The Contrarian
Authors
Jennifer Rubin
Norman Eisen
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Dear Jen and Norm, I really don't have the time to watch videos. Can you provide transcripts. I am quite interested in your thoughts.
Ditto and I just prefer reading anyway.
There is a transcript. There's a little icon next to the CC icon on the bottom of the screen.
Thanks for pointing that out. I do think that something that opens in its own screen and has better foreground/background distinction would be ideal.
My screen doesn't have this little icon, alas.
I found it by hovering over the bottom right side of the screen. It's on a line that pops into view.
Going to Full Screen may help too.
I am not seeing the icon…please help!
Is your icon line at the bottom hidden? On auto pop up? It's on the same line as the Play/Pause icons.
My pause and play are embedded in play screen-hard to explain-no icon line at bottom. I will play with it. Thanks so much for trying to help!
Thanks!
And on my screen, there is a Read in App… which when I click just takes me back to the video. OK, I’ll try clicking around.
OMG, I also wish for the text. Ok, I’ll start clicking around…
That just gave me closed captions and not a full transcript to read
Don't click on the "CC" there is a icon that looks like a page to the left. If your mouse is off the screen for a while the shite line will disappear. move your mouse over the video part and it will reappear.
transcripts would be awesome
There is a transcript. There's a little icon next to the CC icon on the bottom of the screen.
Agree -but if you just read the transcript you would miss out on Norm saying "this execrescence by any name". That alone made it worth watching the video!
*Please* provide transcripts. I don't care whether or not the transcripts have perfect grammar or spelling or punctuation--I can read past all that, and reading fir me is *much* faster than listening. Thanks so much, and I'm so glad you're putting out The Contrarian.
There is a transcript. There's a little icon next to the CC (Close Captioned) icon on the bottom of the screen.
Thank you so much, Glenna!
Also, thank you for NOT putting these conversations on the Substack app. The screen on my cell phone is too small to watch and I can never find them in time anyway!
Please take his shenanigans seriously. He has the wealthiest man on earth on his side. He has a fervent religious group on his side. He has billionaire tech moguls on his side. He won the election. He effectively stalled the courts and most of his legal complications are behind him.
Maybe I’m wrong but he seems smarter and more effective than anyone else.
Hard to say. Makes me ill. But looks that way to me.
He is not smart. No way. He can't complete a sentence. He harps on things like Hannibal Lecter, giant valves feeding water to California, raking forest floors, injecting or ingesting bleach to cure COVID, etc., etc. -- this does not reflect a particularly high level of intelligence. However, he does have "strategic" and "clever" minions (e.g., the Project 2025 crowd and Stephen Miller) who have his ear. "Effective"... we'll see. He did manage to get elected again as a convicted felon. So there is that...
I totally agree re Trump’s overall lack of intelligence. However, he is very instinctive and clever in how he manipulates people while being “charming” and intimidating. He is like a cobra, weaving here and there, mesmerizing some, allowing others to swoop in
Yes, and there is no way he wrote a word of those Executive Actions he signed. They were prepared by people far more intelligent than 45 (he will always be that for me and I do not say his name, nor will I call him 47--that's just me).
That might be true. Same regarding Biden. His senility started getting the best of him.
Yeah, let’s talk about President Biden while a horse runs loose in a hospital
How long did it take you to realize Biden wasn't completely there mentally? I tried to ignore for the first two years but it became harder as time wore on.
I actually don’t think Biden is senile; he’s just old and has good days and bad days. My husband (80) is similar but doesn’t have to run the country.
To your question, I have to force myself not to think the election was fixed. Kamala had momentum but Trump was rambling on to much smaller crowds. It’s baffling. On the other hand, I have otherwise intelligent friends who voted for the horse.
PS the horse analogy is from a John Mulaney special during Horse 1.0. It’s hilarious while also horrifying
Actually she would have won, but for all the voter suppression in ,Ga, Pa, Mi, Tx. The poison postcards they sent out purged millions of voters off the rolls.
POstcards? I thought it was Elon's satellites.
The election was fixed. I have proof that Musk used both his satellite network and Tesla vehicles to alter votes all across the United States. I cannot release the proof at this time. I have to wait until a democrat once again sits in the White House. They will arrest me and never let me see the light of day if I release the proof during He Who Must Not Be Named's Presidency. Even posting this is risky.
How that horse managed to beat the GOAT Kamala is a mystery to me. Do you think Musk used his satellites to switch the votes?
Hear! Hear!
You described him and his actions to the point. Thank you. He has found ways to study a focused area of his strongest desire and how to use people, while unknowingly being used by them. Using people and studying a particular area or getting people to create 2025 is not a mark of intelligence, but his actions are a great danger to many people. I still question various aspects of yhstvrkection. Based on actions he has taken already,,I believe there are several reasons he could be put out of office already.
