That was just the start of one of the most racist and un-American 1 hour and 37 minutes our country has ever seen, where Donald Trump laid out his dangerous plan for how he intends to completely dismantle the United States. But when he finally launched into his prepared remarks, he wasn’t the only one with something to say. Throughout his speech, he was interrupted by protesters six times, including one woman screaming ‘I f*cking hate you!’ directly at him, while others caused lengthy disruptions that left Donald Trump growing more annoyed with each one.

In between these brave protests, the president was grappling for something coherent to say, at one point telling his gathered loyalists that he was “Sharper now than he was 20 years ago” but also adding that he “doesn’t know why.” He spent time complaining that “nobody appreciates how great a president I am,” just as a member of his radicalized followers screamed, “I do!” He bragged that Venezuela was the “greatest probably military maneuver ever,” forgetting all that went into WW2, the Civil War, and the American Revolution, just to name a few.

His ramblings didn’t stay focused on the states, either. He also went after our friends and neighbors to the north, threatening Canada once again when he said, “I do like their national anthem and I promise them if they become a 51st state, which is actually what they should do. I said, I will let you keep ice hockey and I will let you keep your O Canada national anthem. I like it. So, they can have it as a state anthem.” But when the laughter he apparently expected never came, he added, “nah, we’re only kidding. We’re having a good time.”

In normal times, that all would have been bad enough, but these are Donald Trump times, so it got darker from there when he turned his attention to another past ally of ours, France, and immigrants from emerging countries, or as Donald Trump describes them, from “third world” places where “low IQ” people come from. He told the audience, trying to connect protests by teenagers over their education to our midterms, “If you want to see what is at stake in this election, just look at what’s happening in France. A once great nation that is being conquered, luttered (he meant looted), and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists who hate Christianity. They hate, frankly, the Western civilization itself.” He then tried to make the connection even clearer between Democrats here and liberal-leaning politicians in France, accusing them of having “treasonously imported millions and millions of third world migrants who are totally incompatible with Western values,” insisting that they “despise everything about France and they’re destroying that country.”

He didn’t stop there. He also called these made-up immigrants “vandals who could have never built it themselves,” people who “refuse to assimilate into their society but only want to enter the welfare state paid for by hardworking citizens of France.” After that, he decided to bring the whole of Europe into his rant, going on about how it was a widespread problem and that “They’re losing their country. They’re losing Europe.” He had just been talking about multiple European nations, and then referred to them as though they were all a single country.

Donald Trump doesn’t like facts, but they still matter. The protests in France started back in late September with high school and university students taking to the streets over severe teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, school days that can stretch to ten hours, crumbling infrastructure, and years of underfunding. It has since grown to address other concerns as well, but there has been no credible reporting establishing that this has anything to do with immigration. Even Marine Le Pen’s French far-right party has not made this claim.

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Trump got even more specific about dehumanizing immigrants back home when he went after specific Americans by name. He attacked Congresswoman Ilhan Omar by saying, “She comes from maybe the worst country in the entire world, Somalia,” and that all they do “is shoot each other.” He called Congresswoman Maxine Waters a “low IQ person,” a term he often reserves for Black folks. He told what he considered a joke that if you call someone “from that part of the world” Muhammad, “you’re about 65% sure to get it right.”

Every time I hear him say something deplorable about migrants, I think about the people who have been there in some of our most vulnerable moments and how many of them have been immigrants. I think about how, in the spring of 2020, I had emergency surgery when nobody was allowed to be with me. I think about how my husband had to leave me at the door to the emergency department, not knowing if I would survive. And I think about the people who took care of me throughout that entire ordeal, who helped me heal and made me feel human again, and how so many of them were immigrants and the children and grandchildren of immigrants.

I think about the Vietnamese nurse who gently made sure I got up and started walking after surgery. I think about the Hispanic nurse who went above and beyond by washing and braiding my hair when they heard me say how much I just wanted to feel normal again. I think about the Black nurse who promised to be right beside me through my entire surgery and afterward, because he told me he could only imagine how horrible it would be to go through something like that with no family by my side. I think about the nurse with the thick European accent who, once I was finally allowed to have coffee, went downstairs on her break and used her own money to buy me a coffee from the coffee shop because she thought it would taste better than what I was being served. In the moment, I didn’t think about their country of origin or the country their ancestors had come from. I just thought about how lucky I was to have all of them caring for me. Those are the people he is describing when he calls immigrants “vandals” and who he wants us to see as our enemies. He wants us to look at each other and instantly think “threat” instead of “fellow human being.”

The room he gave the speech in today was filled with his most radicalized super fans, but there were also people who see exactly what Trump is doing and decided they had to do more to stop him. Donald Trump was interrupted every few minutes by protesters, and each time the reaction from the crowd grew more ugly. As one protester, a nonviolent older gentleman, was being escorted out, a man sitting in the stands reached out and hit him while the crowd chanted “USA! USA!”

He also told a story about another rally he held where a Trump super fan attacked someone. “Two people were fighting, a MAGA guy and another guy,” he said. “The MAGA guy beat the crap out of him, by the way. But not that that matters.” Then he added, “The MAGA guy was pretty tough guy, good-looking guy.”

These Americans were exercising the most fundamental right this country has ever promised its people, the right to speak, dissent, and say this is not who we are or what we stand for. But Donald Trump doesn’t see it that way. He sees every person using their voices against what he is doing as a threat to his very survival. He told the crowd that the protesters were “paid,” that they receive “$250 bucks” and that they “ruin their whole lives because they get arrested.” Donald Trump is trying to portray political dissent as something criminal and something only a fool would do. He wanted every person watching to understand that if you speak up, you will be branded, discredited, and cast out from society, or worse. This is all part of his plan for what comes after the midterm elections.

He also let us in on what he plans to do with the media when he said, “Oh, I’d love to sue the media,” and then he gave his garbled thoughts on New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the Supreme Court decision that protects the press from defamation lawsuits brought by public officials who cannot prove actual malice. That ruling allows us to criticize the powerful without being financially destroyed by lawsuits. That is the protection Donald Trump wants gone so that he can sue anyone who speaks out against him. It is a shocking statement and a very concerning threat for those of us who write about Donald Trump’s corruption every single day.

But every time Donald Trump says something like this or takes action against the media, I launch what I call my economic protest. It is something that I made a promise to do every time he attacked the First Amendment and the right of the American people to speak out against his corruption. So tonight I am asking you to join me in getting louder against what he is doing. Write your own post denouncing his attack on migrants. Use my words if you need to. Let our community members know that they are safe with you. And join me in also putting our money where our voices are. When he attacks the First Amendment, we need to defend it and protect and support the people he wants to silence. This, and voting, are the most direct forms of resistance available to us right now. Independent media keeps the truth alive when every other system is captured and turned into state media. I have written every single night for a year and a half with no corporate backing or sponsorship money. I do not want anyone to be able to reach into what I write and change a word of it. Every post I write is free for everyone, because the truth should never be behind a paywall. But that is only possible because of the people who joined the resistance community with a paid membership, who understand what is at stake, and who choose to support it. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for me to do this work. I never intended for this to be my life’s work, but in these trying times, we all have to step up when the opportunity presents itself, and I am thankful to be able to do it.

Tonight, as I say every time Donald Trump threatens the freedom of the press, don’t just think about my voice. Think about your other favorite writers, journalists, podcasters, social media content creators, and the independent outlets that you turn to every single day when you need to be able to trust what you are reading. The ones who are still standing with the truth, even when doing so comes at great cost and carries the risk of what Donald Trump will do next. They need your support so that they can keep doing this important work, and we need to make sure that they have the resources to defend themselves against threats, including those coming from the president of the United States.

I keep coming back to those protesters in Wichita, and how they walked into a room full of danger and protested anyway. I think about how concerning it is to speak out in any capacity against the Trump Regime, knowing full well how radicalized his followers have become from the emails and messages we receive, but also knowing how much more dangerous it would be if we all stopped resisting. How quickly our entire government and country could fall into an authoritarian hellscape. I think about how Donald Trump wants us to see each other as enemies and how we just see neighbors who are valued members of our community. He wants us to be afraid of each other. But we are not and never will be. Hate will never have a place in our hearts or homes. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: We went to the pumpkin patch today as a family. I was pinching myself that we all still do this together, while also acknowledging that there will come a day when the kids won’t all be in town to go with us. I’m just thankful this year wasn’t it. Today’s picture is exactly what I intended it to be when I started taking one every day back in 2020, when hope and small bits of joy were so hard to come by, when the TV and news showed death and suffering, including refrigerator trucks outside hospitals. I can’t believe that was six years ago. I remember taking a picture of my daughter’s favorite pasta shape one day because it was the thing that made me smile. As tough as those times were, they did make me realize that it really is the small things in life that have the biggest impact.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

Trump delivers remarks at rally in Kansas just weeks out from midterms: YouTube Video

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/student-protests-grip-france-as-prime-minister-lecornu-calls-crisis-meeting

https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/massive-protests-sweep-france-over-school-conditions-as-trump-blames-immigration-politics

https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-show-laughable-god-made-trump-video-at-maga-fyre-fest/

https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/60-years-later-how-a-civil-rights-era-defamation-case-empowers-the-press

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool

At 4:36 yesterday afternoon, Donald Trump tried to explain why he was refusing to impose new sanctions on Russia. His reasoning was that Russia is doing “very little” to help Iran compared to what it could be doing, and he wants to keep it that way, “unless stupid people get in the way.” Those people are lawmakers from both parties who passed the law he signed just a month ago, named for his own friend Lindsey Graham. Now he is discarding the sanctions Graham worked to secure and calling it a strategy for peace. He accused Zelensky of wanting the war to continue for money. He left out the fact that Putin started this war and could end it by withdrawing. Trump is preparing his supporters to accept abandoning the country that was invaded as the reasonable thing to do.

In another post, he gave Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for reelection, praising a leader with an active International Criminal Court arrest warrant and making American support for Israel conditional on him remaining in power. I would never blame an entire nation for its leader. The Israeli people deserve better, just as we do, and just as the Iranian people do. But Trump keeps telling us what matters to him: he likes people who like him, even people he calls horrible. The danger goes beyond any single endorsement or sanctions waiver. He is trying to desensitize us to the United States standing beside authoritarian leaders and the cruelty they inflict, until we no longer remember being horrified by it.

Today’s young people have lived through one crisis after another: the Great Recession’s impact on their families, the pandemic, lost loved ones, racial injustice, and now renewed attacks on their rights. They deserve the chance to move toward a better future instead of constantly fighting to preserve what remains. Our responsibility next month does not end with casting a ballot. Trump may try to delay certifications, challenge the results, or prevent elected members of Congress from being seated. We must make our voices heard and insist that every vote is counted and the people’s decision is upheld. Future generations are counting on us.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-18-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool

https://www.trumpstruth.org/

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/09/18/pres-trump-signs-sweeping-russia-sanctions-bill-aiming-choke-off-funds-moscow-ukraine-war/

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/10/16/8058264/index.amp

https://kyivindependent.com/trump-signs-sweeping-russia-sanctions-bill-into-law/

https://ncnewsline.com/2026/01/13/amid-protests-nc-elections-board-rejects-campus-voting-sites-and-sunday-voting-in-several-counties/

https://msmagazine.com/2026/08/31/north-carolina-students-campus-voting-access-photo-id-amendment/

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2026/02/14/nca-t--election-site--early-voting

https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants/benjamin-netanyahu

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/world/trump-sidesteps/XKVXKIPPRA2R5BC6MQQUGBI66A/

https://democracync.org/news/north-carolina-state-board-of-elections-eliminates-early-voting-site-at-nations-largest-hbcu/

Those “stupid people” he felt the need to put on notice are lawmakers from both parties in the Congress his party controls, who wrote the very law, in honor of their fallen colleague, that he is now refusing to enforce. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was named after his own dead friend, the senator from South Carolina. Someone who spent the final months of his life fighting for Ukraine, and who died not even a day after returning from visiting the country, where he stood beside President Zelenskyy and secured the White House’s backing for new sanctions against Russia. Just one month after Congress passed the law and Trump himself signed it to impose new sanctions on Russia, Trump suddenly reversed course and waived the very sanctions Graham had worked so hard to secure.

Then in today’s social media post, Donald Trump had the audacity to say that he is doing this because he wants peace and that this is the best strategy to get it. He may very well believe that he is some great peacemaker, that Putin respects him, and that he is the only one who can broker a deal to end this war. But all that he is proving is what the rest of the world can clearly see. That he is Putin’s pawn, and that the Russians are playing him like a violin. Donald Trump is the guy who truly believes that the stripper at the strip club likes him. He has such an inflated sense of self-importance that he cannot see that he is being used, because his ego will not allow him to see it.

In that same post, Donald Trump tried to weaponize the devastation that Russia has inflicted on Ukraine, saying that Zelenskyy’s “country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead.” He included those details as some sort of proof of his argument that Zelenskyy and Ukraine have already lost and that Russia has won. He made no mention of the grave losses Russia has suffered and continues to sustain. He also didn’t add anything about how Putin, and only Putin, was responsible for starting this war and that he could end it right now by withdrawing from the country he has invaded and stopping the bloodshed. Instead, he accused Zelenskyy of having a financial interest in prolonging the war, writing that “with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”

Everything Trump is doing is strategic to the extent Trump is able to think strategically, because Donald Trump knows that a significant number of his own supporters actually do care about Ukraine. They see right and wrong clearly on this one. His post today was just a desperate attempt to preemptively condition them to see the aggressor as the reasonable party and the country that was invaded, that did nothing wrong, that just wants to survive, as the problem. He is laying the groundwork now so that when he eventually abandons Ukraine entirely, or worse, helps Russia in an even more direct way, his base will see it as a necessary step toward peace and the right thing to do.

This wasn’t the only post where he cozied up to people standing on the wrong side of history. In another post, which he addressed “To the Great People of Israel,” he announced his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Benjamin Netanyahu in his upcoming race for reelection as Prime Minister of Israel later this month. But this had nothing to do with caring about the people of Israel. He was doing a favor for another authoritarian leader, someone the International Criminal Court has an active arrest warrant for. He called Netanyahu a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and declared that he has been “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition.” He wrote that if Israel had anyone other than Netanyahu as its leader, “America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.” He used the people he had just called “great” as pawns, making American support for Israel conditional on Netanyahu staying in power. Netanyahu responded with his own message thanking Trump for his “extraordinary endorsement,” adding that “Israel has never had a greater friend in the White House.”

Knowing how hard so many of us oppose what Donald Trump is doing and has done, I would never blame an entire nation for the sins of their leader. The Israeli people deserve better than Bibi, just like we deserve better than Trump, and the Iranian people deserve better than the people controlling their government.

Just yesterday Donald Trump told us exactly why he keeps standing with evil people: “I like people that like me. I just like it, and I can’t help it. It’s a character flaw. I mean, I’ve had a couple of people, really horrible human beings, horrible, horrible, terrible people, but I heard through the grapevine they really liked me a lot. So, I like them too.”

