpeded.

As soon as these smart-ass kid engineers (I know the type, having worked for decades in IT... the sysadmins who believe they are gods... there's an entire interior culture around them) breached the facilities and started trying to connect external equipment they should have been held at gunpoint and/or physically removed and arrested! What the hell is going on here??! Just because Musk and/or the DOJ gives an illegal order of this magnitude does not mean that everyone lies down or waits to file a lawsuit. Law enforcement can act in the face of upholding the law that is being violated and which they took an oath to uphold. They certainly do so - immediately - in many other situations.

Why is the mainstream media not asking this important question??

Expand full comment

I have no idea why it’s not showing up in the media, but I agree with you! What happened to our law enforcement? I can see how Musk and his goons got access, given that each agency under attack didn’t have a large security staff, but why haven’t they been arrested? Private citizens forcefully entering government facilities, hacking sensitive computer systems and carrying out massive data breaches - these are illegal actions. They should have been arrested by now and be waiting in jail for all the litigation that is starting to roll out. Shouldn’t they???

Expand full comment

I guess I actually know the answer. Yes, they should be behind bars (I think). They aren’t because in DC, that would take cooperation between the FBI and the DC police. That hasn’t and won’t happen because the FBI is now headed by the new “administration’s” goon. It’s dismaying and scary beyond belief.

Expand full comment

Outrage is fun but unless it's tied to action it's pointless. Where are the people in the streets? Where are the lawsuits? This seems to me like a cyber-coup - takeover by co-oping servers and passwords. In the meantime, what? Hand wringing?

Expand full comment

Where are YOU? IT is up to US. Don't complain. Get involved. ✊

Expand full comment

There are a lot of lawsuits. Press doesn't cover them much, though. And there are protests, too, like the one in LA that shut down the highway for hours, and the one at Treasury. There have been others, too -- but again, not covered too much in the media. AND I think protests are in that category of "outrage is fun." They're not action, either. All the protesting we did last time and people still didn't show up and vote. Voting is action. All the protests after the Parkland shooting didn't actually get people calling their reps to pass some gun control laws (at least not in my state -- reps still heard way more from the pro-gun nuts than from all those people at protests). This battle IS going to be fought largely in the courtrooms. We knew that before he was inaugurated.

Expand full comment

Actually, I take back what I said about the press not covering protests. They have been appearing in the media. But I stand by what I said before about the real action being in voting and contacting reps. Protests have a purpose, but they can't just be cathartic.

Expand full comment

I do NOT understand why there is no ability to arrest E. Musk and hold him in jail, if--in fact-- the actions he is taking are so blatantly illegal--which is what everyone is saying.

Expand full comment

A convicted felon is in charge of the Justice Department. He is not going to enforce the law or court orders. He has proven himself LAWLESS.

Expand full comment

I hope the men on the Supreme Court have very, very, very sleepless nights having granted undeserved immunity to a felon, a liar, a thief, a sexual predator. With this kind of "leader" it is no surprise his nominees are unqualified "yes" followers.

Expand full comment

I've heard many recitations of the problem, but I haven't heard much in the way of possible solutions. Who can take action on this, and how? I've been writing and calling my representatives. Musk is moving fast. We need Congress -- or whoever can act -- to move faster.

Expand full comment
3dEdited

Susan Collins.. a blob of jelly that Mainers have kept in office long past her sell by date. But there are a few of these in the Senate.,, Chuck Grassely comes to mind, 91 years old... no spine.

Expand full comment

Thank you for this interview with Congressman Dan Goldman. I was shocked (Can one still be shocked these days?) with the news that Susan Collins will support the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard. I've left a message with Senator Collins office expressing my anger and dismay at her decision. Can we be at all hopeful that she (or any other Republican) will stand against any of the other unqualified and dangerous candidates? Yes,Trump's game is to distract us, and keep us off balance. What is the slingshot that Democrats can use to take aim and take down the multi-headed monster that is current Republican party?

Expand full comment

Shocked about Collins? Flip flopping, spineless Suzie? I was only mindly disappointed she voted against Hegseth and the only reason she did that was because he still had the votes to win.Her days are numbered, She absolutely will not get re-elected in 2026. If she lasts that long.

Expand full comment

Thoroughly enjoy Dan Goldman, his honesty, integrity, and willingness to loudly save our Republic and Democracy. Thank you Contrarian and Dan. Dan, encourage democrats and republicans to push back against trump. We spent the last 4 years undoing trump's previous messes, so why go through that again? Push the democrats and republicans in the Senate and House to act to save us. We need Kamala Harris on the front page of every major and local newspapers and on TV to protest trump and cult, and to help his followers understand the danger all of us Americans are under. Time for an insurrection. We have no security.

Expand full comment
3dEdited

Outrageous ethical, legal, and security violations. Good conversation. A set of issues that should concern all, regardless of party affiliation.

Expand full comment

An interesting question. Are the senate Nominations a distraction from Musk's coup or is Musk's coup a distraction from the nominations. We have to keep our eyes on the ball even when 3 balls are being thrown in the air at the same time.

Expand full comment

It's a distraction from Musk's coup., IMNHO.

Expand full comment
3dEdited

Not only is this a coup by Musk and Trump, or Musk via Trump it's a coup by the Republican Party in concert with this, having ABDICATED. Legal is moot. We need to address this as such. This may include the Supreme Court. You cannot use law when the law has been corrupted... I mean we can try, but it's ineffective.

The *particulars* of what they are doing and how it is harming us are the RESULTS of being taken over completely, or the ATTEMPT at it with the Congress, both houses cooperating.

This is ALARMING.

I don't know what we can do, but we better act quickly.

Expand full comment

I see the corrupted Court as the Trojan Horse that ushered this in.

Expand full comment
3dEdited

Mitch McConnell leading the Republican Senate pushing in the Trump SCOTUS majority with the help of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Republicans make the rules up as they go along. Democrats crab about it and play by the rules established. Democrats lose but “they go high”.

Expand full comment

Would it be possible to have a few republicans of conscience shift party so we may get a majority in the House?

Expand full comment

Under the headline and photo was the phrase "Read full story." But the story wasn't there to read. This is the 2nd time this happened in tonight's edition. I wanna read, which means at my own pace, not listen.

Expand full comment

Click on "Read full story." The video will appear. However, an inch or so below that is the word "Transcript". Click on that, and you can read it.

Expand full comment

I don’t understand why the police don’t come in and arrest Musk and these acolytes who are stealing government information. What they are doing is illegal. Period.

Expand full comment