Yes, but somehow he managed to outsmart our smartest minds...
He uses the oldest trick in the book, deception. Look over there! not what we're doing over here, nothing to see hear! Voter suppression!!
Yep, oldest trick in the book and they were dumb enough to fall for it. Imagine that.
He rules by fear. Intimidation and fear. That is what kept him from being convicted in his first impeachment. Republican Senators who hated him voted to not convict because they feared retaliation. Not only non-violent retaliation by the Trump administration in various ways, but in violent ways by unhinged members of Trump’s base, which deadly force Trump does nothing to discourage.
Mitt Romney, who can afford to pay $5,000 a day for protection from Trump’s addled thugs, said most senators can’t afford that, and so vote whatever way Trump wants. We see that in the hearings for Trump nominees. Advice and consent has been perverted. Crackpots and persons with severe mental health problems and demonstrated bad judgment are sailing through, because senators fear retribution from Trump if they vote the way they know they should. There seems to be a severe lack of leadership in the GOP Senate. They could have been rid of this unqualified person in January 2020, and saved tens of thousands of Covid deaths as well.
I agree.
The last poor senator who Trump knocked off knows this to be true.
Not only is Trump stupid and ignorant, but apparently his minions are also handicapped in the same way. One of his puzzling "executive orders" levied a 100% tariff on Spain. What did Spain ever do to us? Well, the order said it was because Spain is a member of BRICS. But it isn't. BRICS stands for "Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (and 5 other nations), none of which is Spain (which is a member of the EU). Maybe the"S" fooled" them, but they could have picked Sweden, Swaziland, Sudan, etc. which also start with the letter "S" but are also not part of BRICS. What about the other countries that are members of BRICS (like Russia, China, and India) which he did not put any tariffs on? Clearly our government has passed through the Looking Glass.
Hitler wasn't smart, nor was Mussolini. Intelligence is not required to become a successful despot. Ruthlessness against opposition, a cadre of followers who fear you as much as they identify with your lust for power (a sort of identification with the aggressor) and a certain charisma are required. Ignorance and intelligence are irrelevant as most of the population are ignorant if intelligent and are frightened enough to want a savior to make "sense." of it all. The lesson a minority of us learn is that truth is neither pure nor simple but the comfort of purely or simply stated "truth." is addictive for most of us.
He has been successful by: 1] pandering to the ideologues-- e.g. White Nationalist Christians 2] intimidating weak politicians and cowardly media outlets 3] bribing gluttonous members of the billionaires club. It's nauseating. For him, it's about staying out of jail, making more money, and winning the Nobel Peace prize-- I'm not kidding about that last point.
I’m sure Trump thinks ending the Ukraine/Russia war will win him the Peace Prize. It must really gall Trump that the cowardly MAGAs couldn’t figure out a way to impeach Biden. As Nancy Pelosi said, Trump “will always be impeached.”
I know! He and Bill Clinton. What a club.
The difference is for what each was impeached.
I so very much agree with this. He has everything in his control - the very DOJ that would have to hold him to the rule of law and these are headed by his "yes" men with no legal backgrounds.
Unfortunately Julia, I have to agree with you. I’m ill too. 🤮
He certainly has studied intensely as to how to fulfill his goals, such as they are, aunt has had four years to examine every aspect of our society to line up support he wants and needs, whether or not it is legal. We still must find ways to counteract what is wrong and to save our country.
I don’t think Trump is smart enough to have studied anything. However, the Heritage Foundation and others have done the footwork and supplied the “legal” means to do the unthinkable to our country. I used to think that at least Pence as VP could take over if Trump died, etc. and do the *mostly* right thing for America. I suffer no illusions about Vance.
They will not have learned their lesson and will elect Vance four years from now.
As an annual subscriber to your totally new source for insightful analysis, let me just say that I have such a strong preference for WRITTEN pieces over videos. Just some input as you design your service…
A transcript is available. Click on the link to the item, then scroll to the bottom right. You should see an icon for it (among a few others).
"Dictatorial Decree" -- perfect. ChatGPT (for what it's worth) says "Such decrees are often viewed as a hallmark of oppressive regimes and are criticized for undermining democratic principles and the rule of law." Sounds about right.
He wants it to sound final and to claim it as all his own so nobody will question it, and this is only the beginning. Let’s hang onto our hats and think sharply!
We couldn't be happier that you two are HERE!! Please keep at it. We all have this!
Definitely, we love it. Although I do love to read, your videos are blessings because vision seems to be changing. Also, I feel like I’m included in the visit, and I appreciate you making me feel that way. Thank you. Redponding is also a challenge due to vision, but this is so important! Thank you!