In a single day, the president of the United States refused to impose sanctions on a country that invaded its neighbor and is bombing civilians, and publicly endorsed for reelection a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Donald Trump continues to carry out his campaign to deliberately desensitize us to his worst impulses and dangerous plans. He wants us to feel comfortable when he aligns our country with the worst people and the cruelty they inflict. Donald Trump wants to destroy the idea of what America is supposed to stand for, so that he can turn it into anything he wants. He is normalizing the United States as a partner with evil. And he is making it so that one day we look around and we do not even flinch when our president sides with dictators, authoritarians, and fascists, because it has simply become what we are and we don’t remember it any other way. That is how it happens. Slowly, and then all at once.

Thankfully, right now, we still remember who we are and what this country was founded on. Earlier this week, students from North Carolina A&T State University, Bennett College, and UNC Greensboro marched together for 45 minutes to cast their ballots after polling sites were removed from their campuses by the Republican-controlled Board of Elections. The board chair, a Republican named Eugene Lester, said that “voting is a privilege,” and another leader said that the campus sites “disproportionately favor one political party.” State Board member Siobhan O’Duffy Millen called it “a war on students.” The College Democrats of North Carolina filed a lawsuit, and their attorneys wrote in the filing: “Contrary to the views of Defendant Eugene Lester, the Guilford County elections board chair, voting is a right of citizenship, not a privilege.” Their attempts to make voting harder and interfere in the election didn’t work. They still voted.

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North Carolina A&T students have long been pioneers in moving this country forward while not taking any nonsense from anyone. Back in 1960, four freshmen sat down at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro and refused to leave. Their brave act helped launch the sit-in movement and expand the civil rights movement across the South. Here we are all these years later, and students at the same school are once again fighting the good fight to make this country better and more just. Young people have always been at the center of the moments that change the trajectory of this country, and they are doing it again.

I think back to when I was in college in the mid-1990s, and how different the world felt. I was not worried about my rights being taken away and I was not fighting to preserve anything. I was spending my time with friends and volunteering with organizations focused on the AIDS crisis and the foster care system, because I thought the country was moving forward, and I wanted to be part of it. I thought that peace in the Middle East was possible, that racism could be driven into silence even if it could not be erased entirely, and that homelessness was just a problem that we needed to find the right solutions for, not treat as a crime. When I look at college students today, they do not have the luxury of that idealism. They can’t live in a world that offered the same hope and possibility that so many of us got to experience because they are constantly faced with threats to their rights and uncertainty about their futures. They are treading water instead of swimming toward progress and possibility.

I know how lucky I was to be living during that time in history when a better future felt within reach, when so many other generations faced struggles that made the future feel far less certain. But this generation in particular has been hit by one compounding crisis after another, with none of them resolving before the next one arrived. Their parents were trying to survive the Great Recession while still carrying the wounds of September 11th. Then came a pandemic that stole many of their most formative years, the years when they were supposed to learn how to be people in the world and figure out who they are. Some of them lost grandparents and parents during Trump’s botched 2020 response. Then came George Floyd and the reckoning with racial injustice, which, for a very short time, actually felt like it might lead to a better world for everyone. Then Trump was elected again, and they, like all of us, are watching what feels like the slow-motion dismantling of our entire country while the president does all he can to make us see each other as enemies.

This is why our vote next month during the midterm elections matters so much. It may very well end up being the most important election in modern history. And even if it all goes exactly as our country’s survival needs it to, Donald Trump may still do everything in his power to undermine it. He may look for every loophole he can find to delay certifications and challenge the results. We need to be prepared for attempts to prevent the duly elected members of Congress from being seated. If there is one thing we know about Donald Trump, it’s that he does not play by the rules because he does not believe the rules apply to him. But we cannot let any of that stop us. We have to make our voices heard at the ballot box and insist that every single one of our votes is counted and that the decision of “We the People” is upheld. Future generations are counting on us, and we can’t, and we won’t let them down. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

Share

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: Are you seeing messages like this one everywhere you go? I’m seeing them at small mom-and-pop shops and larger chains, and I hope they are spurring conversations and serving as reminders for people to make a plan to cast their ballots! This postcard in particular made me think back to when my oldest two daughters were little, and the three of us would squish into the polling booth while I cast my ballot. I remember doing much the same with my own mother and my little sister. It always felt very serious and, at the same time, very exciting. But it never felt like the fate of the world was riding on not just the right people being elected, but on enough people turning out in the first place. I look forward to the possibility of a future when voting can feel that way again.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool

https://www.trumpstruth.org/

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/09/18/pres-trump-signs-sweeping-russia-sanctions-bill-aiming-choke-off-funds-moscow-ukraine-war/

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/10/16/8058264/index.amp

https://kyivindependent.com/trump-signs-sweeping-russia-sanctions-bill-into-law/

https://ncnewsline.com/2026/01/13/amid-protests-nc-elections-board-rejects-campus-voting-sites-and-sunday-voting-in-several-counties/

https://msmagazine.com/2026/08/31/north-carolina-students-campus-voting-access-photo-id-amendment/

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2026/02/14/nca-t--election-site--early-voting

https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants/benjamin-netanyahu

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/world/trump-sidesteps/XKVXKIPPRA2R5BC6MQQUGBI66A/

https://democracync.org/news/north-carolina-state-board-of-elections-eliminates-early-voting-site-at-nations-largest-hbcu/

Donald Trump stood behind the bright blue curtains at Truist Arena in Kentucky and walked out to tell us how powerful he has become. Within seconds, he was wandering away from his prepared remarks. Then he said something that explained far more than he seemed to realize. He likes people who like him, even people he himself describes as “horrible, horrible, terrible people.” “It’s a character flaw,” he said, while the crowd laughed and his loyalists smiled behind him. This is the moral compass of the President of the United States. He bragged that Google will now “kiss my ass,” knowing he would be sitting beside Sergey Brin at a fundraiser hours later. He told people immigrants would kill them in their homes. His admiration goes to those who flatter him, and his threats go to anyone who might stand against him.

The same speech was meant to make his followers scared of what would happen if the Democrats were in control. He claimed that buying a MAGA hat had put them under investigation by Jack Smith, even though there is no evidence that such an investigation existed. He wants them to believe their safety depends on keeping him in office. Hours before this performance, he signed an executive order waiving nearly all of the new sanctions on Russia just before they were supposed to take effect. Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, posted on X “Checkmate.” Russia played Donald Trump, and they are not even trying to hide it. While Ukraine faces destruction, our president keeps helping the aggressor. Aren’t we sick of waking up wondering what he has done now? Aren’t we sick of the lies and division, of worrying whether our children will have homes they can afford and a livable world to inherit?

Trump and his enablers can make voting harder, redraw districts, and tell us their power cannot be challenged. They cannot make us surrender our country. We will show Donald Trump and his enablers what we think of them on November 3rd.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-17-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

US MIDTERMS 2026 LIVE | Trump Rallies In Kentucky As Republicans Brace For Midterm Showdown: YouTube Video

https://bnonews.com/whpool

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://www.fox19.com/2026/10/13/president-trump-coming-northern-kentucky-this-weekend/

https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-signs-order-waiving-graham-act-sanctions-russia/story?id=137341529

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6155621-trump-waives-russian-sanctions-act-tariffs/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/

https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/04/10/trump-favorite-jon-husted-launches-2026-us-senate-campaign-ohio

https://www.wcpo.com/news/northern-kentucky/president-trump-to-rally-kentucky-voters-in-highland-heights-as-midterms-loom

When he finally reached the podium, his freshly darkened hair and thick orange makeup accentuated the tired, swollen eyes he was using to read the teleprompter. Yet just seconds into his nearly hour-and-a-half-long speech, the President of the United States made it clear he would not be sticking to the script he had been given. Instead, he would be saying whatever he felt like, starting early in his remarks by telling the people in the room and those watching from home that his second presidential term is more powerful than his first and that he “can do stuff that’s unbelievable.”

He also admitted with a smug and shameless confidence that he likes even the most horrible people as long as they like him, even pointing out himself just how fundamentally flawed his moral compass really is. “I like people that like me. I just like it, and I can’t help it. It’s a character flaw. I mean, I’ve had a couple of people, really horrible human beings, horrible, horrible, terrible people, but I heard through the grapevine they really liked me a lot. So, I like them too.” The crowd laughed, and the strategically placed Trump loyalists behind him had huge smiles across their faces as he said it.

It got so bad that he even bragged for all to hear that “Google wouldn’t have taken my call in the first (presidency). Now they kiss my ass.” He said that knowing full well that just hours later he would be sitting right next to Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a “candlelight dinner” fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump just kept going today. At one point, he looked into the audience and told them that the immigrants who came into this country are murderers who will kill them in their homes. “Does anyone think those murderers would be very nice people, nice, gentle people, as your next-door neighbor? No, they’ll kill you.”

He described Jon Husted, the sitting US senator from Ohio and former lieutenant governor, as “a killer” who “takes people’s heads off,” again paying no attention to his words or how often he invokes violence. He did it again when he thought someone in the crowd might be protesting. Trump asked, “Are you friend or foe? Because being a foe in this arena can be a very dangerous thing.” That was the president once again threatening violence.

Still obsessed with Canada and seemingly unable to understand how its healthcare system works, he said that Canada should not be “allowed” to have universal healthcare and that Canadians “spend our money very unwisely.” This was a stretch even for Donald Trump and shows just how desperate his administration has become. We do not, and never have, paid for Canada’s healthcare system, yet he still said it. His goal with saying things like this is to discredit the way Canadians receive medical care, so that Americans who are suffering and struggling to afford their own should fear it instead of seeing it as something worth fighting for here at home.

When he realized the people in the room with him were not as alarmed as he needed them to be, he decided to tell them that they had been in danger of criminal investigation before he took office again. He tried to explain that anyone who had ever bought a Make America Great Again hat had been under investigation by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. “If you had a hat, if you bought a Make America Great Again, you were under investigation by deranged Jack Smith,” he said. There is no evidence that any investigation of this sort ever existed, but he doesn’t care about facts or the truth; he just wanted every person in that room to believe they had been personally targeted, and that they were and would be in danger without Donald Trump in office.

He then went off on a strange tangent, complete with different voices, to justify his weaponization of the Department of Justice against his perceived enemies, saying, “They indicted me and went after me like nobody’s ever gone after. They went after our people, probably people in this audience.” He wants his supporters to think that they are personally at risk if they do not help him hold onto power.

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Late last night, hours before either of these events, Donald Trump did something even more horrific when he signed an executive order waiving nearly all of the new sanctions on Russia under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. This was a law he had signed into effect barely a month ago to honor his deceased friend, the senator from South Carolina. On the cusp of the October 18th deadline to put those measures into effect, Trump paused the sanctions, citing “national interest.”

By the time the news of what Donald Trump had done was made public, Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and special envoy to President Putin, had already posted “Checkmate” on social media, making a public statement that Russia already knew Trump would deliver exactly what they wanted. Russia played Donald Trump, and they are not even trying to hide it. Nearly every other country and leader sees what Donald Trump is doing, how he is aiding Russia and his close friend, President Putin, and enabling the destruction of Ukraine.

To my fellow Americans, aren’t we sick of the lies? Aren’t we sick of listening to him say things that are so absurd they would be almost impossible to believe if we weren’t hearing them with our own ears? Aren’t we sick of waking up every single day wondering whether he has once again sided with a dictator and a dangerous adversary, not just of the United States, but of the entire world?

Aren’t we sick of listening to him spew hatred and divisiveness, doing everything he can to turn us against one another? Aren’t we sick of worrying about whether our kids and grandchildren will ever be able to afford a house, whether there will be jobs waiting for them, and whether climate change will leave them a world that looks anything like the one we grew up in?

Aren’t we sick of living through months of not being able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables without worrying about parasites? Aren’t we sick and tired of waking up every morning wondering what Donald Trump has done now? Aren’t we sick and tired of living as a hostage to Donald Trump?

Today my husband and I went to a No Kings event here in San Diego, and that is what I kept thinking about when I saw how many people had turned out. We are all sick and tired of Donald Trump and the billionaires who are enabling him. I saw all of the clever signs and heard the powerful chants, but it was the look in so many of the attendees’ eyes that stayed with me. They are tired, but not giving up. I had tears in my eyes as I read all the signs and felt the power of so many people spending their day resisting the evil threatening our country. It took my breath away to see young and old come together.

It made me realize that the revolution so many of us have been waiting for might already be here. Maybe this time it’s not always loud, and certainly not violent. Maybe it is just people refusing to accept what is happening in their own ways and showing up when it counts on November third in numbers we have never seen before. Because Trump and his enablers can do whatever they want to try to break our spirit. They can make it harder to vote, gerrymander districts, and try to erase every memory of the country that existed before they took power. They can keep brainwashing their loyal devotees into thinking what they are doing is good for this country or try to convince us that they are going to hold onto unchecked power after the midterms, but we know the truth. They are going to lose, and they will never be able to break our spirit. We will never surrender our country to their demands. On November third, we will be voting them all out and taking back the future of this country and its true moral compass. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: We talk a lot about those who we have lost to the MAGA cult, but we don’t talk enough about the people who were never brainwashed or who found their way out. Today I looked around and felt hope for the future, seeing so many who are on the right side of history come together, stand shoulder to shoulder, and remind us all what real Americans look like.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

US MIDTERMS 2026 LIVE | Trump Rallies In Kentucky As Republicans Brace For Midterm Showdown: YouTube Video

https://bnonews.com/whpool

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://www.fox19.com/2026/10/13/president-trump-coming-northern-kentucky-this-weekend/

https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-signs-order-waiving-graham-act-sanctions-russia/story?id=137341529

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6155621-trump-waives-russian-sanctions-act-tariffs/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/

https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/04/10/trump-favorite-jon-husted-launches-2026-us-senate-campaign-ohio

https://www.wcpo.com/news/northern-kentucky/president-trump-to-rally-kentucky-voters-in-highland-heights-as-midterms-loom

At 12:56 yesterday afternoon, Donald Trump walked out of the White House to reporters waiting to ask him about Ukraine and his troubled new press secretary. He turned away from them and began talking about a crane. When he finally answered the question about the Starshield satellite network Ukraine depends on for battlefield communications and missile defense, he couldn’t keep his story straight. First, it hadn’t happened. Then, he wasn’t sure it happened. Then, it wasn’t him or Elon, but perhaps it wasn’t anybody. This was during a 20-minute appearance, after Ukrainian lives had been lost during one of the largest Russian attacks of the war. The Commander in Chief should know what happened. He should be able to explain it. Instead, we watched him try out different answers while an ally fighting for its survival was left to live with the consequences.

Over in Brussels, Zelenskyy was asked whether he was being used as a scapegoat for Trump’s own political problems. He paused, looked down, then smiled as the room laughed. “This is my answer,” he said, and ended the press conference. I watched it live, and I laughed, too, before my heart sank. Here was the president of a country under attack, where 600,000 people had just lost their electricity with winter approaching, being asked whether the country he should be able to count on was using him as a political prop. His silence felt more honest than anything our own president had said all day.

