But today I still find the LAT's politics newsletter in my inbox; for how long I don't know. But for the moment, I still see some of Anita Chabria's opinion writing and it's so good and strong I'll post an excerpt, even though I can't link to it. She's got the spirit we all need in these times.
Hello and happy Thursday. President Trump addressed Congress — and America — Tuesday night in a speech that was both painfully long and studded with all the threats and grievance we have come to expect from our perpetually peeved commander in chief.
The World Health Organization? “Corrupt!” he cried.
The United Nations Human Rights Council? “Un-American!”
Federal employees? “They will either show up for work in person or be removed from their job.
All this while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared to be chewing gum and Vice President JD Vance’s jaw hung open in glee. I couldn’t help but think he looked like a vintage Howdy Doody marionette, eternally trapped in smug if mindless satisfaction.
“Our country will be woke no longer,” Trump exclaimed to the roaring cheers of MAGA Republicans. And I fear he is right — if by woke, he means empathetic, inclusive and interested in civil rights.Meanwhile the Democrats shot back with ... nothing.
... Texas Democrat Al Green takes the honor for at least trying to cause some good trouble, by shaking his cane at the president before being kicked out at the order of Speaker Mike Johnson.
“I’ll accept the punishment,” he told CSPAN afterward. “It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up to against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”
And indeed, for those who are vulnerable and in MAGA’s sights, there was plenty of terror in Trump’s windy rants, even beyond those critical social safety nets. Migrants, legal or not, should know that the “great liberation of America” remains underway, a promise to continue to ramp up deportations.
Transgender people should know that Trump is “forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body,” and “we feel so much better for it, don’t we?”
Panama and Greenland? Coming for you.
Even farmers aren’t safe, with Trump proclaiming that they will “probably have to bear with me,” while his tariffs and halting of agricultural exports for foreign aid demolish their businesses.
But the sad spectacle of the Democrats just sitting there during the whole tirade reinforced that they simply don’t know how to handle Trump 2.0 — and Trump knows it.
... So the takeaway from Trump’s speech should be that MAGA has long known exactly what it wants, and now knows how to get it.
But Democrats have forgotten the most basic lesson [of politics] ... : When the attack knocks you down, get up and fight.
That's the spirit we need.
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