OY. That’s it for me now. I’m exhausted just listening. My father and his peers all worked for the US government. This was in the 1950,1960,1970,and into the early 1980s. I grew up in DC and Silver Spring, MD (way before the beltway and the metro). Many of my friends went on to work for the government. What Trump is doing is against the rule of law.
Yes, absolutely, and it must be stopped pronto!
Please, take Norm's advice seriously, push back on any legal way possible from day one. We have to secure the midterm election and the next presidential election and I don't mean secure in the sense of winning only but also secure that the elections are going to happen. That's the state of our country. Very sorry.
So right you are!
The Contrarian has to be the best news of an otherwise dismal week, huh? Jen & Norm, you are providing a wonderful service for those of us who still believe strongly in democracy. And, I gotta tell you, I'm a plugged-in observer of the body politic and the machinations of government, but I am learning things at The Contrarian and I am extremely grateful for the boost in my education at this late stage of my life!
Now that Trump has, in no uncertain and very clear terms, given aide and comfort to convicted insurrectionists, is there now a means to remove him since having done so disqualifies as being viable to even run for the office?
Sadly with the current supreme court full of corrupt members I wouldn't count on this at all.
I know, we must not loose track though. I expect it would be called an official act by our corrupt supreme justices. Its all so sickening.
Nothing that felon 34 would do from now on it's going to be illegal or criminal as per the corrupt SCOTUS. Invest your time in battles we can winn or supporting others people battles.
That is extremely sad, but I hope enough of them will develop enough conscience to do the right thing. I’m certain two of them will not.
You can bet something very valuable to you about a couple of them reaching consistently the wrong decision. Bet big, no risk of losing.
Wouldn't eliminating birthright citizenship require that Don and Melania be banished as they are both birthright citizens?
Well, such a decree would, of course, NOT be retroactive.
Thank you both for all you are doing.
Canceling the medicare prescription drugs pricing is going to hurt seniors that are MAGA too. Sickening.
For environmental advocacy, the Center for Biological Diversity is experienced in these lawsuits and is already pushing back on the 2025 destruction of our ecosystems. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Aside from shock and awe, Trump will clog the courts. Is it true that his executive order will stay until the courts decide?
I'd like to know that too.
I'm so glad you started The Contrarian and quit Bezos' propaganda outlet. I've always appreciated your insights and analysis and now it's a necessity. Keep up the great work!
Is there any way you or your contributors can light a fire in the bellies of our Dem Senators and representatives? I'm tired of looking at their pathetic faces. That was a close, very close election. It wasn't like there was some massive defeat. Every time I write to my congresswoman, she always writes back about how proud she is of her work "across the aisle" .
Dreading the release of these insurrectionists, plus Proud Boys and etc. They've got guns.
Are convicted felons allowed to have guns? Doesn't a pardon just release them from jail, but a background check prevents them from owning a gun? I'm seeing conflicting takes about this and don't know about this part of the law.
Dear Jen & Norm, I would sincerely prefer less mocking and just the gathering, processing and reporting of the information. The stories and guests I've seen so far are informative and powerful but I subscribed for objectivism, neutral tone, accuracy and clarity. If I wanted a "news" show with opinions I would have subscribed elsewhere. Keep up the important and essential work!!
Couldn’t agree more.
I wish y’all would consider putting transcripts of this videos. I’m not usually in a place where I can listen to them but reading it would be fantastic. Thank you for considering this. I’m very excited aboard The Contrarian
A transcript is available. Click on the link to the item, then scroll to the bottom right. You should see an icon for it (among a few others).
Thank you!
Very grateful for your incredible nuanced work. Appreciate everyone fighting for Justice.
Thank you for your resistance and the wonderful phrase "dictatorial decrees."
Thank you both so much, love this Contarian
I have two questions:
Is the new External Revenue Service also illegal, since the task of collecting tariffs already falls on the Customs and Border Protection?
Next question, with so many federal judges and the majority of SCOTUS in Trump’s back pocket, will any of these lawsuits go anywhere? And if the suits are ultimately successful, who’s to say our new dictatorship will abide by the rulings?
Thank you for your hope and encouragement. Your discussions are so appreciated. However, our decisions to fight the wrongs will be more up-hill than we can imagine, no doubt.
The NYT reported today that eighteen states are suing regarding T.s signing to remove our birth citizenship right. I do not understand what good a suit will do in that situation. Instead, it seems to me that action must be taken immediately for impeaching him because he broke his oath taken yesterday to uphold the Constitution, and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution provides us with that citizenship at birth right. It also provides for his election or having run for any office to have been denied, but there have been too many failures of Americans to uphold that aspect of the Constitution. How can we get people in our branches of government and beyond to stand up for the Constitution?