We are already seeing what public pressure can do. Katie Zacharia lasted only five days as White House press secretary before questions about her legal credentials helped unravel her credibility. Trump called it rough treatment, but loyalty cannot substitute for competence, and misrepresenting your qualifications does not become acceptable because the president blames the press. He couldn’t keep his answers straight about Ukraine, and he couldn’t keep a press secretary for a week. Those failures show how fragile this administration really is. We have important weeks ahead of us. We can stand together, make our resistance visible, and then vote on November 3 or earlier where we can. We can send Trump’s enablers in Congress packing and show the world that the American people have not given up on our country.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-16-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 16, 2026: YouTube Video

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-out-after-5-days-rcna603912

https://abcnews.com/video/137254313/

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/politics/katie-zacharia/6I4BM34C5Q4SBFT5ZOSCMVUYNQ/

https://www.wpxi.com/news/politics/questions-swirl/6WDG3IFMM46FPFCHDIHV45AMLM/

https://kyivpost.com/post/87041

https://newrepublic.com/post/216645/elon-musk-trump-starlink-blunder

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharia-given-brutal-verdict-by-white-house-goons

https://www.aol.com/articles/katie-zacharia-leaves-dhs-weeks-143101579.html

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-10/russian-attacks-kill-12-in-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-with-putin

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/10/15/no-kings-rallies-return-upstate-ahead-early-voting/

https://wisconsinexaminer.com/?p=48316

He then paused so long it became uncomfortable and then said, “It’s one of the biggest, they call it a steel lifter. It lifts the biggest steel and that’s as big as it gets. That’s something, huh? Pretty good, right?” The press looked around, confused, not sure what he was saying or why.

He once again took a long pause before eventually saying, “Okay,” with a sort of sigh. The journalists didn’t skip a beat and instantly asked Donald Trump, “Why did you guys slow down Starlink or the StarShield for Ukraine?” His response came just as fast: “We didn’t do that at all. In fact, I don’t know where it is. I don’t even think it was slowed down.”

This is the story we are not letting Donald Trump sweep under the rug, no matter what else he does to distract us. Earlier this week, SpaceX’s Starshield system, the military-grade satellite network that Ukraine depends on for battlefield communications and missile defense, was throttled without warning during one of the largest Russian attacks of the war. Ukrainian lives were lost. What happened was not just a pivotal moment for the war itself. It was also one for how Donald Trump will be remembered until the end of time.

That’s why reporters asked Trump about it again. Not even a few minutes after his first nonanswer, he was ready to try out a different response: “Well, I don’t know. I know that I think it’s the same. I’m not sure that it ever came down, but I just checked it this morning. It wasn’t us.”

Then, a few minutes after that almost completely incoherent explanation, he gave a third version: “Well, I don’t know if it was anybody because it wasn’t me and I don’t think it was Elon. And from what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.”

He only spoke to the press for 20 minutes, and yet he was able to contradict himself three times. First, it didn’t happen. Then, he’s not sure it happened. Then, it wasn’t him or Elon, but maybe it wasn’t anybody. Donald Trump is the President of the United States and the Commander in Chief. He should know exactly what happened, and he should have a logical response to explain it. Donald Trump had neither. He didn’t know what version of the lie he was supposed to be telling because nobody had decided what the official lie was going to be, or they didn’t think they could trust him with the truth. Or worse, he isn’t actually involved in these kinds of decisions because he doesn’t want to be or because he is too impaired to know they are happening in the first place.

Nearly every day we see Donald Trump’s decisions actively advancing Russian interests while he intentionally snubs and puts in harm’s way an ally fighting for its survival. Donald Trump is not just soft on Russia; he is acting like a Russian Asset from inside the White House.

While Donald Trump was struggling to explain himself today, President Zelenskyy was answering questions of his own at a press conference in Brussels. Sky News reporter Alistair Bunkall asked Zelenskyy this: “President Trump is facing pretty difficult midterm elections, his personal popularity is very low, diesel prices in the US are very high, and the war that he started in the Middle East is not going the way he wants it. Do you think you are being treated as a scapegoat for his own problems?”

Zelenskyy paused and said nothing for what felt like minutes but was really just seconds. He stood at the podium, looked down, and then he looked up and smiled. Nearly everyone in the room started to laugh, and Zelenskyy finally spoke and said, “This is my answer,” and ended his entire press conference on that note.

I watched that moment live during a patchy night of sleep. And even though it was funny, and I did laugh, my heart sank afterward. Because if that had been any other country, or any other president, in any other situation, it would have just been a funny moment. A leader with a sense of humor, bringing a little levity to something very serious, reminding us that sometimes humor is what gets us through the worst of times. But that’s not what this was at all. This was the president of a country that has been under attack for years, whose people have been scattered across the world, and where 600,000 people had just lost their electricity with the cold winter months approaching. And there he was, standing at a podium, smiling through a question about whether the United States, the country that is supposed to be his ally, was using him as a political prop. I kept thinking about what it must feel like to stand there and be asked that question about a country you are supposed to be able to count on. And the fact that the question even needed to be asked, and that his silence seemed more honest than anything our own president had said all day, was heartbreaking.

I’ve been thinking about that moment, and what it really means all day. How devastating and shameful it is to live in a country that is actively aiding the aggressor while the country being invaded is left to answer questions about whether it’s being scapegoated by its supposed ally. And I keep returning to something that has been sitting with me for a long time, something I think a lot of Americans are also grappling with.

I remember when I first learned about the Holocaust, the rise of Hitler, the concentration camps, and the scale of the atrocities, and thinking that a madman had essentially carried out a military takeover of Germany. That the German people were victims, too. That most of them wanted nothing to do with what was happening and were as horrified as anyone. I didn’t spend much time thinking about the ordinary people who carried out the orders, or the neighbors who turned in people they knew or looked the other way as they were dragged off. I certainly didn’t think about the millions who benefited from staying silent. There were also many who resisted and paid the ultimate price for it. And of course, there was so much more to what happened than I understood at the time. But as a child, it all seemed so simple. Why didn’t they all just say no? Why didn’t they stand together and refuse? There were so many of them. How could so few people hold so many hostage?

What I never imagined was that I would spend years of my adult life living inside that question. Because now I understand something I couldn’t as a child. It’s more nuanced than that. Sometimes they are afraid, or they truly believe nothing they could do would make a difference. Or they look around and think they are the only ones who see what is happening and they are simply waiting for someone else to go first. And the longer that goes on, the harder it becomes to speak up, because what once seemed unthinkable starts to feel normal.

That’s where America is. There are people who love the cruelty and corruption, who are benefiting from it or think that they are. Then there are people who care deeply but feel powerless to do anything about it. And in between are millions of Americans who know something is terribly wrong, who are angry and frightened by what they see happening, but don’t know what to do or where to begin. They want things to change, but they’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and trying to survive their own lives. They’re waiting for someone to show them what they can do that will actually make a difference. That’s the gray zone, and that’s where so many of us are right now.

Tomorrow is the next No Kings rally, focused entirely on voting. It is being held to remind us all that we have one powerful tool that we can still use to change the direction of this country before it’s too late. This is our time to take the lessons we have learned from other dark times in history and not waste an opportunity to stop what is happening. Hopefully it will also remind us all that we are not alone. That others see what is happening and share the same concerns and fears.

If you are wondering if they are even worth showing up for, yes. 100% yes. Because our resistance is working, and we are seeing signs of it every single day. After much pressure and public embarrassment, today, Katie Zacharia became one of the shortest-serving White House press secretaries in American history, lasting only five days. She was named to the position last Friday, gave her first and only disastrous press briefing on Tuesday, and by today she was gone. Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Trump’s White House communications director during his first term and whose name became a way of describing someone who didn’t last long in a political appointment, lasted only 11 days. Zacharia beat his record by six days. Scaramucci himself posted on X today: “Records are made to be broken. But I take no pleasure in other people’s pain.”

She failed for a multitude of reasons, one of which was that what she presented about herself wasn’t exactly the truth. When her law credentials were looked up in a public database, it was found that Katie Zacharia, who had called herself a lawyer on Instagram, in press releases, and in professional bios for years, was not licensed to practice law in any state. She graduated from Pepperdine Law and claimed she practiced law in China, but legal experts told NBC News that only Chinese citizens can sit for the Chinese bar exam. A senior administration official confirmed she never passed the California bar.

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That was it, and her entire credibility started to unravel. Trump tried to frame it as media cruelty, which is an odd way of saying being caught misrepresenting your qualifications, but the damage had already been done. He told reporters today, “I said, Katie, is this for you? Because you know she’s been treated very rough.” He told her, “Welcome to the world of Trump.” But the world of Trump is a world where nobody checks anything before they put someone behind the podium. It’s a world built entirely on loyalty, and where competence in the job doesn’t matter. Where credentials and the truth don’t matter either until someone outside the Trump regime bothers to verify it, and when they do, the whole thing falls apart quickly.

The Trump presidency is in a crisis. Donald Trump couldn’t keep his lies straight about Ukraine and he couldn’t even keep a press secretary for a week. That tells us how fragile all of this really is. That is our opening growing bigger. We have some very important weeks ahead of us. Tomorrow we take to the streets and remind Donald Trump and his enablers what is coming and we remind each other that we are here, we are seeing the same thing, that our country is under attack from within and that we are done with this chaos and cruelty. We send a message to those outside the states that there are more of us than the red hat cult and that we are taking back our country. And then on Nov 3, or sooner if we can vote early, we send the biggest message yet. We send the Trump sympathizers in Congress packing and we take back our power. We are going to show the world that the American people have not given up on our country and that we never will. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

Share

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: This picture was taken in 1999, right after Pete and I got engaged. Today we are celebrating our 27th anniversary. While we were spending the day celebrating, we were asked how many years we have been married, and then we were asked what the secret was to staying married that long. It caught me off guard because we don’t feel old enough to have been married long enough to have some sort of magic secret to share. But I knew I had to give some sort of reply, so I just said, “Marry someone you actually like.” I know those were not the words of wisdom they were looking for, but it was the first thing that came to mind. After thinking about it more, I still think that was the right answer, but there’s more to it than that.

Now I know compared to so many, our marriage is still in its infancy, with many couples having been married for many more years than us. But I think if I had had more time to think about it, I would have said marry someone who you can go to with a wild idea of taking on the federal government every night, even at grave risk to your safety and your family’s, to do your part to make sure the world is inhabitable for future generations, who won’t even bat an eye and instead will jump up and say, “How can I help?” Happy anniversary, Pete! Here’s to many more.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 16, 2026: YouTube Video

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-out-after-5-days-rcna603912

https://abcnews.com/video/137254313/

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/politics/katie-zacharia/6I4BM34C5Q4SBFT5ZOSCMVUYNQ/

https://www.wpxi.com/news/politics/questions-swirl/6WDG3IFMM46FPFCHDIHV45AMLM/

https://kyivpost.com/post/87041

https://newrepublic.com/post/216645/elon-musk-trump-starlink-blunder

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharia-given-brutal-verdict-by-white-house-goons

https://www.aol.com/articles/katie-zacharia-leaves-dhs-weeks-143101579.html

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-10/russian-attacks-kill-12-in-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-with-putin

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/10/15/no-kings-rallies-return-upstate-ahead-early-voting/

https://wisconsinexaminer.com/?p=48316

At 12:53 in the afternoon, Donald Trump walked into the Rose Garden for a luncheon honoring first responders and spent 36 minutes making it about himself. The firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs and Secret Service agents in front of him deserved a president who would recognize their service. Instead, they heard that he was supposed to be sleeping, that he wasn’t a controversial person, and that he had “very severe problems.” He was talking about avoiding drugs and alcohol when he made that admission, and then he realized what he had done. “The press is going to say, what problem does he have? Let’s figure it out. I probably set myself up for that one.” He turned to Todd Blanche for help defending him. We deserve to know whether anything is affecting his ability to do this job. A president cannot make that declaration without explanation and leave the entire country with speculation and uncertainty.

Later, on Newsmax, a question about impeachment sent him into boasts about what he could do to the Clintons and Barack Obama. He talked about criminal prosecution and destroying reputations as though those were personal options he could use whenever he wanted. If he has evidence of serious crimes, it belongs with the appropriate authorities and in the proper legal process. Instead, we heard mob boss language from the president of the United States, followed by his insistence that he is allowed to pardon himself. Back at the luncheon, he had joked about missile strikes ruining fishing because people might be afraid to go boating. He was joking about his own military killing people, in front of people who spend their lives saving others. The audience barely reacted. On that same day, three children and a teacher were killed at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. We cannot keep absorbing these headlines and then going on with our lives. Our children should not have to practice active shooter drills as though this is simply what growing up in America means.

But there was also a reminder that resistance works. Trump abandoned his plan to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan after immediate, overwhelming backlash. Eighty percent of Americans in a national poll opposed it. Republicans and Democrats condemned it, JD Vance said he would not watch, and Archbishop Paul Coakley called it “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” The United Nations objected. Military families said it exploited their grief. Enough people pushed back, loudly and together, that he backed down. With Election Day approaching, we have to carry that refusal into the voting booth and beyond it. Vote early if you can. The vote is the start, but it is not the whole answer. We have to stop adjusting to the temperature of the water as it rises around us and say, in every part of our lives, enough is enough. Our country still knows right from wrong, and we have a chance to remind the world of that.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-15-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

https://www.axios.com/2026/10/09/jd-vance-fort-hood-shooter-livestream-execution

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-condemns-pentagons-barbaric-decision-to-livestream-execution/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/barbaric-us-lawmakers-condemn-plan-to-livestream-nidal-hasans-execution

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/plan-to-broadcast-fort-hood-killers-execution-spurs-criticism

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/legal-path-seems-narrow-to-challenge-livestream-of-fort-hood-shooters-execution-experts-say

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/fort-hood-survivors-speak-pentagons-decision-livestream-hasans-137144236

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/botched-execution-plans-public-show-us-conflicted-capital-137147663

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-announces-senate-run

Nowhere was that more apparent than in the way he treated the very people he was there to honor. The event was supposed to recognize first responders, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, and Secret Service agents, all of the people who rush toward danger to help others. These are people who deserved a president who would honor their sacrifice and service, not turn an event about them into an event about himself. Yet of the 36 minutes he spoke, very little was actually spent recognizing their service.

Trump began by telling the people gathered in front of him that he had just landed back in Washington, D.C., at 4:45 that morning. He said he was “supposed to be sleeping now,” and joked about sending a robot version of himself out on the campaign trail so he could stay home and watch on TV. He talked about the scandal-plagued Ken Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, and then said, with all seriousness, that while Paxton might be considered controversial, he had this to say about himself: “I don’t happen to be a controversial person.”

He also spent a good amount of time talking about addiction, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and how fortunate he is that he does not drink or smoke. He said his friends who drink have “a real hard time” staying away from it, and then he went into a hard-to-follow story about the vicious cycle of Narcan use and how addicts are revived only to go right back to using. Then he said something he very much regretted saying: “I have other problems. I have some very severe problems. But those are not one of them. I don’t want to add them to the list. Do you understand that? I don’t want to add them to the list. Because if I did, I guarantee I wouldn’t be here right now.”

He kept talking for a little while before the lightbulb turned back on inside his brain and he realized what he had just admitted. Desperately trying to undo the damage, he said into the microphone, “The press is going to say, what problem does he have? Let’s figure it out. I probably set myself up for that one.” He then turned to Attorney General Todd Blanche and asked him for help: “Todd’s going to have to try and defend me.”

