Sorry this one is a day late, y’all! We attended one of the Hands Off protests yesterday (more on that later), so I wasn’t able to get this finished. But a lot has happened, so let’s get into it!
The Bad News
- The news story dominating this week has been 47’s announcement of the highest tariffs in a century on almost every US trading partner. There will be a 10 percent tariff on every imported good across the board, and additional tariffs as high as 50 percent will be imposed on 61 countries. Notable are a 34 percent tariff on China, a 20 percent tariff on the EU, and 0 percent tariffs on Russia. 47’s list of tariffs does include several uninhabited islands that don’t produce any exports to the United States, as penguins and polar bears aren’t often interested in global trade. These tariffs come on top of the 25 percent tariff 47 has levied on Canada and Mexico. And he plans additional taxes on medication, lumber, copper, computer chips, steel, and aluminum. It has also come to light that the method 47 used to calculate these tariffs is, in a word, insane. He took each country’s trade deficit, divided it by the value of its exports to the U.S., and divided the result by 2. Economists have been floored by this approach to tariff calculations, which you’ll note has absolutely nothing to do with what tariffs each country levies on the United States. These tariffs are not “reciprocal” – they’re idiotic.
- In direct response to the tariff announcement, the U.S. stock market has gone off a cliff. The Dow Jones has dropped over 9 percent in the last two days. The S&P 500 has dropped over 10 percent. The NASDAQ has dropped over 11 percent. Those drops are expected to cost middle-class Americans about 4 percent of their net (or disposable) income. (Note: “Disposable” income and “discretionary” income are not the same thing. Disposable income includes all income after taxes and other mandatory deductions have been taken out. You use this income to pay for housing, food, retirement, savings, and other essentials. Discretionary income is the money you have after all essential expenses have been paid.) We can expect to see price hikes on food, medications, clothes, houses, cell phones, cars, and more. Experts are also predicting job losses and, if these policies aren’t reversed, a possible recession. While Americans are facing the prospect of financial devastation, 47 is relaxing at Mar-a-Lago, participating in a golf tournament with a $20 million purse, and attending dinners that cost $1 million a plate.
- This week, 47 has reiterated his plans to continue into an unconstitutional third presidential term. Although we’ve heard this sort of talk before, this week, he clarified specifically that he is not joking. He stated that one of the “methods” he might use would be to have the VP run and then, if elected, hand power immediately back to 47. He refused to elaborate on the other “methods” he has in mind to seize this third term. As a reminder, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution bars presidents from being elected to the highest office more than twice. Any “method” 47 plans to try is unconstitutional and will stand as the final step in his plan to enshrine himself as a king.
- In the latest move in 47’s campaign to gut the U.S. government, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced this week that its entire staff has been put on administrative leave. Although this department only represents 70 employees, they are responsible for helping to distribute $266 million in funding to libraries and museums across the nation. (For reference, that entire annual budget makes up about 11 percent of one single day’s spending at the Pentagon.) The director who ordered this change, Keith Sonderling, is 47’s new deputy secretary of labor. IMLS confirmed that this move comes after a meeting with Elon Musk’s DOGE. In addition to serving vital roles preserving historical records and making them accessible to the public (so we don’t repeat the mistakes that killed millions of people), libraries and museums make communities healthier, provide access to critical technology services, and make schools more effective.
- On Friday, the White House announced that it has fired the head of the National Security Agency, General Timothy Haugh. This announcement comes after 47 met with racist, conspiracy theorist, and far-right social media influencer Laura Loomer. Loomer is known for claiming that 9/11 was an inside job, making disgusting racist statements about Kamala Harris, fighting against immigrant rights, being wildly anti-Muslim, and jumping a fence at Nancy Pelosi’s house. She has been banned from nearly every social media platform (even the Meta apps), and her rhetoric is so vile that even 47’s campaign managers didn’t want her on their team for fear of how she might damage their reputation. In the Oval Office meeting this week, Loomer told 47 that General Haugh, among others, has not been “loyal enough” to him. Although 47 claims that this meeting has nothing to do with Haugh’s dismissal, Loomer has taken credit for the move on social media. This dismissal also lines up with 47’s previous threats to remove any staff who he perceives as being disloyal to him.