Also, while he might argue that destroying the citizenship at birth to Americans was in his line of duty, that argument cannot stand because doing so is not in his line of duty. It is instead his choice as a personally desired step in ruining our Constitution, our country, and lives in it.
Hi Jen and Norm. I’ve been posting this on various Substacks til I’m blue in the face, but have yet to receive an adequate reply:
What’s to prevent Trump from simply ignoring the courts’ verdicts? After all, they have no enforcement mechanisms while Trump has the DOJ and the military.
I am happy to be here. I found this post hopeful and encouraging, and the resistance movement is already in full swing. Listening here and a very few other sites instead of watching mainstream TV, and it feels good. Thank you, Jen and Norm.
I ❤️The Contrarian! I subscribe to the Contrarian! I hope you will also!
I have worked heavily on the issue of the stripping of birthright citizenship from thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent in the Dominicana Republic. As a result tens of thousands were retroactively stripped of their citizenship. The rule was applied retroactively affecting 2-3 generations. I have been watching the admiring murmurs of madness here in the US from neo-nazi quarters bubbling and experiments with the idea in Texas. I had hoped the idea would never break into the mainstream discourse. This is step one to normalizing an outrageously dangerous unconstitutional idea. We must lean hard into the public discourse to teach history, facts and civics. It was my ancestors who struggled and obtained the 14th amendment protections. We won't stand by and allow their blood sweat and tears be defiled in the name of modern day fascism.
Can the police injured by the J6 mob sue the people that injured them in civil court?
Please address how Justice Roberts ruling on presidential immunity does or doesn’t impact pushing back illegality
Everyone needs to urge others to support these groups going against the dictatorship!!
Just saw this and maybe others will see the connection with all you are saying. A really brave statement by Bishop Budde. Exactly the kinds of statements others could be making publicly. The ConvictedFelon34 did not like the service.
Individuals and progressive organizations are now forced to spend good money to sue the Trump Administration that will use public funds to defend itself. No Trump funds will be touched.
As to dictatorial decrees (re:birthright citizenship), FOPUS34 has already VIOLATED the oath of office.
As one very concerned and not connected individual, it would help me to know what I can do NOW! Is it helpful to write letters or emails (and to who)? It’s hard to just sit here and worry
I can’t believe that I’m getting addicted to these excellent Contrarian videos and articles! You guys are doing a great job of wrap around coverage and interviews! Great work!
i just plan to refer to him as "dicty donny" in hopes of mocking his aspiration of becoming a dictator to our nation, but I also plan to pay attention and take his behaviors seriously
Is it possible to read these? I am not able to listen
A transcript is available. Click on the link to the item, then scroll to the bottom right. You should see an icon for it (among a few others).
The Contrarian - where Truth and Democracy Reside!
What about the rollback on prescription negotiations? And the $ 35 cap on insulin? Can he do that?
I don’t think the snark is helpful. People are not craving more snark. Facts, with the seriousness this moment calls for, would be a welcome alternative. Trump has a spineless majority on the Supreme Court and in Congress. The last time I checked, the three things necessary for a healthy well functioning. Democracy is a separation of powers, an informed electorate, and an independent judiciary. The uninformed, ill-informed and misinformed, electorate…. minus the 70+ million registered voters who didn’t bother to vote, have given Trump a fiefdom with no guardrails. Do you really expect a Supreme Court that has deemed Trump above the law to strike anything down?
The right wing of the SCOTUS is not spineless. They hasten to act (or not) and rule according to their agenda, which is to preserve the supremacy of people who share their personal religious or white supremacist beliefs. Every person or minority who does not think as they do should never be accommodated, according to their rulings. They display a complete lack of integrity while wishing to be honored as august personages residing at the height of their profession. It is beyond disgusting.
I did not realize I was commenting on your comment. My remarks were directed to the people in the video
If you don’t like the snark you are on the wrong platform. Snark is a way to get through all this and we are supposed to be among friends. But thanks for explaining that your comments weren’t aimed at me.
Thank you so much for what you are doing. It is so, so, so, important.
The J6 convicts who are pardoned, as Joyce White Vance pointed out on BlueSky, are now free to own firearms and ammunition.
Don't give up the resistance...
I just wrote my PA Senator, McCormick, reminding him of the oath he took to the constitution, not to a man or a political party; and to strike back against the dictatorial ambitions of trump in the unconstitutional and unlawful attempts he is proposing. I specifically mentioned the 14th amendment. After I sent it, I watched your discussion. I think I got it right!
Thanks for what you are doing. I will be a daily viewer,
Can he be impeached for pardoning violent criminals and returning them to the streets where they will be able to threaten and attack Americans?