Donald Trump admitted something that many have believed for a very long time, that he has “very severe problems,” but he did so without explaining what they are. No president of the United States should stand at a podium and tell the world something like that without providing any context, and for good reason. We, the American people, and anyone tasked with negotiating with him deserve to know whether there is anything affecting his ability to carry out the responsibilities of the presidency. But at the same time, making a declaration like that with no explanation leaves us as a country vulnerable to speculation and uncertainty. This was yet another moment that should have prompted congressional questions at the very least, but his words were caught on camera, so when Congress is no longer a MAGA stronghold, they can be examined and investigated then.

He also talked about “reskinning” the exterior of the White House, which is an odd way of saying he is still obsessed with wasting taxpayer dollars on his gold lamé glorification projects. He talked about replacing laminate signs with “solid brass, half-inch thick” ones and about fixing the ornamental stonework around the windows. The way that he described the work he was doing was as if he were putting the finishing touches on his own mausoleum.

One of the more absurd and pathetic moments came when Donald Trump brought up the $22 trillion in investment he claims credit for. He then stopped to explain that someday a future president would stand at that same podium and announce the greatest economic growth in American history, but he wanted everyone to remember who deserved the credit. “Remember, I did it,” he said. “They didn’t do it.” Then he turned to a Border Patrol official named Paul and said, “Please protect me. Paul, would you please protect me? Get up to the microphone, Paul, and say, ‘It was Trump that did it, sir.’”

Later in the day, Trump gave us even more concerning comments when he sat down for an interview with Newsmax, where we saw a completely unfiltered version of the president. When he was asked about the possibility of yet another impeachment if Democrats win the midterms, Donald Trump responded by saying that he has “become good at anti-impeachment; I go with the anti-impeachment movement. But for them to do that, it cheapens our country so much. It’s really very terrible.”

You could tell he was a bit thrown by the question, so he deflected and turned the attention to others. “Honestly, I could have done numbers on Hillary Clinton. I could have done numbers on Bill Clinton. I do like Bill Clinton. I could have done numbers on Barack Hussein Obama. Still could, I still could. I could do big numbers if I wanted to.” He continued with, “I’ve turned down going after Hillary Clinton. Big numbers. I’m talking about going after them criminally. I could have done something having to do with their reputations, destroyed their reputations. We have a lot of information about Hillary, we have a lot of information about Barack Hussein Obama, we have a lot of information on Sleepy Joe.”

The president of the United States isn’t supposed to threaten former presidents or their families. He isn’t supposed to use the powers of his office to settle personal scores or boast about possessing information he could use to criminally prosecute people or destroy their reputations. And yet that is exactly how Trump presented it, as though deciding whether to pursue criminal charges against his political opponents was entirely up to him and had nothing to do with evidence or actual wrongdoing. Because if he really possessed information about serious crimes committed by any of these people, it would be his responsibility to make sure that information was turned over to the appropriate authorities and investigated through the proper legal process, regardless of who was involved. Instead, he talked about it as something he could choose to use or hold back whenever he wanted. It was more mob boss language coming from the president of the United States, and there was nothing presidential about what he said. The message he was sending today was that he can ruin your life if he wants to.

Then he was asked about pardons, and whether he was considering pardoning himself before leaving office. “Well, I don’t think about it because I did nothing wrong,” he said. “I could have given myself a pardon the last time I left office. I never thought that they’d bring me through the mud.” When asked if he regretted not pardoning himself the first time, he said, “Well, I won, but I won the hard way. I’m allowed to do a pardon, a self-pardon. I’m allowed to pardon.” He never denied he would do it. Whether he does or not, hopefully he remembers that pardons only work on federal wrongdoings and not state crimes. He can issue as many pardons as he wants; he will just have to be held accountable by the states.

He also was asked about his future plans in Iran, and if he would use a nuclear weapon. Trump told the reporter that “I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to.” But then he said he would use what he described as “tiny nuclear bombs.” He said there was a weapon he was considering, the GBU-43, known as the “mother of all bombs,” the largest non-nuclear weapon in the American arsenal. He called it “just an extremely large bomb.” Then he said, “It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb.”

When asked about Ukraine and Russia, he made sure to mention how he feels about Volodymyr Zelenskyy: “No, I’m not a big fan of Zelensky,” he said, while he accused the Ukrainian president of not wanting to settle the war. He called Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries “a disgrace,” saying “there’s plenty of other targets.” When asked if he trusted Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, “I don’t trust anybody, honestly. In the world of politics, I don’t trust anybody,” and he claimed that if he ran for prime minister of Israel, he would get “99 percent” of the vote.

Back in the Rose Garden, Trump said something that showed just how completely lacking in self-awareness he is and how far removed America has become from even the most basic standards of human decency. He told an audience of people whose lives have been dedicated to protecting and saving others from the worst situations imaginable about missiles fired by the United States military at boats “from 600 miles away” and said, “You feel terribly for the people.” Then he added, completely unprompted, “But you know, every boat kills thousands of people. Think of it that way. Then you feel better.” He took that moment, while talking about bombing and killing people, to tell a truly sickening joke about how missile strikes had ruined the fishing industry because nobody wants to go boating anymore. “Let’s go fishing, darling. No, thank you. Just in case somebody, one of you guys, has a happy trigger.” He was joking about his own military killing people. In front of the nation’s firefighters and police officers. During a luncheon in their honor. Thankfully, the audience gave him almost no reaction. They just sat there.

With the normalization of violence coming from the White House, what happened this afternoon in Bend, Oregon, was another devastating reminder of just how much it has become a part of everyday life in America. A teenager walked into Silver Rail Elementary School and opened fire, killing three children and a teacher. Two more people were injured and taken to the hospital. The shooter was also killed after a community member reportedly followed him into the school and shot him. On the same day that families in Oregon were facing an unimaginable pain few have felt, the president of the United States was spending his afternoon joking about his own military killing people.

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We cannot keep accepting this. We cannot keep absorbing these headlines the way we absorb everything else in the news cycle, that Donald Trump has done or said. We can’t open our phones or turn on our TVs and learn about what happened and then go on with our lives. Three children went to school today and did not come home. This is the country we are living in. A country where our children are not safe in their classrooms and where families are being ripped apart on the street by federal agents.

Our children should not have to live in a country where they practice active shooter drills the way we used to practice fire drills. There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything, and Donald Trump, and the people who enable him, choose the worst way every single time. He has told us this himself. He sides with dictators. He admires their methods. He talks about weapons of mass destruction. He threatens to use the Department of Justice as a personal enforcement arm against anyone who opposes him.

But here is what today also showed us. He backed down. The president of the United States felt the pressure and backed down. He announced on Truth Social that he has abandoned his plan to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, a truly evil man and the convicted Fort Hood shooter. The president wanted Americans to be able to watch an execution by firing squad, and the backlash was immediate and overwhelming. 80 percent of Americans in a national poll opposed the livestream. Republicans and Democrats both condemned it. JD Vance said he would not watch. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called it “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” The United Nations issued a formal objection. Military families spoke out, saying it exploited their grief rather than honoring their loved ones, and Donald Trump decided not to broadcast it.

That happened because we pushed back. Because the outrage was loud enough and unified enough to make them back down. That is resistance working.

In 19 days, it will finally be Election Day across the states, and we will finally have our voices heard. If you can vote early, please consider doing so. This vote is the start, but it is not the whole answer. We have to stop treating what is happening, all of it, as though it is normal. We have to stop adjusting to the temperature of the water as it rises around us. We have to come together as a country and say, not just at the ballot box but in every part of our lives, enough is enough.

Because here is the thing about a long goodbye and the person receiving it. It does not have to be a pleasant goodbye. It can be whatever we want it to be. And this time, it needs to be one he and other corrupt men like him will never forget. Our country still knows right from wrong, even when its president does not, and in just over two weeks, we will have a chance to remind the world of that. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: I spend nearly every waking hour researching for these posts, learning from experts in various fields, and listening to everything that Donald Trump and his enablers say and do, but I still can’t keep up with everything I’d like to. That includes reading all the commentary being written and keeping track of where my own words are being shared. So please, if you see my words online, I’d love to know about it. Special thanks to those of you who let me know that Katy Tur quoted my post and used it as a springboard for a discussion on a recent episode of her show. When I started writing these nightly posts, I just wanted people who couldn’t spend the time I could researching what was happening day in and day out to have the information they needed to be more informed and involved. So I am deeply grateful whenever I learn that my words are reaching an even greater audience, because it is going to take all of us to get this country back on track.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

https://www.axios.com/2026/10/09/jd-vance-fort-hood-shooter-livestream-execution

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-condemns-pentagons-barbaric-decision-to-livestream-execution/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/barbaric-us-lawmakers-condemn-plan-to-livestream-nidal-hasans-execution

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/plan-to-broadcast-fort-hood-killers-execution-spurs-criticism

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/legal-path-seems-narrow-to-challenge-livestream-of-fort-hood-shooters-execution-experts-say

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/fort-hood-survivors-speak-pentagons-decision-livestream-hasans-137144236

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/botched-execution-plans-public-show-us-conflicted-capital-137147663

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-announces-senate-run

At 1:04 yesterday afternoon, Donald Trump landed in Arizona aboard Qatari Air Force One. Within minutes, he was preparing to tell another crowd that his followers would be okay if he murdered someone, that he had “aced” another cognitive exam, and that Canada would become the 51st state. He talked about Greenland and Venezuela as though sovereign nations were additions to his personal collection. Then he said, “Leakers should be shot… In the old days, we used to shoot leakers,” before pointing at the reporters and calling them leakers. At one point, just one of these statements from a president would have been a major issue. What I struggle with most now is how familiar it all feels. We hear another threat, another fantasy of conquest, another search for “wiggle room” to serve a third term, and we know something equally sinister may overtake it in the headlines tomorrow.

While he stood there promising things nobody had ever seen before, Ukrainians were dealing with another devastating Russian attack. At least 39 missiles and 128 drones had been launched at their cities, at least 9 people were killed, and more than 600,000 were left without power. The Starlink communications systems their defenders depended on had been blocked. Asked whether Trump had betrayed him, Volodymyr Zelensky said, “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely.” Elon Musk said Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, with limits ultimately decided by POTUS. We have watched this building for years, and now we are watching a president show his loyalty to the aggressor while an ally struggles to defend itself. I keep thinking about the responsibility the presidency once carried. Roosevelt was far from perfect, but after Pearl Harbor he understood that millions of lives depended on the decisions he made. He spoke about danger and sacrifice with the seriousness they deserved. We used to assume that, regardless of party, a president understood that the office was bigger than himself.

Donald Trump did not break the presidency; he revealed how little we were protecting it. This is also on the members of Congress who enabled him, the Supreme Court that granted broad immunity for official acts, and the people who keep defending cruelty and division. Watching him now, I worry about children growing up believing this is simply what a president is: someone who threatens journalists, talks about conquering countries, and shows loyalty to dictators. We cannot let that become the permanent baseline. People are already standing up at public events, sometimes at great personal risk, to make their opposition known. Not everyone can take those same risks, but we can vote. We can turn out for the midterms and begin putting a stop to this destruction. Future generations need to know that when our country needed us, we stood up together and did something about it.

See the full story in the video.

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We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

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I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-14-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

Links to sources used in writing this article:

PBS NewsHour Trump speaks at rally along Arizona-Nevada border: YouTube Video

https://abcnews.com/International/600000-power-ukraine-russia-launches-missile-drone-attack/story?id=137248732

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/14/massive-russian-attack-on-ukraine-kills-at-least-six-cuts-power-in-kyiv

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/trump-suggests-those-who-leak-government-information-should-be-shot

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/14/three-days-after-washington-announced-an-energy-ceasefire-russia-fires-39-ballistic-missiles-at-ukraines-grid/

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/14/starshield-systems-are-owned-and-controlled-by-the-us-government-musk-says-trump-not-spacex-is-behind-cut-hitting-ukraine/

https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-says-he-feels-betrayed-over-trump-russia-deal/

https://thehill.com/homenews/6149366-trump-rally-leakers-shot/

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/texas/news/pentagon-briefing-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites

There was a time when hearing a President of the United States say even one of those things would have stopped us all in our tracks. But we have now become so accustomed to hearing things like this from Donald Trump that we have almost forgotten how shocking they really are, and how there was once a time in our history when no president would have dared to say the outlandish things he says so often. Because there was still dignity in the office. It was held by men who were imperfect but still understood that the presidency was bigger than themselves and that holding it came with responsibilities far greater than their own interests.

Maybe the most disturbing part of what is happening, and what I struggle with the most whenever he is speaking, is how familiar it all feels. Like how the President of the United States stood there in Arizona today talking about sovereign nations as though they were his for the taking. Threatening Canada is just something he does now. Today was no different when he told the crowd that there was no other option than Canada joining the United States. Then he turned to Greenland, which he said was “owned” by Denmark, but suggested it belonged on America’s growing list of acquisitions with this odd thought: “But it just adds to our beautiful plate. Our plate is getting larger all the time.” And then he added, “How about Venezuela?”

That wasn’t even the worst of what he would go on to say. He also brought up a military operation against Iran, describing how B-2 bombers were sent in the middle of the night and how someone had leaked their departure time to the press. He made his thoughts very clear on the people he thought shared this information, saying, “Leakers should be shot… In the old days, we used to shoot leakers.” He called them “the scum of the earth.” Moments later, he turned his attention to the reporters at the event, pointed right at them, and said they are “almost as bad as a leaker because they leak false information. That makes them a leaker, right?” The crowd looked around awkwardly, understanding exactly what he was saying. The President of the United States had just said that leakers should be shot, and then he said the press were leakers.

Not too long ago, if a President of the United States even suggested that journalists should be harmed, they would have faced immediate consequences because freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. In the past, something like this would have prompted immediate hearings and investigations. Congress would be demanding answers and the country would be outraged if the President of the United States started suggesting that reporters deserve to be shot simply for doing their jobs. But because this has become a near-daily occurrence, it will likely be forgotten or pushed aside by something just as sinister that he will say tomorrow.

He also brought up the idea of serving a third term once again, encouraging the crowd to chant “four more years.” He told them, “I’d love to,” and he then turned to the senators in the audience and started talking about the Twenty-Second Amendment, which limits presidents to two elected terms. “We have a clause,” he said. “It says you will, under no circumstances, be allowed, this is for anybody that’s served two terms, be allowed to run under any condition for president of the United States after two terms. Now, usually there’s a little wiggle room. Steve, we’ve looked. Tim, what do you think? You see any wiggle?” He sounded defeated but promised that before he left they would all “be happy,” teasing that he and his enablers would be “doing things that nobody’s ever seen before.”

While he hinted at big plans to come, he didn’t mention the devastating attack Russia launched just last night, or the role his administration is reported to have played in restricting the communications systems Ukraine depended on to defend itself. Russia launched at least 39 missiles and 128 drones at Ukrainian cities. It was one of the heaviest attacks in months, with at least 9 people killed, and more than 600,000 people now left without power right before the cold months start. In the middle of Ukrainians trying to defend themselves, the Starlink systems that they use for communications and that their interceptor drones depend on were blocked.

