Could this really be Trump’s last year of terror?

When I was 18, and just starting college, I took my first journalism class. One of our first assignments was simple: interview a stranger. I was volunteering at a local elementary school at the time, so I asked one of the older teachers, a woman near retirement, if she’d be willing.

I asked her what advice she’d give someone just starting out in life. I expected something practical. “Start saving early.” “Pick a stable job.” But she paused. Then she looked at me and said, “When you’re going through hard times, just remember, the only thing to focus on is getting through it. The only way to get to the other side is through. Don’t try to have all the answers. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just worry about getting through today. When you get through enough todays, the path out will become more clear.”

At the time, I didn’t really get it. I was 17. It didn’t sound like the kind of quote you’d put in a newspaper story. I remember thinking she hadn’t quite understood the assignment. I was just a college kid with a pencil and a notepad, looking for a good interview. But she understood the assignment better than I did. She wasn’t giving me a quote for a college project. She was giving me something to hold onto for when the world stopped making sense. For the storms she knew that all of us would eventually face.

Hers was the voice I heard this morning. Because when I woke up, this is what the President of the United States had posted on Truth Social:

“ICE is removing some of the most violent criminals in the World from our Country, and bring them back home, where they belong. Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants? The crooked Governor and “Congresswoman” Omar, who married her brother, don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State! Don’t worry, we’re on it!”

As much as I hate sharing his words day after day and subjecting all of us to them, I keep doing it because we’re reaching a point where so many people are so sick of hearing it that they just tune it out, turning this kind of language from the head of state into background noise. He’s accusing elected officials of treason, calling his critics “thugs,” pushing a racist conspiracy theory, and declaring that he alone is in charge. And still, for most of America, that post will barely register. But it should. Because this is how authoritarians talk. Not just in history books. But here in the United States of America in the year 2026.

There’s no data in that post. No specifics. No arrest records or court decisions. Just sweeping statements designed to trigger fear and make any protest seem irrational. That’s how it works: say something big and terrifying that can’t be verified, so your followers react emotionally instead of asking questions.

Then there’s the line about “murderers and drug dealers being ensconced” in the community. He’s not talking about specific crimes. He’s creating an image of invasion. And when you do that, any level of violence becomes justifiable. Everything becomes fair game if you’ve convinced your audience that they’re under siege. That’s how authoritarian regimes normalize cruelty. They don’t just lie. They make it feel like survival depends on looking the other way.

And the claim that protesters are “highly paid professional agitators”? There’s long been talk that Trump himself has staged crowds. He knows people buy appearances because that’s what his side has done. Accuse others of what you do. Distract with manufactured outrage. Then say, “Don’t worry, we’re on it,” as if he alone can fix the mess he’s creating.

It’s one of the oldest authoritarian moves in the book. Hitler did it. He blamed Germany’s economic collapse on Jews and immigrants, created a narrative of invasion and corruption, then positioned himself as the only one strong enough to fix it. The problems were real. The scapegoats were manufactured. And the “solution” was him.

That’s exactly what Trump has done with immigration. He’s taken something nuanced and turned it into an invasion story with himself as the hero.

So how do we fight something like this? How do we reach people who are already deep inside the narrative?

I’ve spent the day listening to interviews with Trump supporters, especially in Minnesota. I was trying to understand how people could see what’s happening in their own state, the violence, the chaos, the dehumanization, and still think everything is going well. It didn’t take long for me to have my answers. They all followed the same thought process with the same patterns. First came the acknowledgment: “Yes, it’s harsh,” or “Yes, it’s gone too far.” But almost immediately came the “but.” And that “but” always brought them back to Trump’s talking points. Word for word. Biden opened the borders. The cities are full of criminals. Obama deported people too. It didn’t matter how much evidence was in front of them. They were more loyal to the narrative than to the facts.

For many of them, MAGA continues not to be just a political belief. It’s their identity. It’s belonging, a sense of purpose, and community. And shame is a powerful force. Admitting they were wrong would mean losing not just a belief, but a whole worldview. For a lot of them, it’s easier to double down than to look in the mirror. And for the others, the reality of what is happening in this country and what they could ultimately lose is worth keeping their desperately needed connection to other people.

But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. Because I saw something else in those interviews. When confronted with an undeniable fact, something they couldn’t wiggle out of, they paused. They got defensive. They tried to justify. But the moment of doubt was there. It landed. And that’s the crack we need to keep pushing on. We must be persistent with facts and with reminders that we still see them as people. That we’re still fighting for a country they deserve to live in, too, even if they can’t see it right now.

So what can actually stop this? I’ve spent time digging into the legal and constitutional mechanisms, and here’s the short version: Congress holds the keys. Not the courts. Not the military. Congress.

Here’s how it would have to work: First, we win back Congress in the midterms. That’s the foundation. Nothing else is possible without it. Once Democrats control both the House and Senate, the House votes to impeach. But here’s the part most people don’t think about: you don’t start with Trump. You start with JD Vance. The House impeaches him first. The Senate votes to remove him. And then, this is critical, you leave that VP seat empty. You don’t confirm a replacement.

Then you impeach Trump. The Senate removes him. And with no Vice President in place, the presidency passes to the Speaker of the House, who, if we’ve done our job in the midterms, is a Democrat.

That new president can then nominate their own Vice President, subject to confirmation by both chambers. And from there, we can finally pursue accountability. Real trials. Criminal cases. Not retribution, justice. Because if we let this go, if we move on for the sake of “healing,” we’re just setting the stage for the next authoritarian to go even further.

That’s the path forward. It’s not simple, or guaranteed. But it’s there. And it starts with the midterms. I want to be honest, this is a basic explanation. I’m not a constitutional expert, and there are legal steps and details that go deeper than this. But I do know this: we’ve had a lot of days like that teacher talked about, days where all we could do was survive. And we did. We’ve kept going. But now, I think we’re ready for more than just surviving. We’re ready to see a way through this. Even if it’s not perfect. We deserve to know that there’s still a way out.

Before I end this, I want to acknowledge those of you watching from outside the United States.

I know a lot of you are feeling anxious and frustrated. I know it’s hard watching what’s happening here, especially when it feels like your country is being dragged into our chaos—our political mess, our leadership failures, and all the uncertainty that comes with it. I know you’re watching not out of curiosity, but because your safety, your economy, and your lives are being directly affected. American media rarely speaks of the toll this is taking on our friends overseas. But there are many here who see it.

And I want to call out what a gift this chaos is to Putin. Every moment the world spends focused on us, including our posturing for Greenland, is a moment not spent holding Russia accountable for what they’re doing to Ukraine. Every alliance strained by our instability is one less check on his power. Every headline about American dysfunction is a headline that isn’t about Russian war crimes. He knows this. And I have no doubt he’s thrilled.

But I also want you to know this: there are millions of us still fighting. Millions of us who refuse to accept this. We are not giving up. And we need you to keep going, too. Because this fight isn’t just American. It’s global.

This is one of those storms that the teacher warned me about years ago. She told me the only way out is through. Don’t try to have all the answers. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just worry about getting through today. When you get through enough todays, the path out becomes more clear. And it is finally becoming more clear.

That’s why I still have hope for America. Not because we’re perfect. Not because any of this is easy. But because every single day, I see people choosing to keep going. Choosing to fight. Choosing each other. And that’s something no authoritarian can take from us.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

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