Thank you for the break down Jen & Norm!! Keep giving us hope!
I paid for a subscription as soon as I heard about it in early January. Yet I have no access. Please update your records
Dear Jen & Norm, I'm a subscriber to the Contrarian and have been telling my friends. However, I wonder if you could compile a daily digest with links to the site's content rather than finding four or five (and counting) separate entries or posts in my email inbox every day. It's clogging my (work) inbox, and I can't keep up. I imagine I'm not the only one.
Also, is there a way to change the email address of my subscription?
Thanks,
Mary
When I click on Transcript on the line that has 990 likes and 131 hearts, and Share, it says Transcript not available :(
I would prefer to read the transcript of what is undoubtedly a marvelously rich and important conversation. I do not want to download more apps or have to scan a UR code to be privy to this information. Thank you.
Hitler was widely derided and laughed at at the beginning of his dictatorship.
Beth Krom
1m
I don’t think the snark is helpful. People are not craving more snark. Facts, with the seriousness this moment calls for, would be a welcome alternative. Trump has a spineless majority on the Supreme Court and in Congress. The last time I checked, the three things necessary for a healthy well functioning. Democracy is a separation of powers, an informed electorate, and an independent judiciary. The uninformed, ill-informed and misinformed, electorate…. minus the 70+ million registered voters who didn’t bother to vote, have given Trump a fiefdom with no guardrails. Do you really expect a Supreme Court that has deemed Trump above the law to strike anything down?
Thought that occurred to me as I watched and listen to what he had to say- Is it possible Trump has used a shot gone scattering technique, to get people to invest so much energy running around is so many different direction while he focuses on his most important goals?
I listen and I watch. We are looking at Trump through the lens of normal. This man deeply believes these delusions and he is acting on them from the most powerful position in the world. Our resistance is a feedback loop that provides the fuel for his crusade to right the wrongs (in his mind) of our country. I suspect he has serious mental health issues. We need a new playbook and tools for this wave of chaos and disruption. So what does that look like?
Thank you! I needed some "positive" commentary and this was it. Keep resisting!!
Submitted a letter for judicial notice to the court regarding the 14sec3 petition that goes before SCOTUS committee in 24-617 Alter v Trump on January 24, noting now President Trump's ongoing and escalating 14sec3 conduct in the form of his orders, threats, and promises of retribution. While it is tempting to laugh at his efforts, when those efforts include a purge of non-MAGA government officials who might resist unconstitutional orders, and coerce every branch of government, it's really nothing to laugh at, because there are people who will follow those orders.
https://www.whatthehellareyoudoing.org/post/petition-for-writ-of-certiorari-alter-v-trump
Felon President Trump is new american version of a “Paper Tiger” used to describe Mao in China and the Soviet leaders issuing so many executive orders contradicting the US constitution to show he is Dictator on Day One on paper only. Propaganda!!
Thanks for revealing, not just the lies and hypocrisy, but also what is being done to push back on the illegal and immoral actions being taken. That, for me, is at least as important as going through the litany of atrocities the man is committing, which only serves to stoke my already heightened anxiety levels. If I know there are intelligent, influential people taking a stand against the whirling orange chaos, I can cling to whatever small sliver of hope remains in my heart.
Good stuff. As a primarily text based consumer of information, however, I hope that you will at some point post transcripts of these discussions.
Unrelated, curious as to how many founding subscribers you have. Keep up the good work.
A transcript is available. Click on the link to the item, then scroll to the bottom right. You should see an icon for it (among a few others).
Thank you for your analysis and optimism. Keep it flowing!
I will be 80 years old this year, a former history and government teacher. I prefer to read books and articles, but for the sake of our country and democracy I will struggle with The Contrarian format!!!
I understand wanting to read it. I like both, but these days, snd with so much to read, I have a strong visual need for these videos. I also appreciate getting to see Jen and Norm since I seldom get to see anyone who agrees with me. The videos are a need, and transcripts would be helpful to a lot of people.
I agree. I like the videos once or twice a day myself, and with the ability to have a transcript the needs of most of us can be met. In a democracy we strive to meet the needs of all. Younger generations are great with social media formats. I intend to become more proficient!
A transcript is available. Click on the link to the item, then scroll to the bottom right. You should see an icon for it (among a few others).
TGF our courts. I do have confidence that the news of tomorrow will be the upholding of the rule of law and the Constitution. Next he’ll turn to Congress. Thanks, Norm, for being a leader in the pushback. Onward
Trump et al is not a strategist and is incapable of doing cost benefit analyses. His decrees have unintentional consequences that will come back to bite him just as they did in his first rodeo. Insane to let the convicted felons of Jan 6 back on the streets. Right on you TWO
Felon 34 is releasing J6 terrorist onto the streets. Who are going to control and keep track of them?
