132 Comments
User's avatar
Anca Vlasopolos's avatar

While the news is disablingly depressing, we at the age of 76, with friends in their 80s, are girding our ancient loins for the June 14 rally.

Expand full comment
James M. Coyle's avatar

This 78-year-old couple will also be participating. Before the current regime, the last time we ever participated in rallies was during the Civil Rights Movement.

Expand full comment
Anca Vlasopolos's avatar

Bravi! I participated in so many, and my husband and children came along for the Reproductive Rights rally (third one for me) in D.C., and then the ones that followed. As a woman's sign read, "I can't believe at my age I'm still fighting this sh*t."

Expand full comment
James M. Coyle's avatar

Good for you! Your sign says it all. But what's the alternative? Give up? Never! Let it not be said of our generation that we took it all, pulled up the ladder, and gave nothing back.

Expand full comment
Gwendolyn McEwen's avatar

I'm 78 and thankful to still be very active. Earlier today I chatted with a neighbor whose health makes it impossible for him to join the June 14 rally downtown. We made a deal. He'll come up with a slogan for one side of my sign and I'll put something suitably outrageous on the other side.

Expand full comment
celeste k.'s avatar

Team work! Representation! I love it!

Expand full comment
celeste k.'s avatar

For the first women's march against the misogynist-in-chief, my son brought me to DC to march with me, stating 'today it's your rights, tomorrow it's mine'. He was so right.

Expand full comment
Patricia Dempsey's avatar

This 77 year old is as well!

Expand full comment
Phyllis Logan's avatar

I'm 80 and ready to do this! Got my marching shoes, Sassy Lassy (my megaphone), my protest signs, and a bunch of wonderful, loud, fed-up-with-Trump friends. Be there if you can.

Expand full comment
Yodagirl's avatar

Same for this pair-one 69 and one 74!

Expand full comment
Ed Weber's avatar

You may appreciate the t-shirt which I am wearing now which says, “IMMIGRANTS BUILT AMERICA.”

I had spinal surgery yesterday, but I am optimistic that I can join a protest on June 14.

Expand full comment
Anca Vlasopolos's avatar

Great t-shirt! Heal well!

Expand full comment
Phyllis Logan's avatar

Speedy recovery Ed - Take care. - Love your t-shirt!

Expand full comment
Yodagirl's avatar

Here's to a complete and quick recovery Ed!

Expand full comment
Barb Luebke's avatar

76 and with you all the way! Working on a Substack post about why.

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Fenlon's avatar

The Contrarian is the place to be to learn what’s really going on. Bravo!

Expand full comment
Irena's avatar

I hope to see less and less and less articles specifically about trump and more and more and more articles about the ..."culture of incompetence, sloppiness, and disdain for expertise...throughout his government". We need to know what is happening with each Cabinet secretary and each department of executive government.

Expand full comment
Daniel Solomon's avatar

How about: These 20 Congressional Districts Would See Massive Health Insurance Premium Increases Under Congressional Republicans’ Health Care Plans

https://www.americanprogressaction.org/article/these-20-congressional-districts-would-see-massive-health-insurance-premium-increases-under-congressional-republicans-health-care-plans/

Expand full comment
Yodagirl's avatar

Thanks for that post DS. Now I have some ammunition to throw at Juan Ciscimani, our trump-loving immigrant Congressman who voted for this budget bill and had the audacity to brag about protecting Medicare. Efff him.

Expand full comment
Irena's avatar

I heard Joni Ernst has the answer "we're all going to die". Such eloquence. Not.

Expand full comment
Jean Clegg's avatar

Her follow-up was just as tone deaf, stating that those who follow Christ will live forever! Oh and, BTW, she won't explain the Easter Bunny either! What a POS.

Expand full comment
It's Come To This's avatar

And now the New York Times reports that Elon was a drug junkie -- ketamine, quaaludes, uppers, up to 20 pills a day on the campaign trail.

Ordinary, sane, healthy human beings don't wave chainsaws on stage, engage in massive, unchecked identity theft, influence-peddling, destroy thousands of careers, father a dozen illegitimate children -- all at the same time. And only the sickest, most demonic, most psychiatrically-impaired sociopath around would ever hire such a freak.