- The administration has also continued its attacks on healthcare systems, including cutting 145 grants dedicated to funding HIV research. Experts say these cuts set the medical field back by decades and that they could lead to a resurgence of AIDS in the United States. The Department for Health and Human Services also announced that they are laying off about a quarter of their staff. These job cuts impact researchers, communications staff, NIH directors, CDC directors, and thousands of others. All told, HHS is cutting 3,500 jobs at the FDA, 2,400 jobs at the CDC, 1,200 jobs at the NIH, and 300 jobs at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This attack on the public health system comes at a time when the country is facing a measles outbreak that has seen twice as many cases in the last three months than it saw in all of 2024, as well as a whooping cough outbreak that has already killed two babies in Louisiana.
- As we’ll discuss more in a minute (there is some good news coming, I promise), judges have been one of the few effective blocks against 47’s reckless destruction of our democracy. The administration has retaliated by not only ignoring court orders, but also by attacking law firms and judges who stand up to him. They have continued to ignore court orders to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, where he was illegally sent with no due process and in spite of his protected status. They have also continued to ignore orders regarding the flights that took over 200 men to El Salvador last month. 47 has called for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg, who is presiding over these illegal deportation cases, and the VP has claimed that judges don’t have power over the president. (They, in fact, do.) And 47 has issued a series of executive orders against law firms that have worked on cases that oppose his agenda. These orders include directives to block employees at these law firms from federal buildings, remove their security clearances, and more. In simplest terms, this is an attempt to intimidate the legal system into bowing to 47’s will.
- And finally, 47 has not backed off of his threats to Greenland. Not only has he continued to insist that he plans to take control of the territory, but he has doubled down on his threat to use military force to accomplish that goal. Just to review, this would be a violent invasion of an allied territory. Greenland is rightfully furious about these threats and are currently reforming their government to push resist 47. Public outrage in Greenland is so intense that when the VP visited last week, he was unable to go anywhere except the United States military base where his plane landed for fear of encountering angry locals.
Additional reading
The Good News
- One of the biggest wins we’ve seen this week is the outcome of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election. Judge Susan Crawford won the election after a record voter turnout and in spite of Elon Musk’s attempt to buy the seat. Musk spent over $21 million backing Judge Crawford’s opponent, including handing out two $1 million checks to voters. None of this was enough to silence the people, however, and Judge Crawford will cement a liberal majority in the Wisconsin courts. This will help to undo some of the gerrymandering that has led to Republican election victories in the state, as well as protecting abortion rights there. And although both special elections in Florida did go to Republicans, there’s some good news to celebrate there, too. Just five months ago in the November 2024 elections, Matt Gaetz beat Gay Valimont by a margin of 32 points to win a seat in the House of Representatives. In the election this week, Republican Jimmy Patronis beat Valimont by a margin of just 15 points. Likewise, Republican Randy Fine beat Democrat Josh Weil by a margin of 14 points, as opposed to the 33-point margin Mike Waltz saw in his November election. These are significant drops in just a few months, especially in a state as red as Florida has historically been. Americans are angry, and we’re seeing that at the polls.
- This rejection of 47 and his rhetoric isn’t just happening at the public level – it’s made its way to Congress. This week, four Republican senators voted with Democrats to support a resolution that would end the emergency declaration 47 is using to justify his tariffs on Canada. While this resolution has little chance of being signed into law, as it’s unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled House and 47 has said he won’t sign it. But it does show how uneasy Republicans are with his policies, as well as an important willingness to break with the blind devotion the party has so far showed to him. In addition, nine Republican representatives voted with Democrats this week to keep alive a measure that would allow lawmakers who have just had babies to cast votes by proxy. In addition to providing support for new parents in Congress, this measure will make it harder for Republicans to time votes on important issues for when key Democrats are on parental leave (as they tried to do in February). The procedural maneuvering used to keep the measure alive also put other House votes on ice for the week. This buys more time before votes on issues like a measure that would punish federal judges who rule against 47 and his administration.
- In other Congressional news, Cory Booker, y’all! On Monday evening, Senator Booker began a speech that would last 25 hours, breaking the previous record for longest speech in Senate chambers. For 25 hours, Booker did not sit down, eat, or take a bathroom break. He also did not resort to filibuster tactics that politicians have often turned to before – reading from phone books and encyclopedias to fill time. Instead, he used all 25 hours to deliver an impassioned criticism of 47’s administration. He read letters from constituents and laid out in exhaustive detail every assault on democracy this administration has perpetrated. In addition to drawing enormous attention to these issues (his TikTok livestream garnered more than 350 million likes, and 300,000 people were watching his livestream at its peak), this speech served an important role in inscribing these events in the historical record. His entire speech was documented in the Congressional record. In an era when the administration is actively working to destroy evidence of their crimes, this kind of preservation is critical.