This happened around 1 a.m., forcing Ukraine to disrupt missions of their interceptor drones because the satellite network they depend on needed Starlink. When Volodymyr Zelensky was asked during an interview today whether he had been betrayed by Donald Trump, he said, “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely.”

Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates Starlink and its military version, Starshield, posted on X to explain who controls the military system. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” he wrote. He didn’t mince words. According to Musk, decisions about restricting Starshield are ultimately in the hands of the United States government and President Donald Trump, not him. That means, as Ukrainian forces were struggling to defend their country last night against another wave of Russian attacks, their access to a system they desperately needed had been restricted by the president, who once again showed his loyalty to the aggressor, Donald Trump’s dictator friend, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

For those of us who care about our country and the world, we can see what just happened, and we have watched this building for years now. The White House has fallen. We are now either under the control of Russia or, at the very least, aligning ourselves with them as something resembling partners. And Donald Trump isn’t even trying to hide it. He is doing it right out in the open. But the danger goes far beyond what happened last night, because so many Americans who are not as invested in politics have no idea what is happening, and the outrage that something like this should cause isn’t at the level that it deserves. It is being covered by news organizations outside our country, but here in the United States it should be on the cover story of all programs, but it’s not. So those of us who know what is happening are left watching another deeply troubling development get chalked up to just one more bad thing this president has done, while millions of others have no idea just how far he has gone to carry out Vladimir Putin’s dirty work.

Our past presidents would not recognize this country. They would be shocked and horrified at how far we have fallen and that we are now being led by a convicted felon as our president. There was a time when the President of the United States was the person everyone looked to when the worst was happening, and they were expected to rise to the occasion and lead. Franklin Roosevelt did not hold rallies while the world burned, and he certainly wasn’t the one setting the fires in the first place.

There are stories of him on December 7, 1941, when he learned that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, and how he responded with calm determination in that moment. How just two days after the attack, he was able to speak directly to the American people with such composure and reassurance, telling them that the war would be long and difficult, and that there would be sacrifices. He did not pretend that the danger wasn’t real or that he could simply make it disappear. He understood that the lives of millions of people, both here and around the world, depended on the decisions he was making. Roosevelt was far from perfect, but when the country was facing one of the darkest moments in its history, he understood that being President of the United States meant carrying responsibilities that were much bigger than himself. And here we are today, watching Donald Trump side with evil and bring the world instability and nonstop chaos. His presidency is a disgrace to all past presidents who ever took the oath of office with dignity and a sense of duty.

Over 80 years after the end of the last world war, we have forgotten just how enormous the responsibility of being President of the United States really is. We used to take that responsibility for granted. We used to assume that whoever sat in the Oval Office, regardless of party, would at bare minimum understand and carry out the responsibilities expected of them. We used to assume that when bombs were falling on a country that depended on technology we control for its survival, the president would be doing everything in his power to help defend it. We did not assume he would be the one who sided with a dictator and helped an aggressor destroy our ally.

This isn’t even on Donald Trump. He has never hidden who or what he is. A failed human being and a terrible leader. Donald Trump did not break the presidency; he just revealed how little we were protecting it. He showed us that the office of the presidency had become, in the minds of too many Americans, something closer to a cult of personality than the sacred trust it is.

This is on every member of Congress who has enabled and defended him, abdicating their responsibility to their constituents and the Constitution. This is on the Supreme Court for its decision granting presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. And this is on members of our communities who have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by this corrupt man and dragged onto the wrong side of history. At some point, we have to stop pretending that everyone still siding with him doesn’t know what he is doing to our country, or that none of them have decided they like the cruelty and division. And that moment is now. There is too much on the line to keep making excuses. But that also doesn’t mean they aren’t welcome if they ever decide to leave.

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Today, watching him go on for hours, I just kept thinking about what happens if we keep going like this. I worry about what happens if this becomes the permanent baseline of what a president is. That this is just how presidents talk and act. What happens to a civilization when a generation of children who have been subjected to Donald Trump for over a decade grow up believing that this is what a president is? That a president is someone who talks about shooting journalists and shows loyalty to anti-democratic governments. Someone who openly talks about his imperialistic dreams of conquering sovereign nations as though they are his for the taking. What happens if we don’t get enough people to show up during the midterm elections to begin putting a stop to this destruction of everything the presidency was supposed to stand for?

Maybe the greatest danger we face is not what Donald Trump does next. Maybe it is that the next generations will not know there was ever anything different. That they will think that this is just who we are now. Thankfully, we are not going to let this happen. At almost every public event the president has been at these past couple of weeks, people have stood up, in a sea of what must have felt like enemy territory, and made their opposition known. At great risk to their physical safety and personal well-being, they looked at this moment and said, not on my watch. They did what they could to resist. Not all of us are able to take that kind of action or in a position to take those same risks, but we all have one thing we can do to have our voices heard as well. We can vote. That is how we take back our country from a group of people in power who have caused so much pain and division. We are going to turn out at the polls in numbers this country has never seen before. We are the ones who are going to make it too big to rig. We are going to make sure that future generations know that when our country needed us most, we didn’t look away. We stood up together and did something about it. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

Share

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: The ICE raids are as bad as you can imagine they are here in Southern California. I just saw a post showing people being kidnapped just a few minutes from my house, a block away from our old house, and everywhere in between. I was talking to someone earlier today about how fearful we all are for people in our community because those with dark skin are being stopped and forced to comply with the demands of people who are not identifying themselves and are wearing masks to conceal their faces. U.S. citizens are so far being released, but I fear this is all a test of what is to come.

We also talked about the last time we felt truly safe, and I realized it was almost two years ago, before the 2024 election. Then I remembered the moment I took this picture, during the summer of 2025, on Canada Day in Victoria, B.C., and being so thankful to be able to get away from the States for a bit, and how I felt a bit of safety then too. I remember that moment and thinking back then about the summer before, when I was standing in this same spot looking forward to the 2024 election and finally being rid of Donald Trump. Heather in 2024 had no idea what was to come and was so hopeful for the future. Heather in 2025, if you look closely, had pain in her eyes for what had already happened and for what she knew was coming. I was so happy to be with my oldest in that moment and also so sad for the world she was having to live in back at home.

This past summer was the first time we haven’t gone up to Canada since COVID, but there was just too much work to do back at home ahead of the midterms, so we decided not to go. To my Canadian friends and to everyone outside the U.S. reading this, please keep the faith. We are pushing through this authoritarian takeover. We will keep working to reclaim Congress through our votes, and we will work for however long it takes to get to the other side of this and somehow mend the damage we have caused. We won’t stop until we do. And no, you will never be the 51st state.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

PBS NewsHour Trump speaks at rally along Arizona-Nevada border: YouTube Video

https://abcnews.com/International/600000-power-ukraine-russia-launches-missile-drone-attack/story?id=137248732

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/14/massive-russian-attack-on-ukraine-kills-at-least-six-cuts-power-in-kyiv

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/trump-suggests-those-who-leak-government-information-should-be-shot

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/14/three-days-after-washington-announced-an-energy-ceasefire-russia-fires-39-ballistic-missiles-at-ukraines-grid/

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/14/starshield-systems-are-owned-and-controlled-by-the-us-government-musk-says-trump-not-spacex-is-behind-cut-hitting-ukraine/

https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-says-he-feels-betrayed-over-trump-russia-deal/

https://thehill.com/homenews/6149366-trump-rally-leakers-shot/

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/texas/news/pentagon-briefing-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites

At 11:51 in the morning, JD Vance landed at a small regional airport in Texas and had a six-vehicle motorcade drive him 295 feet to a rally podium, with Air Force Two still visible behind him. He opened by telling a man who shouted that he loved him, “I love you too, sir, in a totally platonic way, to be clear,” before adding, “I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.” That set the tone for an entire morning of sexual innuendo and culture war attacks against a former teacher and devout Presbyterian Christian whose compassion has reached voters beyond the Democratic base. Before leaving for Texas, Vance suggested Talarico had an unusual internet search history, then admitted, “Maybe he doesn’t. Just guessing, but I wouldn’t want to see it.” This was his case for electing Ken Paxton, who had been impeached and acquitted, faced securities fraud charges that were later dismissed, and been accused of abusing his office.

I had the general displeasure of watching both Vance and Trump’s rallies. In Alaska, Trump told the same recycled stories, including his preposterous claim that a transgender swimmer passed a female competitor so fast that the wind burned her skin. Both were underwater. Vance was copying the insults and the targets, but he could not recreate Trump’s connection with the crowd. That should make him less dangerous. I am not sure it does. Vance called Talarico’s candidacy a “plot to seize power,” treating ordinary political opposition as a threat to the country. His performance looked like another audition for the presidency, showing the MAGA base that he could deliver the cruelty while showing donors that he could deliver their demands. Replacing Trump with someone capable of finishing a coherent sentence might reduce the daily chaos. Vance is deeply embedded in the project, backed by tech money and willing to carry out the visions of Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation. Trump is a wrecking ball swinging in every direction. Vance could be easier to control and more strategic about destroying the remaining guardrails.

We are three weeks from the midterms, and even though Trump and Vance are not on the ballot, they really are. Flipping the House and possibly the Senate would build a firewall against Trump’s remaining time and whatever version of this movement comes next. On Saturday, October 17, the next No Kings events will focus on voter turnout, early voting, and election protection at more than 1,500 gatherings across the country. The movement has grown from four million people in June 2025 to an estimated eight million in March, and this next round is expected to be its largest yet. Asked about the midterms, Vance admitted, “We know that we’re swimming upstream.” They know holding onto unchecked power will be difficult. Our task is to turn that growing resistance into votes and a Congress capable of stopping the uncertainty and chaos.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-13-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

WATCH LIVE: Vance speaks at a GOP rally in Texas: YouTube Video

JUST IN: JD Vance Speaks To Reporters En Route To Midterm Rally In Texas: YouTube Video

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-jd-vance-political-rally-harlingen-texas-september-30-2026/

https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-10-08/trump-to-rally-for-sullivan-in-wasilla-next-week

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/08/trump-hold-midterm-rally-wasilla/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/2026-means-2028-why-jd-100349517.html

https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/01/vance-predicts-tough-midterms/

https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/vance-2028-buzz-grows-but-midterms-could-sting-1.500705402

https://www.galvnews.com/news_reuters/nation/no-kings-group-pivots-to-mass-voter-turnout-events/article_bf59512d-0d81-5379-9ec3-2508423ccc5d.html

https://wlos.com/news/local/list-no-kings-early-voting-events-planned-across-western-north-carolina-rally-protest-politics-democrat-republican-asheville-midterm-elections-2026

https://newsweek.com/jd-vance-approval-rating-plunges-historic-low-11809549

https://www.cronista.com/en/today/texas-hasnt-elected-a-democratic-senator-since-1988-james-talarico-leads-by-6-points/

“I love you too, sir, in a totally platonic way, to be clear,” Vance told a man in the crowd who had shouted that he loved the vice president, before adding, “I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”

Talarico, or as the Republicans have taken to calling him, “Talafreako,” is the Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate in Texas against Ken Paxton, and a major threat to Trump’s unchecked power over this country. So much so that Vance flew halfway across the country to hold a rally on the tarmac of an airport. With little more than a handful of manufactured controversies and the usual culture war scare tactics at his disposal, Vance picked up where others had left off, attacking Talarico for things like buying vegan products from local businesses, supporting transgender rights, and expressing Christian beliefs that challenge the religious far right.

They are right to be concerned. Talarico is a former teacher and devout Presbyterian Christian who has been able to reach voters way beyond the Texas Democratic base because of how he speaks about his faith and the compassion he shows to people on both sides of issues. That was enough for Vance to spend an entire morning building an innuendo campaign designed to make voters associate a political opponent with something sexually deviant, without ever saying the word out loud.

Before boarding Air Force Two for his flight to Texas, Vance stopped to answer questions from the press. A reporter asked what he meant when he said people wouldn’t want to see Talarico’s internet search history. Vance responded by talking about transgender children and drag queens, claiming that people who make comments like Talarico’s tend to have “some pretty unusual search histories.” Then he added, “Maybe he doesn’t. Just guessing, but I wouldn’t want to see it.”

By the time he was talking at the podium today, he had decided to go all in on the performance to try to convince Texas voters that even though Paxton had been impeached and acquitted, faced felony securities fraud charges that were later dismissed, and been accused of abusing his office, he was still the better choice than a candidate who had never faced such serious charges, or any charges at all. In fact, Talarico has faced no credible controversies at all.

When Vance brought up Talarico’s views on religion and transgender youth, he called him “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and told the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t want to find out,” referring again to that baseless claim about Talarico’s supposed search history. He called Talarico “Tali-freako” once more, and he told the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, this guy is a freak. Don’t elect him.” He became increasingly animated and told the audience that they needed to keep Talarico’s “freaky paws” out of their schools, whatever that means. He even found a way to mock Talarico for sharing about buying from a local vegan business, which is an interesting line of attack coming from JD Vance, since his own wife is a vegetarian. He also went on an odd tangent about education and told the audience, “Elect Ken Paxton so that our kids learn how to read at school. That’s all they need to be doing.”

When a woman in the crowd trolled Vance by waving a Mexican flag, Vance called her a “crazy person,” and told her to leave, adding that, “We’re talking about how to save America.” He continued, telling her to “Get the hell out of here.”

JD repeated many of the same talking points this administration keeps recycling, but one thing he said stood out was that he is now describing Talarico’s candidacy as a “plot to seize power.” The Republicans have reached the point where they are describing political opposition as a threat to the country itself, rather than an ordinary part of the democratic process.

This is who JD Vance is and always has been. He is a chameleon who can be bought by the highest bidder. He is great at repeating whatever he is told to say. Today was another audition for the presidency more than it was about the Texas election, at least for JD. He wants people to see that he can do the work, stand in front of a crowd and say the cruel, ugly things to keep the MAGA base engaged, while still keeping the MAGA donors satisfied by delivering on their demands.

Donald Trump and Vance both had rallies today, and I had the general displeasure of watching both. I watched Donald Trump in Wasilla, Alaska, performing much of the same act he’s been doing for months now. He shared the same recycled stories, talked about how “brilliant” he is, and made the same claim that America was a “dead country” before he came along. He told that ridiculous windburn swimmer story again, where he claims a female swimmer suffered serious burns all over her body because a transgender competitor passed her so fast that the wind burned her skin. Both swimmers were underwater in a pool. The story changed ever so slightly this time, but he still managed to tell it with a straight face, apparently convinced that his followers are not quite as “brilliant” as he is and would believe such a preposterous story.

Watching Vance speak earlier in the day showed how he continues to try to carry the same persona that Donald Trump does. He is copying, albeit very poorly, the insults, name-calling, and same targets: transgender people and migrants. He was really putting in the effort to follow the same playbook Trump uses. But he just does not have it. He is lacking the charisma and stage presence that Trump brings to his rallies, and nearly everyone can see it. He doesn’t have the same cult following Donald Trump does, and try as he might, he has remained unable to recreate that connection with the crowd.

This should make him less dangerous than the president. But the reality is that it might not be true. Because we have already seen multiple versions of JD. He changes with the wind, and we need to ask ourselves what would happen if someone like him were called upon to take over the presidency. What happens if he actually has to be the person in charge?