Expand full comment
Goran Senjanovic's avatar

And yet, it was the NYT, together with the WP, that kept building the image of a brilliant innovative businessperson, hiding his fascist origins and his fascist nature, hiding the fact that he became rich with semi-legal Pentagon contracts. They did it originally with Trump, who was supposed to be a brilliant playboy businessperson - while in reality he too was fascist and racist, and total failure in business, one bankruptcy after another - and are in great deal responsible for what are facing today. In 1989 the NYT sold Trump the entire page where he asked for (legal) lynching of the Central Park Five, who we know today were innocent. I wish the problem of American democracy were just Trump and Musk, and not the whole GOP, with Democrats often being complicit - but especially these top media that betrayed democracy.

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

Didn't you think that was fun, when he jumped up and down on the campaign podium, displaying his stomach?

Expand full comment
Marli's avatar

trump liked it, and many of his supporters did. Proper, decent behavior was and is never expected anymore from the moron and his (now eliminated) sidekicks.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

I have a suspicion that Elon is somewhere on the autism spectrum, but I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on social media.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

uh,well.....trump is that guy

Expand full comment
celeste k.'s avatar

What the hell? They knew that all along, yet didn't print it! That's what the trouble is with MSM. They're chickens, afraid of upsetting an inept racist instead of banding together with the rest of their kind and telling it like it is, and preserving their reputations into the future, not to mention our Democracy.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"And only the sickest, most demonic, most psychiatrically-impaired sociopath around would ever hire such a freak."

And yet he has a fully functioning space program, a satellite communications network and an electric car company that was the darling of the Left until he aligned with Trump. Which only goes to show that loyalty to their political ideology is valued by the Left more than anything else.

Expand full comment
It's Come To This's avatar

Yes, well everybody can lose their minds. Especially if they're desperately unhappy, maladjusted, drug-addicted creeps pathetically seeking attention on top of their untold riches.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"Yes, well everybody can lose their minds."

Yes, well it hasn't seemed to bother the Left that Biden had essentially lost his mind for most of his presidency.

Expand full comment
It's Come To This's avatar

He was a great president. Left behind the strongest economy in the world, with $1 trillion worth of infrastructure spending, the lowest unemployment in decades, more job growth than any other president in history, revitalized NATO and brought two more countries into it, while HHS successfully administered 400 million Covid vaccinations.

So I really have no idea what you're blathering about. I suspect you don't either.

Expand full comment
Goran Senjanovic's avatar

All true. But he also gave his strongest possible support to Netanyahu and his nazi-like government for the Gaza genocide. Without Biden’s support, Netanyahu would be in prison - either in Israel for his many crimes or in Hague - and there would be no way to have more than 60000 Palestinians killed, and as many wounded, mutilated, maimed, burned, and so many of them children and even babies.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"He was a great president."

You really don't have any clue how long or how much Biden was actually running things.

"Left behind (insert talking points here)."

So I really have no idea what you're blathering about. I suspect you don't either.

Expand full comment
It's Come To This's avatar

Yes, dear. Right you are, dear. Clearly, it was all done with puppets and mirrors. Nothing about it was real, oh no, of course not. They tried to pull the wool over your eyes, but you were WAY too clever for that, by golly...🤪

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

It did wonders for the economy, employment figures, etc. But then Biden, in his poor impaired old way, had assembled a brilliant team around himself.

Expand full comment
Marli's avatar

trump would not survive one day without his 'brilliant team' of sycophants, dictating whisperers and ghost writers on his truth=lie social platform

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

Orwell would just love Barbie Leavitt - his dream come true but even better - blonde tresses and gold cross into the bargain.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"But then Biden, in his poor impaired old way, had assembled a brilliant team around himself."

Except that Biden wasn't actually running things, was he? How "democratic" is it when a cabal of family members and closest advisers take it upon themselves to run the country instead of the President?

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

Daisy......daisy...........give...me....your.... answer............do.....

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

I don't know...ask trump

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

he blows up a lot of stuff...