❤️ Please keep them coming!
Orange is the new black: More Black voters approve of Donald Trump's job performance as president than white voters, according to a new poll from America's most accurate pollster.
We are hemorrhaging black support, my dear elite white friends. What are we ever going to do?
According to a new poll conducted by AtlasIntel between January 21 and 23, 69 percent of Black voters approve of Trump's job performance, compared to 50 percent of white voters.
would like to contribute columns to Contrarian.
How can I contact Jennifer Rubin and Norm Eisen?
Here is a sample of my columns. More can be found on my Substack newsletter, Trenchant Observations (jamesrowles.substack.com)
https://open.substack.com/pub/jamesrowles/p/udated-with-authors-comment-on-musks?r=1l7bf7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
(on Musk's power grab with DOGE and brilliant diversion with his Nazi salute)
James Rowles
"That's Against The Law" is no longer a thing, Jennifer. John Roberts and his fascist felon majority eliminated that concept last year with that bogus immunity ruling.
As always, thank you for your daily briefings and insights. Much appreciated
"Flood The Zone." That's what this is.
To the Editors of the Contrarian:
Wouldn't this be an effective idea? Given Trump's delusions of kingly grandeur, wouldn't it be a great idea to get multiple magazines to put on the cover of their upcoming issues a drawing of Trump with a crown on but completely nude below the crown. Imagine if 20 or 30 magazines all did some variation on the theme. How powerful to see the Emperor with no clothes on every newsstand!
Paul Graseck
a doge by any other name issnjust as stinky. LOLOLOLO...you're killin' me! I really needed a laugh today so thank you
Would you consider producing a flag that says Contrarian? We would purchase it,
Loved this! Thank you for all you have heroically done to found this new delivery of true facts, and courageous response, in this terrifying time.
Are you going to comment on Elon Musk's two nazi salutes? I see the German press has commented on them.
Remind Norm to look at the camera, not at the walls…
This would actually be Trump's second whack at the 14th Amendment, the first one being his effective cancellation of Section 3 by being inaugurated.
DOGE is illegal advisory entity. DOGE has not complied with FACA requirements, has not submitted necessary documentation, does not by its own admission allow transparency or non partisan members. It’s a bad joke. Yet dear leader gives it undue dangerous credibility. Theatre!!
The audio feed is poor. Stops and won't restart
Thank you both!
Transcripts please. Im often reading news when other family members are in the room, while waiting for appts. I don’t want to have to use AirPods all the time.
Bravo. truth is the most powerful weapon. Time to reunite the Minute Men.
Didn't Shakespeare write something about this?
GLENDOWER I cannot blame him. At my nativity
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
Of burning cressets, and at my birth
The frame and huge foundation of the Earth
Shaked like a coward.
HOTSPUR Why, so it would have done
At the same season if your mother’s cat
Had but kittened, though yourself had never been
born.
GLENDOWER I say the Earth did shake when I was born.
HOTSPUR And I say the Earth was not of my mind,
If you suppose as fearing you it shook.
GLENDOWER The heavens were all on fire; the Earth did tremble.
HOTSPUR O, then the Earth shook to see the heavens on fire,
And not in fear of your nativity.
You had better not "laugh" at Trump and his decrees! This is deadly serious, will result in many people's lives being upended, whether eventually the decrees are judged in the courts to be illegal or not.
Is it possible to make the transcript available without having to open the video and trying to read transcript at the edge of my phone with the ride border cut off? I’m wanting the information but don’t have the time to spend watching videos. Thanks so much for your consideration.
Thank you for this great service. So very grateful for your hard work.
Hey! Thank you Norm for your great contrarian work! Love it! Definitely picked me up at the end of a long cold day! Bravo! 👏👏👏
Now writers at Spike poking at us: 'the Resistance has become the Resignation. Indeed, the quiet, defeatist response to Trump reveals the Democrats as an exhausted party – as politically frail and confused as Joe Biden is physically frail and confused. This exhaustion comes because Biden and the Democrats did not just lose an election in November – their worldview was rejected, too. It was as much a moral as a political defeat. Ever since the 2016 election, the Democrats had single-mindedly pursued a crusade to delegitimize Trump. This carried through to the run-up to the 2024 election, as they waged a campaign of lawfare that sought to throw him in jail. Instead of mounting substantive arguments against his programme and policies, they thought branding him beyond the pale – as a convicted felon, a Nazi even – would be enough.'
I'm going outside now to scream at the sky!!!!
Jen and Norm, thank you so much for everything you do and for bringing us truth and fighting for us. I subscribe and so happy I did!
Please continue to reassure us that this horrible man cannot actually make most of these horrendous things happen. It's the only thing that is keeping me sane.