Because we all know what is coming. Whether it’s his health, or the 25th Amendment, or a post-midterm reckoning where the party finally decides Trump is more of a liability than an asset, we could be stuck with JD, and I don’t know if any of us know if we would be better off. Part of me thinks yes, because Trump is volatile and impulsive and increasingly detached from reality, and replacing him with someone who can at least finish a coherent thought and a sentence might reduce the daily chaos we are all living in. But the other part of me recognizes that it could be a lot worse. Trump is a shell of a man who doesn’t care about the day-to-day of running a government, or maybe he made some sort of deal to get himself elected to stay out of jail in exchange for letting the direction of the country be determined by someone else.

Vance on the other side is very different. Vance is committed to some of the worst things being done to this country in ways that Trump isn’t. Trump is surface level while Vance is deeply embedded in it. Vance knows this, and he knows what he is doing and who he is doing it with. He once compared Donald Trump to Hitler. Then the right amount of tech money found him, and they groomed him and told him it was his job to execute the vision Trump was never capable of carrying out on his own. The visions he is willing to carry out are the ones from Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation. He doesn’t really care about their missions; he only cares about the money. JD is extremely awkward; he offends people, and he carries himself with a strange combination of arrogance and insecurity that makes it difficult for anyone to take him seriously. Our allies would see through him in a heartbeat.

Trump is the evil we know, and JD Vance is the evil in the wings. Trump is a wrecking ball swinging in every direction, breaking things all over the place. Vance would be easier to control and more strategic as he destroys whatever guardrails remain around executive power.

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We are now just three weeks from the midterms. We need to remember that even though Donald Trump and JD Vance are not on the ballot, they really are. When we vote, we are sending a message that we are done with the uncertainty and chaos. If we can flip the House and possibly the Senate, we can build a firewall, not just against Trump’s remaining time, but against whatever version of this movement comes next.

It’s been a while, but the next No Kings movement is this Saturday, October 17th. They will be holding over fifteen hundred events across the country focused entirely on voter turnout, early voting, and election protection. These events have grown from four million people in June of 2025 to an estimated 8 million in March of this year. This one on Saturday is expected to be the largest one yet.

Vance said something today that he probably wishes he could take back. When a reporter asked about the midterms, he said, “We know that we’re swimming upstream,” admitting that it is going to be hard to hold onto all of the unchecked power they have right now. Meanwhile, the No Kings movement just keeps getting bigger. They know what is coming, and so do we. That is why I still have hope for America. You should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: I was thinking back to last year’s Halloween decorations and I realized a couple of things. This is the first year in over 26 years that I haven’t decorated. I just haven’t found time with the constant barrage of news coming out of our government where I have felt like I could step away from the news and get it done.

I’m watching BBC all throughout the night to stay as informed as I can about what is happening outside the US. I know BBC might not be ideal, but it is the closest we have here to any resemblance of independent journalism. And then during the day I’m watching Trump and his enabler cabinet members’ commentary while piecing it all together and searching out experts on subjects I’m not well versed in.

The reality is that we say that we need an educated populace who is up to date on everything that is happening right now, but they are intentionally throwing more at us than any one person could ever keep up with. I’m extremely lucky that I have help in my personal life and that my older daughters help out tremendously with their little sister and that I have my husband doing all of the production work, editing these posts and filming my daily videos, but the way politics are right now, and I use that term loosely, I can’t fault those who have typical jobs or who have small children. Which just means we have to do our best to break down what is happening into smaller, more manageable pieces and share that information with people wherever we can, whether on social media or in real life, so that more of us understand what is happening and what we can do about it.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

WATCH LIVE: Vance speaks at a GOP rally in Texas: YouTube Video

JUST IN: JD Vance Speaks To Reporters En Route To Midterm Rally In Texas: YouTube Video

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-jd-vance-political-rally-harlingen-texas-september-30-2026/

https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-10-08/trump-to-rally-for-sullivan-in-wasilla-next-week

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/08/trump-hold-midterm-rally-wasilla/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/2026-means-2028-why-jd-100349517.html

https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/01/vance-predicts-tough-midterms/

https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/vance-2028-buzz-grows-but-midterms-could-sting-1.500705402

https://www.galvnews.com/news_reuters/nation/no-kings-group-pivots-to-mass-voter-turnout-events/article_bf59512d-0d81-5379-9ec3-2508423ccc5d.html

https://wlos.com/news/local/list-no-kings-early-voting-events-planned-across-western-north-carolina-rally-protest-politics-democrat-republican-asheville-midterm-elections-2026

https://newsweek.com/jd-vance-approval-rating-plunges-historic-low-11809549

https://www.cronista.com/en/today/texas-hasnt-elected-a-democratic-senator-since-1988-james-talarico-leads-by-6-points/

At 7:21 last night, Donald Trump walked onto the stage at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, and began talking about how much he admired Senator Jon Husted’s body. He was there to campaign for Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, but the nearly hour-and-a-half rally became another reminder that there are no limits to what he will say. And what came next showed why we need to worry about what he is willing to do. When the crowd chanted “four more years,” he answered, “I would love to do that. I’ll be honest.” He called for the Senate to terminate the filibuster, then explained what he wanted: “We will never lose an election again because we’ll have really good safeguards. All strict.” This is a president openly talking about changing election laws so he never loses again, while his administration has refused to invite the international election observers who have monitored every federal election since 2002. Russia and Belarus have also shut those observers out. These are the last countries we should be following.

Then a woman wearing a “Release the Epstein Files” shirt was punched, shoved into the bleachers, and grabbed by the hair. Security removed her while the man who attacked her stayed and was not escorted out. Trump watched without condemning the violence, called the protesters “scum,” and mocked the woman’s appearance while the crowd laughed. This is what happens when political violence becomes something to celebrate. Mussolini’s Blackshirts beat opponents in public while police stood by or enabled it. Violence was not incidental to that takeover; it helped teach people to see cruelty as patriotic. Trump spent the rest of the night attacking immigrants and Ilhan Omar, with the crowd chanting for her deportation on the same day federal agents searched her home under a judicial warrant. The things he teases become the things he does next. We have to hear his words as planning, not empty threats.

There were moments before Trump when leaders understood that winning did not require tearing us apart.. He needs us broken and hopeless because a united country does not need a strongman. His support is slipping. His Ohio approval has fallen to 36 percent, and The Washington Post reported mostly empty sections of the arena even as he boasted of a “Big Crowd.” One election will not fix every problem, but it can put a major roadblock in his path. Unchecked power is not a future I will accept for my family or yours. We will live with the consequences of this administration for years, but we are not giving up. When we get tired, we have to remember that our resistance is working, or he would not be fighting so hard to convince us otherwise.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-12-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

Trump speaks at midterm rally in Youngstown, Ohio: PBS NewsHour Video

https://apnews.com/article/trump-ohio-rally-youngstown-husted-ramaswamy

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-rally-protester-punched

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/plan-to-broadcast-fort-hood-killers-execution-spurs-criticism

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/12/politics/donald-trump-ohio-rally

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/12/trump-youngstown-ohio-rally

https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/ranking-member-shaheen-condemns-unprecedented-move-to-block-international-observers-from-us-midterm-elections

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/25/us-trump-administration-rejects-external-election-observers

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/exclusive-these-international-observers-have-monitored-us-elections-for-decades-this-time-the-trump-admin-didnt-invite-them

https://apnews.com/article/trump-omar-home-search-federal-agents

https://apnews.com/article/ohio-senate-race-pac-socialist-candidate-brown

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool

“I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body … and I looked and I watched up and down. I looked at his ass and I looked at the whole... And then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands. He’s got these claws.”

The rest of his nearly 1½-hour-long rally showed much of the same bizarre ramblings and just how much Trump seems to be struggling mentally, not even halfway through his second term.

The man with the body Trump admired was actually Senator Jon Husted, one of the two men that Trump had flown to Ohio to campaign for. The other was Vivek Ramaswamy, who he had actually campaigned against during the Republican presidential primaries. But Trump seemed particularly fascinated by Husted, because that wasn’t the only time that he commented on Husted’s body. At one point, he even stopped what he was about to say and blurted out, “Look at that jawline,” and “I’ll tell you, I never saw that. I never studied him and now I study him. I say, why was he such a good football? Look at the jawline. He’s tough as hell.”

As the rally went on, it moved past embarrassing and into the reminder that there really is nothing Donald Trump will not say. With no impulse control, whatever enters his mind exits his mouth without hesitation, and that is a terrible trait for a president to have. One of the first things he said at a campaign rally, where his party’s polling numbers keep falling, was to talk about how impressed he was with a senator’s backside. He has lost the ability to regulate what he says in public, and there is nobody who will stop him. The only people around him are the ones pushing him to get even more extreme. But what this really reveals isn’t just that there are no limits to what he will say, but that we may very well be reaching the point where there is nothing he will not do as well.

Later in his speech, the crowd, who had been cheering at the worst of what he said and laughing when they should have been concerned, started chanting “four more years.” Trump did not skip a beat and, with a grin and a smirk, responded, “I would love to do that. I’ll be honest.” He had said a week ago that he only teases another run to upset Democrats. “We’ve driven them crazy. They’re sick individuals.” No doubt if he thought he could actually do it, he would, and law-and-order supporters would cheer him on.

Then came the threats. He said that if Democrats ever regained power, “He’s going to be the last Republican president in the history of our country. I will be. I will be. I will be the last Republican president.” He is desperate to make Democrats, and really anyone who has not completely bowed down to him, the enemy and a grave threat to life in the United States. The people in that room with him seemed to think that the only thing standing between them and some unnamed but frightening threat is keeping Republicans in power forever, even as their daily lives become more expensive and uncertain under Republican control of all three branches of government.

Not too long after that, he brought up eliminating the Senate filibuster, which would allow Republicans to pass most legislation with a simple majority instead of needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, when he said, “Frankly, we should terminate the filibuster.” He kept going, “You terminate the filibuster, you get everything. It’ll be so beautiful. You’ll do it all.” He then let it slip exactly why he wants the filibuster gone so badly, “We will never lose an election again because we’ll have really good safeguards. All strict.” He wants to eliminate the filibuster so that he can push through changes to our election laws that would ensure he truly will never lose an election again, or most likely ever even have them again, and if we do, they will be in name only, like in Russia and Belarus. He is openly advocating for the end of our democratic republic in the United States.

His comments are especially concerning when you consider that just a couple of weeks ago, it was announced that the Trump administration had refused to invite international election observers to monitor our upcoming midterm elections. This breaks a long-standing tradition that has been in place for more than two decades. Since 2002, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has monitored every federal election in the United States and provided independent observation of how our elections are conducted. They have been shut out for the first time ever. The countries that have also refused to allow these observers include Russia and Belarus. These are the last countries we should be following when it comes to protecting free and fair elections, and yet once again, under the leadership, or lack thereof, of Donald Trump, here we are.

Not everybody in the audience just nodded along with everything he said. There were two protesters who broke through the dangerous rhetoric coming from Donald Trump. The second was a woman wearing a shirt that read “Release the Epstein Files” and whom a Trump supporter ended up punching in the face, shoving into the bleachers, grabbing by the hair, and attempting to shove her head into the ground. Security arrived and removed the woman, however the man who attacked her was not removed. He stayed in the arena and exchanged high-fives with other attendees while she was escorted out.

Trump watched all of this happen from the stage and just took it in, never once condemning the violence. He called the protesters “scum” and said they were “paid by the lefties in order to destroy our country.” When it came to the protester who was beaten, he went even further, mocking her appearance and misgendering her, calling her a “fat guy” going “back home to mom,” and the crowd laughed.

The president of the United States stood at the podium and made it clear whose side he was on when he laughed along with this latest show of violence. This is the world that Donald Trump has created, where violence is no longer viewed as a bad thing, and it’s not just accepted. It’s now encouraged. Much like everything this administration does, there are parallels to past times of the rise of dictators, authoritarianism, and fascism.

Back in the early 1920s, before Mussolini had even consolidated full power in Italy, his Blackshirts, the squadristi, beat socialists, trade unionists, journalists, and political opponents at rallies and in public spaces. Police stood by and watched, and in many towns, they enabled it. Historians have long said that violence is not a side effect of fascism. They have said that it is one of the essential components of a fascist takeover, with the populace learning to see violence as patriotic, and even heroic.

When what happened tonight is seen in the bigger picture alongside Pete Hegseth’s announcement of a livestreamed public execution by firing squad, it all makes more sense. This is just the Trump administration following the modern-day strongman playbook.

The rest of what Trump said focused on his continued efforts to divide us and make us see each other, and especially our black and brown migrant communities, as the enemy and a threat. He once again shared the fake claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio: “Remember during the debate I said some of the things they were doing. I was right.” He was most certainly not right about any of those ugly lies. He called Somali immigrants “low IQ” and said they come from a place where “they don’t have pants to wear.” He called the Democratic candidate for Michigan governor “a jihadist” twice. He attacked the woman he is obsessed with, Representative Ilhan Omar, calling her “a disaster” who “comes in from a country without laws, without police, without military, without all they do is shoot each other,” while the crowd chanted for her deportation. This happened on the same day that federal agents searched Omar’s home under a judicial warrant in his administration’s attempt to harass her.

He continued to make very little sense in the context of why he was there at that rally, going on a rambling tangent about how he fired more than a million federal workers and compared it to his reality television show: “We fired. Fired. We whatever we did. I don’t know what you call it like the apprentice. You’re fired. Get the hell out of here.” There is nothing Donald Trump will not say to a cheering crowd, to try to keep unchecked power ahead of the midterm elections, or even beyond that.

There was a time before Donald Trump entered politics when our “politics” were not like this. Obama and McCain ran a civil, respectful campaign. There were moments when McCain stopped his own supporters from going too far, correcting a woman at a town hall who called Obama an Arab by saying, “No ma’am, he’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign is all about.” He even told supporters who said they were afraid of an Obama presidency that Obama was a decent person and someone they did not need to fear. Obama and Romney debated their differences in policy without trying to dehumanize each other or tear the country apart. When Romney lost in 2012, he congratulated Obama and said he prayed that the president would succeed in guiding the country. Obama, in turn, praised Romney’s family’s record of public service and spoke about finding ways they could work together.

Even George W. Bush, just days after the September 11 attacks, went to a mosque in Washington, D.C., and reminded Americans that Muslim citizens deserved respect and should not be blamed for the actions of terrorists. He understood that anger and fear could turn Americans against one another, and that part of his responsibility as president was to prevent that from happening. These were not politicians who always agreed, and their campaigns were certainly not without ugly moments. But there were still moments when leaders understood that winning an election did not require turning fellow Americans against each other. They were trying to win elections; they were not trying to destroy the shared understanding of decency that holds our country together.

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The one common denominator in the ugliness that has overshadowed the United States since this country lost its civility is Donald Trump. He has gone way past just changing the tone of our politics. He has been systematically trying to destroy everything that still ties us to each other and to our country: our shared sense of morality, history, and ability to disagree without dehumanizing each other. He does this because he needs us broken and without hope. He knows that a united country does not need a strongman; only a broken one does. He is not, and never has, tried to make America great. He is trying to completely destroy this country to change it from the United States of America to the United States of Trump.