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

It took Thomas Edison several hundred attempts before he got the light bulb working correctly. And it's Elon's money...he can spend it any way he wants.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

true, it's how he spends our money/or not I don't like

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

And yet he sent a mini-submarine to the cave rescue team and slandered the leader when he correctly said it was unusable.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

We're all human, aren't we? I seem to remember the Left slandering conservative media for even suggesting that Biden wasn't altogether there mentally. Please let me know when those involved with hiding Biden's mental decline decide to 'fess up instead of continuing to cover up.

Expand full comment
Marli's avatar

"...when those involved with hiding Biden's mental decline decide to 'fess up' instead of continuing to cover up.' The big question is when those involved with hiding trump's mental decline finally fess up and admit that he is unfit for president.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar
May 31Edited

"The big question is when those involved with hiding trump's mental decline finally fess up and admit that he is unfit for president."

Let's see, Trump has engaged with the media how many days already?

"Report: Trump had more exchanges with reporters in first 100 days than 6 predecessors"

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/report-trump-had/TPRVHN3WONGALM2VSMOOD7JEHY/

Now, if you can finagle some definition of "unfit" out of that, help yourself.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

are we all human ?

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"are we all human ?"

"I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do."

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

that's nice Hal...Dave says Hi !

Expand full comment
Henry A Harris's avatar

Az an 87 year old man I am profoundly impressed with the writing skill and descriptive talent used in this thoroughly complete piece. Unable to be physically able and financially limited, I can still read and appreciate the work being done on behalf of seniors like myself who feel the fear of loss of the ideals and morals we grew up with and tried to sustain. Thank you all..

Expand full comment
Stephen Brady's avatar

The tRump Regime’s hatred of expertise and competence is going to harm this Country for years to come. Now that we have all seen how rapidly they were able to decimate whole departments, it will be nearly impossible to reconstitute them. We are all the poorer for these acts of war against our Government.

Expand full comment
JA's avatar

And, 70+ million voters asked for this? They supported this chaos and nonsense?

WE the People can blame them loudly! Mean, cruel, and simple minded MAGAs!

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

they were desperate.....trump showed them a lifesaver...

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

Desperate about what? Are they happy now?

Expand full comment
JA's avatar
May 30Edited

They are NEVER going to be happy or content! They admire the “Apprentice” and they think this is the way very wealthy act? Trump sold them a tale and they grabbed on! Will NEVER admit they were incorrect!

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

they may when medicaid,food stamps, etc. are cut.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

I read somewhere the producer of the apprentice feels bad and wished he never made the show...

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

desperate about their situation in life caused by income inequality...they actually thought trump was going to lower the price of eggs !

Expand full comment
Daniel Solomon's avatar

IMHO Musk makes a great target defendant. Name the tort, and he's committed it.

Expand full comment
Sue Greer-Pitt's avatar

I disagree on your assessment of Musk. I think he did exactly what HE wanted to do: he stopped cold every single investigation into him and his companies, by disbanding or defunding departments and divisions that were investigating him. He also got access to untold amounts of government data that he still has access to and can use however he wants. And he walked away with several new multi-billion dollar government contracts. It was never about "fraud and waste" that was just an excuse for the nincompoops that voted for Trump. I think Musk accomplished almost everything he wanted and walked away because he was done, and to stay would only be damaging to his companies.

Expand full comment
Jon's avatar

I think you’re exactly right. The stated purposes of DOGE were the magician waving a handkerchief while the other hand was doing the real work. Hopefully, journalists and others will keep their eyes on that ball moving forward.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar

"I think Musk accomplished almost everything he wanted and walked away because he was done, and to stay would only be damaging to his companies."

Elon was limited because he was considered a "special government employee", meaning he could only be on the job for a maximum of 130 days.