Hello to both of you. I strongly support your creation of an alternative outlet for those of us who believe this democracy is essential. That is why I subscribed. I find, however, that I am struggling with the video dominated format. I miss your written commentary, and the intensive analysis that format affords. If there is a way to incorporate written, in-depth analysis in addition to video (which I understand that many prefer), I would be grateful.
Jen! Whatever you are doing keep doing it because your commentary is much more relaxed and interesting. Congratulations on making one of the most important decisions in your life that I can only imagine, in resigning from a once highly reputable and popular with mainstream newspaper, WAPO that is bringing itself down to gutter reporting.
Jen you fit the roll of a co-founder in news and information media like you were born for it.
Norm, I don't know you but I look forward to hearing more from your expertise too.
Great video and advice; laugh at 'em.
Great overview of the first litigation steps in response to the dictator on day one. Thank you.
Jen and Norm. I love that you’re doing this. We need unbiased fact based reporting. I have to say however that I was shocked when you Norm started mocking the president.
While it’s tempting because he lends himself to this and even pulls for it, I found myself quite disappointed. It seemed sophomoric and not reflective of your goals for this news source. I signed up enthusiastically but had second thoughts when that happened. Sent with respect.
How do I get into the substack?
Bishop Budde addresses Mr. President.
https://youtu.be/5ESheItSWy4?si=aasFgAFeT2V9uEi0
Thank you!
This was wonderful
THANK YOU
Keep after ‘em! I’m with you and all thinking Americans!
I don't know where to put this comment. Have you thought of an evening news program? Many of us remember a 30 minute program with an anchor and reporters and we got all the news we need. Maybe at 9 pm eastern so that the west coast could hop on too. Just tell us what happened, have an expert tell us about it, and move on to the next story. Anyway - just a thought. I don't think you should stop what you are doing! But, for those that don't have time to watch your videos or read the articles every single day, this may be an option. Walter Cronkite for the times.
Yes, a common source that most Americans trust sounds wonderful. However, a cable or broadcast program would only reach people on the older D side of the spectrum. It could be put on YouTube and other places, along with the podcasts. FYI, Dan Rather is still doing his part on Substack, which I highly recommend! If we share it with enough people, it will gain traction, as social media has clearly shown!
I wish both of you would stop using the term "mainstream media." That term doesn't describe any real thing. Someone should come up with a term that denotes news sources that used to be dominant, but are no longer so because they have given up on reporting facts and holding news sources to a standard of truth.
I believe that Trump ordered the prevention of birth certificates indicating U.S. C citizenship being issued to newborns of an undocumented parent. Is that happening?
Thank you so much for helping me dig through the mess. I feel better because I now know more about how people are pushing back.
You guys are starting to fall into the NPR smug and self-satisfied tone. Please watch out for it. You might want to start interviewing who are not part of the educated elite (which by the way I am part of with a lovely PhD). Interview someone who isn't in the bubble of media and DC knowledge.
Hi all, for anyone asking for the transcripts, at least on my computer, there are two ways to view them. 1. Click where it says "Transcript" next to the share button, to the right under the line below Jen and Norm's name, or 2. Hover with your mouse over the bottom right-hand corner of the video. The little image that looks like a piece of paper with writing on it, to the left of the CC button will also provide you with the transcript. Thanks so much Norm and Jen for the wonderful information, and the humor as well, which I at least find helps me cope with how depressing this can all be. Thanks, as well, to everyone in this community. We are in this together!
I do not have the same set-up on my iPad. But thank you for trying to help. Super frustrating! I wish I had time to watch all of these videos as I know I would get a lot of comfort and fantastic information.
Oh boo! :( I'm sorry Claire. I'll try to look at it later on my iPad and see if I can help.
I cannot seem to figure it out either from iPad, but if I do, I will circle back to this thread!
It's already time start impeachment proceedings. Start early and get in line - it's going to be a long one!
Any ideas how to jolt the Rs into action? I think securing the House and local elections between now and 2026 is vital. A clear, focused goal!
The Supreme Court better get this right. The birthright citizenship order is just obviously wrong.
Norm: good lighting. Jen: needs better lighting and/or computer camera. Jen has perhaps fluorescent lighting? Need a ring light or proximity to a window with national light.
Please tell Norm he should always face the camera. Thank you.
Executive DECREES
DICTATORIAL DECREES! YES! DD's. Not unlike the DT's ....
Thank you Jen and Norm for ”pushing back. ” I love Contrarian.
It's off to the races. Our job is to turn the public away from Trump's childish lies!
Trump has the superhero imagination of a child; maybe a 10 years boy. Good and evil are simple and easy to see. The uncritical response of millions who love or admire Trump for his simple, angry vision shows up all around us and is withering our democratic processes.