What is concerning so many of us right now isn’t just what he said today. We have heard all of it before. It’s what he is willing to do, and the speed he is moving right now. He said he would ban Muslims, and then he did. He said the election was stolen, and then his supporters stormed the Capitol. He said he would go after his enemies, and he has, but now he is sending federal agents to search a sitting, duly elected congresswoman’s home in the morning, and that night he is on stage encouraging a crowd to chant for her deportation. The things that he teases become the things he does next. So when he talks about all of these terrible things happening, we need to hear it as planning, not threats.

If we do not deliver a blue wave of historic proportions, the country our children and grandchildren inherit will be unrecognizable to the one we grew up in. One election will not fix all of our problems, but it will cause a major roadblock in the completion of everything he described tonight. The alternative, with him holding unchecked power, is not a future I am willing to accept. Not for my family or yours. And not for the entire world suffering through a madman occupying the Oval Office.

The real reason Donald Trump was in Ohio tonight had nothing to do with how much he claims to love the state. He was there because his support is slipping, and the numbers are showing just how much trouble he is in, even in a state he won comfortably just two years ago. His approval rating there has fallen to 36 percent. The proof was in that building tonight, with The Washington Post reporting that large sections of the Covelli Centre, including the upper seating areas, were mostly empty. He posted on Truth Social, “Big Crowd at Ohio Rally. Tremendous Response to Radical Left Socialists, Communists, and Lunatics trying to take over our Country. See you later, Ohio! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” but his attempts to cover up just how unpopular he has become are getting harder to pull off when the empty seats are there for everyone to see.

He wants us to be hopeless because hopelessness is a sign that his authoritarian takeover is complete or primed to succeed. But we are not hopeless, and we are not giving up. Yes, things are going to get harder. We will be dealing with the consequences of what he and his enablers have done to this country and the world for years and decades to come. But we have faced hard times before, and every single time, we have come out on the other side vowing to make our country better. The pendulum always swings. We just have to catch it and push it further to the right side of history this time. At the end of the day, when we start to feel tired, we have to keep reminding ourselves that what we are doing is working, or he wouldn’t be fighting so hard to convince us otherwise. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: My youngest painted this today. She is so talented and has always had this incredible artistic ability. She also made cookies this afternoon. She and her sisters are the reason I’ll never stop fighting for this country and the children of the world. They deserve so much better than the past 10+ years, and it truly feels like the tide has turned in some major ways. We can’t afford to get comfortable, but at the same time it's okay to acknowledge the uphill battle we have all climbed to get here. We also should be proud that we have not fallen for any of the Trump Regime propaganda when so many others have, and we have not been scared into silence either. All things worth celebrating!

Links to sources used in writing this article:

Trump speaks at midterm rally in Youngstown, Ohio: PBS NewsHour Video

https://apnews.com/article/trump-ohio-rally-youngstown-husted-ramaswamy

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-rally-protester-punched

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/plan-to-broadcast-fort-hood-killers-execution-spurs-criticism

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/12/politics/donald-trump-ohio-rally

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/12/trump-youngstown-ohio-rally

https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/ranking-member-shaheen-condemns-unprecedented-move-to-block-international-observers-from-us-midterm-elections

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/25/us-trump-administration-rejects-external-election-observers

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/exclusive-these-international-observers-have-monitored-us-elections-for-decades-this-time-the-trump-admin-didnt-invite-them

https://apnews.com/article/trump-omar-home-search-federal-agents

https://apnews.com/article/ohio-senate-race-pac-socialist-candidate-brown

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool

At 12:07 in the afternoon, the White House abruptly canceled all of Donald Trump’s scheduled events and told the press he would not be seen again for the rest of the day. Instead of attending a fundraiser at his Virginia golf course, he stayed inside and posted on Truth Social. He offered no explanation for his disappearance, but he did announce the woman who will begin speaking for his administration Monday morning. Katie Zacharia, a lawyer from Huntington Beach, California, has spent years spreading QAnon conspiracy theories and disinformation. Now she is becoming the voice of the executive branch of the United States. Karoline Leavitt left in August to “spend more time with her family,” only to announce that she will join Fox News on November 1. She is following the same path as other Trump press secretaries, moving between a government podium and conservative television.

Zacharia was already part of that world, working at DHS under Kristi Noem, then at Trump Media & Technology Group while appearing on Fox News and Newsmax. But it is what she has repeatedly said that makes this appointment so disturbing. She called Hollywood figures “pedo cannibals,” engaged with QAnon, and promoted the “Devolution” theory that Trump secretly retained control of the military while out of office. She called for the government to “suspend habeas corpus,” one of our most fundamental protections against unlawful detention, and said the federal government should take over California. She shared false claims about COVID vaccines and mifepristone and encouraged a third Trump term. Every time I thought I had reached the bottom while researching her history, I found something worse. These were the statements of an adult who is now being entrusted with speaking for the United States government. This is no longer someone on a fringe network. This is the person who will stand behind the White House briefing-room podium.

In her first interview as incoming press secretary, Zacharia told Jesse Watters that she gets to continue doing what she has been doing: promoting Trump’s actions. CNN reported that other candidates were disqualified after officials discovered previous criticism of him. Trump praised her “unblemished record of support.” Loyalty is what they wanted, and this appointment takes us another step toward state media propaganda under authoritarian rule. Pushing back has to become part of our everyday lives, in our conversations, where our money goes, and the people and voices we support. Trump has not completely taken over our country. There is still time to protect the future, and knowing how much we have left to lose is exactly why we cannot afford to give up.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-11-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

https://bnonews.com/whpool/d2_qyV1K

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/09/trump-taps-conservative-commentator-next-white-house-press-secretary/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/katie-zacharia-white-house-press-secretary-trump-rcna602560

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharia-caught-pushing-jaw-dropping-conspiracy-claims

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-ltrumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharias-deleted-maga-rants-exposed

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-press-secretary-past-vaccine-183424021.html

https://www.rawstory.com/katie-zacharia-new-report-sick/

https://www.aol.com/articles/katie-zacharia-leaves-dhs-weeks-143101579.html

Instead of attending a MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his Virginia golf course, Trump locked himself away inside the White House and went on a posting spree on Truth Social. He did not share anything that might explain his sudden disappearance from public view, but he did post a tribute to his former press secretary before announcing that her replacement, an even more dangerous woman with strong ties to QAnon and a troubling history of sharing and believing conspiracy theories, would begin her new role tomorrow morning.

In Donald Trump’s farewell post to Karoline Leavitt, which read more like a eulogy than a farewell, he called her “fantastic” and said she “could not have been better.” A half an hour later, he announced that his newest press secretary, 41-year-old Katie Zacharia from California, would begin her first day in the White House role tomorrow, with an “introductory news conference” on Tuesday at 9:30 AM from the Brady Briefing Room. He described her as someone who “has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning.”

Karoline Leavitt made history as the youngest White House press secretary in American history and also for her uncanny ability to spin the truth and defend Donald Trump against criticism of even his most indefensible actions. After a short return to the White House following the birth of her second child, she left for good in August to “spend more time with her family,” only to announce just last week that she would be joining Fox News on November 1 as a contributor.

She joins a long list of others who have taken this very same career path. Sarah Huckabee Sanders left her position as Trump’s press secretary during his first term in 2019 and secured a job at Fox News just months later. Kayleigh McEnany did the same thing after Trump’s first term ended, eventually becoming a co-host of Outnumbered. Sean Spicer, Trump’s very first press secretary, took a slightly different path after Fox reportedly refused to offer him a position on the network; he ended up hosting his own show on Newsmax. That is what makes this revolving door between the White House and conservative media so important. The people standing behind that podium are supposed to be answering questions on behalf of the American government, not auditioning for their next television contract. But when defending the president through carefully choreographed, nationally watched performances can lead to a lucrative career in right-wing media, it raises serious questions about their motives and whether they are more interested in protecting the president than keeping the American people informed. Now Karoline Leavitt is following that same path. Of course, this isn’t exclusive to Trump’s administrations. Democratic ones have also seen their press secretaries make similar moves, but not nearly to the same extent.

Katie Zacharia is no doubt familiar with the career opportunities that have followed other Trump press secretaries. A native of Huntington Beach, California, a neighboring town to where I was born and raised, she was already part of Trump’s media ecosystem before being named White House press secretary. After leaving the Department of Homeland Security, she served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, Trump’s personal social media platform. She was employed by the company behind the platform he uses to communicate directly with his supporters, and she regularly appeared on Fox News and Newsmax as a commentator defending his agenda.

She worked at the Department of Homeland Security while it was still under the leadership and control of Kristi Noem. Her work was done alongside Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s reported romantic partner, who served as an unpaid special government employee but reportedly wielded wide influence over contracts, personnel, and operations inside the agency. The Daily Beast reported that Zacharia was ousted due to her close ties with Lewandowski, and that there was a blacklist of Noem loyalists inside DHS who were likely to get fired. She left the position when the Lewandowski-Noem scandal was intensifying, and House Democrats were heightening their investigation into Lewandowski over accusations of mismanagement and corruption. Zacharia denied that account and told Just the News that her departure was motivated by the strain of regular travel between Washington and California on her family, which makes it all the more strange that she is now returning to the very place she claimed she needed to leave.

Since Leavitt’s abrupt departure back in August, there have only been two formal briefings in the press room, one with Vice President J.D. Vance and the other with Attorney General Todd Blanche. For nearly two months, the room where the American people are supposed to receive truthful information from their government has sat empty. Tuesday morning, that changes, and the woman stepping behind that podium this time may very well be the most controversial of them all. Never before has there been someone who has spent years spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation online to the level she has.

For all of the bouncing around that Katie Zacharia has done, she has an impressive educational background, having earned both her undergraduate degree and a law degree from Pepperdine University. But it’s what she has repeatedly posted online over the years that raises serious questions about her judgment now that she is being entrusted with speaking on behalf of the United States government.

Back in 2022, she posted on her verified Truth Social account that: “The radical left Hollywood elitists are sick pedo cannibals. Change my mind.” She also reposted a message from far-right activist Ali Alexander that said, “Democrats want to mask and r*pe your children.” There was also a post that she tagged Donald Trump and Sean Hannity in, demanding to know why Fox News would not run a feature on “what a pedophile Podesta is.” After a conspiracy theorist named Robert David Steele died of COVID, she honored him by writing that he “was exposing the pedo rings of the elite cabal.”

These are not the words of a teenager still learning how to separate fact from fiction or how to use social media responsibly. These statements were made by an adult who, tomorrow morning, will begin speaking on behalf of the President of the United States.

Unfortunately, it only gets worse from there. She has even more history of openly engaging with QAnon, the conspiracy that claims Donald Trump is secretly fighting a satanic, cannibalistic, child-abusing network made up of Democrats, Hollywood figures, and members of what they call the deep state. When another Truth Social user posted that Trump drinking bottled water during an announcement reminded them of a QAnon-coded message from Trump, Zacharia responded: “I was wondering the same thing.” She also promoted the “Devolution” theory, that Trump secretly retained control of the United States military while he was out of office.

Since March 2022, she has posted over 2,500 times on Truth Social, including both original posts and ones that she reposted, and this doesn’t include posts she made and later deleted on other platforms, like one from June of 2025, when she called for the United States government to “suspend habeas corpus.”

Habeas corpus is one of the most fundamental constitutional protections against unlawful detention guaranteed to us, and something the Founding Fathers made sure to include in the Constitution because of the abuses of power they had witnessed under British rule. She wrote at the time that the federal government “should take over all of California because clearly you can’t be trusted to do a single thing.” She also shared an article falsely claiming that eight in ten women had a miscarriage after receiving the COVID vaccine. She accused “leftist transgender assailants” of being responsible for “at least a dozen” school shootings. She encouraged Trump to run for a third presidential term. And on a podcast, she falsely stated that the abortion pill mifepristone uses the same chemical that was used in Nazi extermination camps.

Every time I thought I had reached the bottom of what she has said, while I was researching for this post, she would outdo herself with the next thing I found. That is the most concerning part of her appointment to this important and highly visible position. She is not going to be a random commentator on a fringe network. Starting tomorrow morning, she will be the voice of the executive branch of the United States of America.

Hours after we first learned that she would be taking over the role, she appeared on Jesse Watters’ show on Fox News to give her first interview as the incoming press secretary. When asked about her new responsibilities, she said: “I just get to continue doing what I’ve been doing, which is promote all of the things that President Trump is doing on behalf of the American people.” She went on to close the interview by telling Watters: “I am looking forward to serving him and the American people and working more with you, Jesse.”

CNN reported that during the selection process, others who were under consideration for the position were disqualified after White House officials discovered they had previously criticized Donald Trump. They were not looking for credibility or experience with the press corps. They wanted someone who had demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the president and would continue to do so. Trump said so himself when he praised her “unblemished record of support.”

Having seen everything that comes from the Trump Regime, this is not a surprising move on their part. But it is still deeply disturbing because it takes us one more step further away from anything resembling a functioning democracy. When the person responsible for communicating government information to the American people is a QAnon believer who has called Democrats satanic cannibals, and called for the suspension of constitutional rights, we are moving dangerously close to a complete system collapse into state media propaganda under authoritarian rule.

This will not get better without our commitment to making it better. Pushing back against this government has to become our day job and our night job. For the next two-plus years, it has to be part of our everyday lives, in the conversations we have, the decisions we make about where our money goes, the people we support, and the voices we help keep alive. We need to be there to encourage each other to keep going and to keep resisting.

I know these next two years are going to be difficult. I know how exhausting it already feels, and I know that there are days when even opening the news is more than some of us can bear. But I also know how much it means when we see others pushing through all of that and still showing up to take a stand against what the Trump Regime and his enablers are doing to our country, and thus the world.

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I’m writing this from a very soggy San Diego where we just had another band of what was Tropical Storm Rachel push through. All of my children are currently home after traveling for work and fun. I sat for a moment and thought about just how lucky I am to be close to them still, and what I want for them in the future, and for any children they might have someday. A stable government that truly works toward a world where they can feel safe, where their rights and freedoms are protected, where they can afford to build a life for themselves, and where they can look forward to the future instead of worrying about what might be taken away from them. A country where they can raise their own children with the same sense of security and possibility that I always hoped to give them. And a world where children everywhere have the chance to grow up in peace and security, without having their futures threatened by wars, instability, and the decisions of powerful people who seem to care so little about the lives they are affecting.

We are all being forced to learn to live in this strange place of joy and heartbreak right now, but I found comfort in knowing that Donald Trump hasn’t completely taken over our country and that there is still time to save it.