Expand full comment
Goran Senjanovic's avatar

Democracy is first and foremost about human rights and justice - so how can that be that all pro democracy platforms I have been joining keep being silent about the Gaza genocide. Endless discussions about Trump and Musk, as if they were the only threat to the US democracy and the rule of law. The situation is far more dangerous and complex since the whole GOP has effectively become, slowly but surely, a fascist movement. But even worse, Democrats too keep supporting - Biden was the main enabler - the nazi government of Israel led by Trump-like criminal in their now open efforts to destroy Gaza in order to get rid of Palestinians. Netanyahu and Trump are openly discussing building a big beautiful resort on that tragic land, with presumably all Palestinians being exiled. But you can be assured that Palestinians must and will resist in order not have another Nakba of 1948, that biblical crime against humanity, when half of its population was displaced and disposed of their land, never to be allowed back. I cannot stop appealing to all of us to raise our voices and stop the onslaught of Palestinians and the total destruction of Gaza. We should have done it, if not years, surely months ago, but better late than ever. Every day brings tens of killed, mutilated, maimed, many of them of children, even babies. And yet we have these daily summaries here without even mentioning Gaza - can you imagine a pro democracy platform at the time of Holocaust, without mentioning it?! Keep in mind that without the full US support, Israel would have never been able to go through it - and in the long run this insane zionist ideal will destroy Israel too, the way nazis destroyed Germany. The main responsibility lies though on the US, and if the silence goes on - this complicit silence - it will be instrumental in destroying American democracy too. Most of the attacks on universities and education in general revolve around that, the exercise of free speech to defend Palestine.

Expand full comment
Hal's avatar
May 31Edited

"Democracy is first and foremost about human rights and justice- so how can that be that all pro democracy platforms I have been joining keep being silent about the Gaza genocide."

Then why isn't Hamas running a democratic form of government in Gaza?

Expand full comment
JL's avatar

I don't see how the "Free elections" index can be so low, with the DOJ voting group now supporting voter suppression.

Expand full comment
Eric Kruse's avatar

While the folks who read the papers, The NYT, WaPo (for what they're worth these days), as well as online sources like the Contrarian, Heather Cox Richardson, and Democracy Docket, are well aware of the damage Trump and his minions are doing, I wonder when, and if, the rest of the country will catch up, or if the majority of people are even aware of what's coming? When are the people who voted for Trump going to finally realize they have been had. Has anyone gone to North Carolina since Trump pulled FEMA funding to ask the folks affected by Hurricane Helene what they are going to do now? Or asked what residents in rural communities across America are going to do when Medicaid funding dries up and their hospitals and clinics all close or their aging parents are kicked out of assisted living facilities? To beat on old metaphor to death, the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train.

Expand full comment
Cam Ranalli's avatar

I work in the federal government. The damage Musk/Trump has wrought is very real and will be long-lasting . Which given the current environmental crises, we really can't afford. My hope, if you can call it that, is that what can be rolled back is presidential power. Regulatory agencies should not be yanked back and forth every 4 years at the whim of an ever more polarized executive. Regulation becomes unworkable in this system. Will Congress limit the power of the executive branch? Unlikely because of the massive amount of money given by special interests. In sum - I am not particularly optimistic about that "rolling back" part. I am not sure how much Congress, in general, supports regulation. We need regulation outside the influence of money to protect the environment and public health. I don't know what this looks like but it has to start by rolling back Citizen's United.

Expand full comment
Swbv's avatar

Not for nothing, Trump bankrupted at least 6 enterprises in his usually stumble-bum business career. Were it not for the fabulist "Apprentice" TV show, where he played a bombastic and charismatic business savant, we would not be being subjected to a myriad of stumbling cabinet choices and word-salad declarations. I wonder: do Mitch McConnell and John Thune, and John Roberts notice?

Expand full comment
JA's avatar

Is the cancellation of vaccine for bird flu, the beginning of future cancellation of ALL vaccines in our country? Drug companies are not going to be producing vaccines? Moderna goes first?

None will be available for protection from diseases?

Expand full comment
Kathy Morelli's avatar

Great content. Thank you. What a mess TACO and the Congressional GOP group of weasels has made. But that's an insult to weasels, who are innocent mammals.

Expand full comment
Anne-Louise Luccarini's avatar

But playing yo-yo with the stock market apparently enriches them. No?

Expand full comment
Kathy Morelli's avatar

Yup. They figured out how to do the TACO trade. Didn't take them long. good for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0

Expand full comment
Michelle Jordan's avatar

With this TACO in place we’ll be heading towards a third world country soon if we can’t right this ship fast enough.

Expand full comment
Susanne Pearlson's avatar

What a fabulous article Thank you We,you our country I think is finally seeing what they almost lost

Expand full comment