Trump is also a talented story teller who creates daily, weekly, monthly mythic episodes to titillate his fans. In these stories he's always the super hero, replete with enemies, who is saving America from degradation, weakness and decline. And he is exhausting. That's his intent.
Truth and facts are not relevant to Trump's goals or his stories as long as his myths and metaphors "feel" true to his believers.Tragically Trump's fantastical "myths" will never build coherent policies for the benefit of all Americans. They breed chaos and bring harm to the struggling middle class, to the poor, to the disenfranchised and to our system of balanced government.
At the same time, Trump is the consumate grifter and con artist. That's been his business strategy throughout his entire career. I think he has two goals for this term:
1. Cement his legacy as the super hero president who saved "true America" from the corruption of weak, liberal America.
2. On Jan. 20 2028, leave office with $30-$50 billion in liquid assets.
The tech bros, democracy be damned, will help him accomplish both goals. Certainly, if he doesn't achieve the first goal, he can definitely bribe and grift his way to the second.
So how do we stop Trump and friends from achieving these goals?
First is daylight. The sanitizing, curative effects of daylight. Even in the darkest nights and the dentist fog, truth telling will eventually win out.
Stand up in equal anger to Trump's angry mob. And especially condemn the appeasement mob who thinks fighting back will only make things worse.
Flood the playing field with lawsuits against unconstitutional gifts and grifts until regular Americans are ready to dump Trump into a doggy poop bag.
Thank you so much for doing this work.
Thank You for keeping us informed and "pushing back"!!!
I loved the video! Thanks for being so great at what you do! We will not comply!!!
Biden’s pardons did not put criminals out into the public arena. Why are you rehashing this issue?
Trump has the superhero imagination of a child; maybe a 10 years boy. Good and evil are simple and easy to see. The uncritical response of millions who love or admire Trump for his simple, angry vision shows up all around us and is withering our democratic processes.
Trump is also a talented story teller who creates daily, weekly, monthly mythic episodes to titillate his fans. In these stories he's always the super hero, replete with enemies, who is saving America from degradation, weakness and decline. And he is exhausting. That's his intent.
Truth and facts are not relevant to Trump's goals or his stories as long as his myths and metaphors "feel" true to his believers.Tragically Trump's fantastical "myths" will never build coherent policies for the benefit of all Americans. They breed chaos and bring harm to the struggling middle class, to the poor, to the disenfranchised and to our system of balanced government.
At the same time, Trump is the consumate grifter and con artist. That's been his business strategy throughout his entire career. I think he has two goals for this term:
1. Cement his legacy as the super hero president who saved "true America" from the corruption of weak, liberal America.
2. On Jan. 20 2028, leave office with $30-$50 billion in liquid assets.
The tech bros, democracy be damned, will help him accomplish both goals. Certainly, if he doesn't achieve the first goal, he can definitely bribe and grift his way to the second.
So how do we stop Trump and friends from achieving these goals?
First is daylight. The sanitizing, curative effects of daylight. Even in the darkest nights and the dentist fog, truth telling will eventually win out.
Stand up in equal anger to Trump's angry mob. And especially condemn the appeasement mob who thinks fighting back will only make things worse.
Flood the playing field with lawsuits against unconstitutional gifts and grifts until regular Americans are ready to dump Trump into a doggy poop bag.
I value the expertise of all who contribute....Norm and Heather and Jen, Thank you! If ever in these times there could be a rudder........I look to the insights and facts offered here.
Thank you!
Further idea, TLDR synopsis maybe?. Keep up the good work, you will be busy!!!
Thank you, Jen and Norm!
Those insurrectionist pardons really upsets me.
I don't know about others, but I have a hard time listening to Norm's voice when he puts on the drama. Yes, let's have fun with the reporting, but I think if Norm kept his voice lower, it would feel more professional.
I am am happy to pay for your incredible reporting. I am not sure I want to scroll through recipes and thoughts on movies. Humor is needed.
I am thrilled with your work for our democracy. Thank you for your integrity!
Please check your direct message from me.
one question I have on the death penalty. It already exists, of course. And while the Imperial Decree directs prosecutors to ASK for it, isn't it the rule that a jury actually decides whether to impose it? I think there is a Supreme Court case affirming that rule. Is trump trying to tell the Extremes that HE can overturn precedent? How well do you think that will go over?
He is certainly giving a LOT of ammo to candidates for the midterms.
They were coming out at the arena. Welcome to Thunder Dome.
❤️🦉🌻✊🌵
Promises made; promises kept. ;-)
Hi from central NJ!
Good morning from CA
Since T. does not care snout or feel obligated to tell the truth, how can we trust that anyone or everyone in the hearings tells the truth?