Knowing who we are fighting for, future generations, and just how much is on the line for the entire planet in November made me emotional and more determined than ever. But mostly it reminded me how much we still have to lose, which is exactly why we cannot afford to give up. We are doing this because we still believe there is a better future for our children, the children growing up around us, and for all of us. And as long as there are millions of us who still believe that and are willing to do something about it, Donald Trump has not and never will win. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

Subscribe now

Share

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: Earlier today, we couldn’t find this sweet girl. We searched everywhere for her before remembering that she hates to be cold. Granted, it was about 71 degrees today, but it has been in the high 80s for what feels like months now, so this was a big drop in temperature for her. She had dragged a blanket off the couch and into her dog bed and was sound asleep under it, ignoring us when we were calling for her. It wasn’t even raining when she did this. I have no idea how she is going to make it through another “harsh” San Diego winter.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

https://bnonews.com/whpool/d2_qyV1K

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/09/trump-taps-conservative-commentator-next-white-house-press-secretary/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/katie-zacharia-white-house-press-secretary-trump-rcna602560

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharia-caught-pushing-jaw-dropping-conspiracy-claims

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-ltrumps-new-mouthpiece-katie-zacharias-deleted-maga-rants-exposed

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-press-secretary-past-vaccine-183424021.html

https://www.rawstory.com/katie-zacharia-new-report-sick/

https://www.aol.com/articles/katie-zacharia-leaves-dhs-weeks-143101579.html

At 12:41 in the afternoon, an angry Donald Trump walked over to the reporters outside the White House and, in just 5 minutes and 36 seconds, made clear where our country now stands. Asked about his new diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, he directed his anger at Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of the country being invaded. “Zelensky could have settled this war many times. Many, many times. And he chooses not to.” Then he said, “And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.” The President of the United States called for regime change in a democracy fighting for its survival while offering its invader relief from sanctions. I have watched so many hours of Trump speaking that I’m numb to much of it, but watching him praise Putin and vilify Zelenskyy was beyond upsetting. It took me back to the Cold War and the relief we felt when the Berlin Wall came down. We knew that peace could be shattered again if authoritarian leaders were allowed to threaten their neighbors without consequences.

The initial 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel would barely cover 15 hours of American consumption if we received every drop. We already produce more than we use, and energy experts say this small amount is unlikely to make much difference to prices. What this deal does accomplish is a public signal that the United States stands with dictators, along with revenue Russia can use to buy more missiles. As Zelensky said, “Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war.” Even some Republicans are objecting. Brian Fitzpatrick is introducing the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act to block Russian oil purchases and says he will use a discharge petition to force a vote around House leadership. Ukraine is holding the line for Europe, and Beijing and Pyongyang are watching what happens when that line is abandoned.

One day, our descendants will ask what we did during this period. Whether we spoke out while people were taken off our streets without due process, women lost rights, and our president cozied up to a dictator. I know that calling out Trump and Putin every night puts me on a list. I understand the danger, and I am doing it anyway, because there is safety in numbers. If millions refuse to be quiet, they cannot come for all of us. I am also seeing a quieter resistance from online content creators putting messages in their videos or wearing shirts that make their position unmistakable. We can find both quiet and loud ways to resist. We have to show up on November 3 and vote like our children and grandchildren’s future depends on it. Getting through the midterms is the starting line. The long work of cleaning this up still lies ahead, and nothing is guaranteed. That is why we need to keep speaking, keep showing up, and keep doing our part.

See the full story in the video.

Subscribe now

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

Subscribe now

I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-10-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 10, 2026: YouTube Video

https://www.axios.com/2026/10/10/fitzpatrick-trump-russia-diesel-discharge-petition

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6140830-fitzpatrick-bill-block-russian-oil/

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6140871-republicans-oppose-trump-russian-diesel-deal/

https://kyivindependent.com/will-only-lead-to-more-slaughter-bipartisan-backlash-erupts-in-us-over-trump-russia-diesel-deal/

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-diesel-2678069583/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-cuts-desperate-deal-with-putin-to-save-magas-skin

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-09/trump-says-us-to-obtain-diesel-from-russia-despite-energy-sanctions

The entire exchange lasted just 5 minutes and 36 seconds before he abruptly turned and walked away without answering any more questions. During that time, he made it abundantly clear that we, as a country, now stand with war criminals and against democracies fighting for their very survival during invasions and unprovoked attacks. He didn’t even try to hide where his loyalties lie, even going so far as to blame the country that was fighting to defend itself for failing to settle the war.

When he was asked by a reporter about the criticism over his new diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, he immediately turned his frustration entirely toward Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The deal would release millions of tons of Russian diesel into the global market and temporarily lift the sanctions that were put in place to stop Russia from making money that could be used to fund the war in Ukraine. He ignored all of that and blamed Zelenskyy, the president of the country that was invaded, for not stopping the war. “Zelensky could have settled this war many times. Many, many times. And he chooses not to.”

He then told the entire world where the United States now stands on Russia and Ukraine, leaving little room for imagination when he said, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals that for some reason he never does.” Whether he meant to or not, he is using the words of someone who has abandoned his support for Ukraine and is saying that he believes Zelenskyy should have already surrendered his country and his people to Trump’s warlord friend, Vladimir Putin.

He continued, seemingly wanting to make sure the world knew exactly whose side he was on, and added, “And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”

The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, called for regime change in a democracy that is being invaded by a dictator while standing on the White House lawn, in front of cameras, with absolutely no hesitation or shame. That is where we are now as a country. Our president no longer pretends to stand against evil in this world, instead opting to help it grow.

I wouldn’t even be able to count how many hours of Donald Trump speaking I have had to watch over the past two years to be able to write these posts every night. I’m numb to a lot of what he says, but watching him praise Putin and vilify Zelenskyy was beyond upsetting. It took me back to being a child during the Cold War and the sense of relief and hope we all felt when the Berlin Wall came down. Many of us remember, or have learned about, those decades of uncertainty and fear that we thought had finally been left behind, but that we also knew could rise again if authoritarian leaders were allowed to threaten their neighbors without consequences. As president of the United States, Donald Trump should know what those times were like and how easily peace can be shattered, yet he still called for Ukraine’s president to be replaced, something that directly benefits Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s Russian diesel deal was just announced yesterday, and in it, Russia agreed to release 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the United States and the greater global market. Putin has since issued a statement through Russian state media saying the fuel could begin arriving almost immediately. But like most things with people like Trump and Putin, this had very little to do with diesel fuel. If this initial round of diesel is actually released and the United States were to receive every last drop, it would be enough to cover barely 15 hours of our country’s diesel consumption. We already produce more than we use. Donald Trump is hoping this extremely small amount will miraculously drop prices, even though energy experts say it is unlikely to make much difference. What it actually accomplished was its true purpose: to send a very public signal to every nation on earth that the United States of America now stands firmly with dictators.

That is the part that matters just as much as the money Russia will be making from this deal and how they will use it. The whole world is watching what we do, and we just bought fuel from a war criminal while telling the country he invaded that they are the problem and that they should surrender. When Trump could not end the war that he repeatedly promised he could, he did what Donald Trump always does: he shifted the blame onto someone else.

Zelensky responded to this deal by calling it “not fair and not honest,” and that it was a gift to Putin. He is right, because every dollar Russia makes from selling its energy is money that they can use to buy more missiles to shoot into Ukrainian apartment buildings, hospitals, and power stations. Zelensky didn’t hold back when he said, “Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war.” That is what our money is paying for now.

The outrage over what Donald Trump did reached some unlikely corners of his own party, including Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. He announced that he is introducing a bill called the “Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act” to block any and all purchases of Russian oil. He also said he will use a discharge petition to force a vote on the House floor, going around Republican leadership entirely. Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska immediately signed on as a cosponsor and wrote on social media, “Congress must make a stand.”

Fitzpatrick chose to name this bill after Ronald Reagan, as a nod to the Republican president who made standing up to dictators and refusing to give in to their demands a defining principle of his foreign policy. He is using a past Republican president’s legacy to show just how wide the divide is between what the Republican Party once stood for and what Donald Trump has reduced it to today.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who loves to talk the talk but rarely walks the walk, released her own statement that read, “A few weeks ago, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to increase sanctions and tariffs on Russia. The President should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine.” She added, “We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over, but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it.”

We can’t forget how just weeks ago, Congress passed the “Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which passed the House 262 to 159 and the Senate 86 to 11. The bill gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. Trump signed it, and yet he still turned around and cut a diesel deal with Russia.

This is not just about Ukraine, either. It goes beyond that. Ukraine is a democracy fighting for its survival and is holding the line right now for all of Europe. If Ukraine falls, or if Donald Trump is successful in signaling to the world that Putin’s imperialistic aggression carries no consequences, that signal will reach Beijing and Pyongyang. It will let every authoritarian government on earth that has been watching and waiting to see whether the democratic world’s most powerful country would hold the line or abandon it know that they can act without fear of consequences. That is what is at stake.

There is the message it sends to the world and the message it sends to Russia closer to home. Both Putin and Trump have imperialistic ambitions. Trump has made clear that he wants Greenland beyond just the deal he made there, and he still wants Canada. His National Security Strategy describes the Western Hemisphere as something to be reclaimed. He has not been as vocal about this ahead of the midterms because it is not popular, but temporarily pulling back on his threats does not mean that he no longer wants it. It just means that he will jump right back in once the elections are over.

There will come a time, in the not-too-distant future, when we will be asked what we did during this dark period in our country’s history. We will be asked whether we just pretended everything was fine or made excuses that we were too busy to pay attention to what was happening around us. We will have to answer for what we did while they were ripping members of our communities off the streets with no due process and stripping women of their rights. If we spoke out when they were concentrating power, starting wars, and bombing boats. If we resisted while Trump was cozying up to a dictator. We are going to have to answer to our descendants and to the history books. I know we will be able to look back with clear consciences, knowing we did our part to stop it, while still wishing we had done more. Those cheering for him and enabling what he has done and continues to do will have to answer for something very different. And that should give us some comfort during these trying times.

We have reached another new low point for our country, and I know it is getting increasingly dangerous to speak out. I know that siding with Zelensky, criticizing Putin, and calling out Trump by name every single night puts me on a list. I know that if the midterms do not go well, people like me are next. Writers, journalists, commentators, politicians who spoke out, we will be the ones swept up, that is just what authoritarians do. I understand that, and I have understood it from the beginning. But I am doing it anyway because it is that important. I am doing it for all of us. Every single person who takes a public stand against this corrupt administration because there is safety in numbers. If only a few of us speak out, we are easy to isolate, silence, and to make an example of. But if all of us speak, if millions of us refuse to be quiet, they cannot come for all of us. That has been true of every resistance movement in history, and it is true now. So yes, please vote. Vote like our children and grandchildren’s lives depend on it. But also speak out. Get loud and then get even louder.

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I noticed something happening more often this past week on social media that I’m calling silent resistance, which, although quiet, speaks very loudly and is something more of us could be doing. Content creators, or what others call influencers, who are not in the political space, such as woodworkers, food reviewers, and pet accounts, are all putting messages in their videos without ever actually saying anything about them. I’ve seen some about “melting ice” and “vote blue to save your country.” I’ve seen them wearing shirts in their pictures that say “F*CK Trump” and “25th Amendment Now.” They are doing what they always do, while also taking a hard stand, letting their audience know, quietly and clearly, where they stand.

This is our time to ramp up our own efforts. To find our quiet and loud ways to resist. We have to show up on November 3, and we vote like the future of this country depends on it, because it does. Getting through the midterms is not the finish line; it is the starting line. After that, we need to elect a president who will begin the long, painful work of cleaning all of this up. Nothing is guaranteed, but there is one thing I know about Americans, and it is this. We always do the right thing. Always. Not as quickly as we should and not without making mistakes along the way, but eventually we do. I know we will this time as well. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

PS. You can make a significant difference right now by subscribing to my Substack. Your support helps me cover more ground and keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in this country.

Heather Delaney Reese

I built a blog that reached millions, now I'm fighting for America's future and survival. I expose MAGA lies and the government's failures, cut through the propaganda, and say what we're all thinking.

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: It felt like everyone was spending time outside today ahead of the Tropical System we were expecting. It is definitely here now as I write this just after midnight. This picture was taken right before it started to really come down. I haven’t seen rain this heavy in what feels like years. I think the last time we had any measurable rain at all was over 8 months ago.

Links to sources used in writing this article:

President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 10, 2026: YouTube Video

https://www.axios.com/2026/10/10/fitzpatrick-trump-russia-diesel-discharge-petition

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6140830-fitzpatrick-bill-block-russian-oil/

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6140871-republicans-oppose-trump-russian-diesel-deal/

https://kyivindependent.com/will-only-lead-to-more-slaughter-bipartisan-backlash-erupts-in-us-over-trump-russia-diesel-deal/

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-diesel-2678069583/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-cuts-desperate-deal-with-putin-to-save-magas-skin

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-09/trump-says-us-to-obtain-diesel-from-russia-despite-energy-sanctions

At 8:11 last night, Donald Trump stepped onto the stage in Syracuse after a day spent ranting about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He told the crowd, “Iran gives us everything, or they don’t exist any longer,” then immediately complained that he should have received an award for peace. He blamed Norway, warned that he would not forget, and called the Nobel Committee the “enemies of civilization.” The person he dismissed as a nobody is Navi Pillay, an 85-year-old South African who grew up under apartheid and spent her life fighting human rights abuses. She helped establish that sexual violence could be prosecuted as genocide and worked to hold powerful leaders accountable. She learned of her award in Nuremberg, the very city where Nazi leaders were tried after World War II. The contrast could not be clearer: a woman honored for defending international law, and a president threatening a nation while demanding a prize for peace.

The Nobel Committee warned that international legal institutions are under political attack and said, “Peace requires justice.” Not long after, Marco Rubio announced sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court, cutting it off from American financial services, technology companies, and the use of U.S. dollars, with limited temporary exemptions. Four years ago, Rubio supported that same court investigating Russian war crimes. Now the administration fears that it could eventually investigate Trump and his inner circle. Trump has also described the campaign as “defending Bibi.” Since the boat strikes began last September, the military has killed at least 238 people without providing evidence of who or what was actually on those boats.

I watched a woman behind Trump smiling and celebrating his cruelty last night. I watched a young boy taking every word in, and fellow Americans cheering for the destruction of our country. So many of my worst fears have already come true, and I shudder thinking about how much worse things could become before those supporters see what is in front of them. There was another woman in that room, a grandmotherly protester who stood up and denounced his cruelty. She was escorted out, but she left giving a double middle finger as she left. Resistance cannot rest on one person. It is in the grandmothers standing up, the young people protesting in the streets, and the people chanting outside that rally. We have 24 days until the midterms. Consider voting early, and keep encouraging others to do the same. We have strength in numbers and determination behind us, and we will never give up fighting for our country.

See the full story in the video.

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We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.

Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.

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I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).

I’ll see you tomorrow,

Heather

This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 10-9-2026.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Sources:

President Trump speaks in Syracuse: YouTube Video
Note: I normally include the links to Trump’s filmed events directly from the White House official YouTube channel, but around the time CNN and the other legacy members of the press were banned by the White House, they have delayed or not uploaded a great majority of them.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/09/trump-nobel-peace-prize

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/09/nobel-peace-prize/81213152-c396-11f1-8170-681419af1cc9_story.html

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/international/2026/10/09/navi-pillay-nobel-peace-prize-for-justice

https://apnews.com/article/e3b5d3e000f4803d3bda8c6de93f1c5b

https://news.usni.org/2026/06/22/two-men-killed-in-u-s-strike-on-suspected-drug-boat-in-the-caribbean

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/15/trumps-boat-strikes-crimes-against-humanity/

https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/sres546/BILLS-117sres546ats.htm

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/calendar/

https://bnonews.com/whpool