- Yesterday, millions of Americans gathered in over 1,400 cities spread across every single state to protest what the oligarchy is doing to our democracy. Alt National Parks estimates that over 5 million people turned out for Hands Off protests across the country. Organizers estimate about 100,000 people attended just the D.C. protest. According to these estimates, about 1.5 percent of Americans showed up to protest yesterday, and those are just the people who were able to attend. Millions of others had work, were unable to manage childcare, are physically unable to attend a protest, or are too afraid for their personal safety to feel secure attending. Remember, protests that engage just 3.5 percent of the population have never failed to bring about change. This movement is powerful, important, and an enormous beacon of hope for the country.
- In spite of ongoing threats, judges are continuing to push back against the onslaught of illegal moves from 47’s administration. Judge Paula Xinis has ordered the administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father who was illegally deported to El Salvador, by Monday at midnight. Judge James Boasberg, the justice presiding over the case of over 200 immigrants who were deported in defiance of court orders last month, has announced that he will likely hold members of 47’s administration in contempt for their behavior during the case. And Judge John McConnell has ruled that the administration violated his orders blocking a freeze on FEMA funding. And these cases are just the tip of the iceberg. The courts continue to be one of the most effective defenses against this administration’s attempts to evade the Constitution.
Additional reading
What You Can Do
- Authoritarian systems rely on people feeling afraid, isolated, and powerless. So one of the best ways to resist them is to strengthen your community. This week, make it a point to reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Ask how they’re doing, make plans to meet up, talk about the action you’re taking. Set up a potluck dinner, organize a crafting party (all crafts welcome!), or start a garden club. This may seem trivial, but as government support systems are dismantled, these community connections can take their place. When groceries become more expensive, the garden you start with your neighbors can keep your families fed. When your friend needs help paying for her medication, your mutual aid network can all pitch in a little bit and cover the costs. Humans have been caring for each other for far longer than the United States government has been around, and we can still care for each other in its absence.
- I’ll freely admit a bias on this point, but in my opinion, starting a garden is one of the most direct ways you can counter the economic damage this administration is causing. Food is not a resource that belongs to the capitalist system, and it’s something that anyone can produce on their own. While it may be unrealistic to grow all the food your family needs, every bit you do produce goes to offset the damage these tariffs are doing and to pull power back from corporate hands. Now is the perfect time to start a victory garden, and tomatoes, squash, eggplants, bell peppers, and cucumbers can all do great in containers if you’re limited on space. I’ve got a link to a page explaining how to start a garden over on my resources page, so check it out!
- The Hands Off protests have been an enormous victory this week, and more are coming! Get involved with your local activism groups and attend protests in your area. Alt National Parks, Mobilize, 50501, and Hands Off are all great resources for finding about upcoming events. Attend those that you can, and spread the word about those you can’t! Remember, we just have to get 3.5 percent of the population involved to start seeing change, and we’re already about halfway there!
- Keep contacting your representatives on the federal, state, and local levels. I’ve lived in red states my whole life, so believe me when I say I understand how frustrating it can be to contact reps who so clearly don’t care what you have to say. But we’re starting to see the results of the enormous public pressure congresspeople have faced in the last few months. Republicans are starting to turn, and now is the time to keep the pressure on. Call, write letters, attend any town halls you can, and set up in-person meetings if possible. And don’t forget to talk to your local reps, too! Mayors, city council members, school board members, and other local leaders often play critical roles in enforcing – or resisting – presidential orders. Make your voice heard from your city hall all the way to the chambers of Congress!
- I touched on this a little already, but take some time this week to go follow the people and organizations leading the resistance. This kind of movement requires large-scale coordination, and being dialed into those efforts can make the work we do on the ground every day more effective. I have a list of activists and educators to follow on my resources page, as well as a page with a list of organizations to support. Find two leaders you don’t already follow this week and add them to your feeds.
- The rising fury with 47 and his administration also makes this a perfect time to talk to your loved ones about political issues. Even people who voted for 47 are becoming disenchanted as it becomes more apparent that the only campaign promises he intended to honor were the ones that hurt working-class people. When those people start looking for alternatives, we can step up and bring them into the resistance movement. I’ve got links to guides on how to talk to your loved ones about challenging topics also on my resources page, so go peruse them. Look for opportunities to have those conversations and start dismantling the lies 47 has sold.
There was a lot of bad this week and undoubtedly more to come. But there’s also a lot of reason to hope. Fury, resistance, and love. Let’s go be the change.
Good, Bad, Action 