At 2:37 p.m., a visibly frail Donald Trump emerged from the White House and slowly made his way down the corridor, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath him through nearly every careful step. Wearing a deep blue suit and bright yellow tie, the discoloration on his right hand stood out as he carefully stepped up to the podium in the Rose Garden. His back-to-school event lasted less than 25 minutes from start to finish, but even that appeared difficult for him to get through. He stumbled over words he has said countless times before: “But really bringing hope to countless fanalees [sic], number of families.” His voice appeared to slur at times, even as he told an audience filled with schoolchildren that he was unhappy his press secretary was leaving to spend more time with her own children: “She decided she loved her children more than she loved Donald Trump. I’m very upset about this.”
The photos are nauseating - and you can even see whatever contraption he has wrapped around his carcass in one of them. Ugh, he makes me 🤮. The idea that he is the image of a president these young minds are first encountering is heartbreaking. I was thinking back to the last conversation I had with my sister, before the 2024 election. She is a public school teacher only because the Christian school in town collapsed under a scandal, and is a staunch evangelical and Trump voter. I was still trying to reason with her “common sense” (oh how I loathe their weaponization of that term!!!). She told me that a janitor at school who attended her church had lost his job over “woke” policies and I asked for more information. She said he refused to empty litter boxes of human feces as part of this job and was fired. What the hell? Yes, she said, because “they” are allowing children to identify as cats and demand accommodations. I tried - as calmly as I could remain - to explain this was a fake story started at another school after someone spotted kitty litter in a janitorial closet (used for its absorbency of various bodily fluids). Oh no, she knew him personally and he was a good man and lost his job over it. I said it was debunked on Snopes and she scoffed “a liberal website!” I gave up. For 56 years I’d tried to find a bridge to my one and only sister and I couldn’t find my way anymore. I think of her often, teaching… inexplicably a special ed teacher with a biology degree, and I just can’t any more.
HS, I'm sorry to hear about your estrangement from your sister over her defence of Trump's tactics. It just shows that his supporters will believe any rubbish he spouts. I hope she sees the light after the mid terms in November.
After hearing “fake news” being repeated out of his mouth and asking what the sources were and one was even from Fox it’s disturbing to see family loose reality and fall into a cult but able to be functional in other ways… who knows he may find his way out. It’s worked on a few acquaintances and long term friends that they are suffering the pain Trump has already unleashed.. guess for some the switch doesn’t flip until they are personally affected.. sad times
It seems we all have family members who can’t see through the propaganda despite being highly educated.
But MAGA/MAWA is a KKKult much like Jim Jones and Jonestown, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, Scientology, etc. It is hard to leave a cult/KKKult, sadly, some never do and will give up everything and even die for their leader.
I have decided to NOT let politics completely sever my relationships with family members, yet. I am a former special ed. educator and worked in human services and, Admittedly, it is extremely hard to look them in the eyes and know they support pedophiles, rapists, war mongers, criminals stealing all our money, etc., sociopathic Nazis.
We need to just keep marching forward with or without them….preferably-hopefully with them. We have a very hard and dangerous fight ahead.❤️🩹
I have a " baby" sister out in Missouri that I have totally lost to Trump world. She might as well be living in another galaxy. I can identify with your pain.
There was a note on Substack saying that President Biden is getting better - not cured but better so that’s good news.
President Trump on the other hand falls deeper into the mire with every swing he takes. Can someone please get him a train set and set it up in the white house so he and his nasty chums can play all day.
They certainly are not doing any governing.
Canada is a smart intelligent country who are not going to bend to a bully.
USA has to prove that they are smart intelligent people who are going to rid themselves of this whole wasps nest of unintelligent bullies who have been blinded by trumps gold obsession.
Stand up tall USA and see what Trump has done to your country, make sure that nothing and I mean nothing stops you voting this man to be sidelined and out. It is going to be tough as the bully boy is already lining up stumbling blocks. Climb over, crawl over but make sure you vote out this very dangerous man.
Dear Heather, my heart goes out to you. I know the effort and energy you put into your posts and it is exhausting. I am only one person but one of a great many who thank you for that effort and energy.
The whole world is weary of DT and his dangerous and utterly inhumane behaviour that affects us all. I wish you could have a long vacation and just relax!
Heather once again you have written a terrific post outlining the orange buffoon's increasingly incoherent ramblings. I had never heard of Doug Ford, Toronto's mayor, but well done to him for speaking so frankly about Trump's lies and standing up for Canadians. I'm still worried about what Trump will do in the next couple of months. He's quite capable of declaring a non existent emergency in order to derail the mid terms. I hope I'm wrong.
Thank you Heather for a number of things one still being able to sit and watch him. Am way past being able to stomach hearing him let alone seeing him and writing your piece.
As my mom and I were talking she remarked that, no one really knows what it was like even in the late 1930’s coming out of the Great Depression here in the U.S. and all that was happening in Europe with Hitler and Mussolini in 1940. She was young but recalls those times here in the U.S. History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme as Twain said. Who knew that the U.S. would be the axis versus the allies in the 21st century and the economic systems all around in the U.S. would render us back into those times of bread lines and lack of jobs..
Stand with PM Carney and Canada as to what they need to do for their own sovereignty. Their own countrymen. Don’t know if people in the U.S. know that Canada is the third-largest source of imports globally, following Mexico and China to the U.S. That Canada is the top foreign supplier of energy to the U.S. This is the single largest category, and the U.S. heavily relies on Canada for crude petroleum and natural gas at a tune of $195.9 billion. Automotive vehicles and parts is at $52.8 billion and this includes fully assembled cars and trucks, as well as an extensive flow of automotive components that are imported to all auto makers here in the U.S. to assemble so many vehicles. Then there’s Capital goods that are major components for machinery for farmers, for nuclear reactors, boilers, and industrial equipment at $52.4 billion. As we are facing issues with food insecurity cause who knows what that “mystery meat” that Trump announced is going to be cheaper really is. We all know of the slaughtering of wild mustangs and he still isn’t disclosing what countries he apparently negotiated with for this cheaper meat. Is it Mexico that apparently the USDA seems to be lifting restriction about the epidemic of screweorms in that countries cattle. Is it the meat that the Chinese customs rejected in March 2026, a 22-ton shipment of beef from Argentina after tests detected traces of chloramphenicol, a restricted antibiotic banned in food-producing animals since 1995 or some other meat that Argentina has screwworms in their cattle as well. Yea Canada imports key products to the U.S. that span baked goods, cereals, “meat”products, and soft dairy. Let alone services of telecommunications, information services, and business travel that fuels the U.S. industry of hospitality.
Times will be different because let’s face it Canada isn’t the only nation that will stand up and walk away when he decides on higher tariffs what retaliation will they come back with. Anybody think Mexico or China won’t, would consider any American a fool if you think those two nations won’t walk as well and fight back. Think all other nations aren’t already making deals with other nations in their trade that they are importing or exporting with goods leaving out the U.S.? How do you think the job market will be in just under a year?
If you’re not up on the news Tyson Foods the biggest company just has permanently closed multiple major meat processing facilities in August cutting over 3,000 jobs. Major corporations across tech, retail, and finance are laying off thousands of employees in August 2026 as companies restructure to fund investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and trim operating expenses. According to the Layoffs.fyi tracking data, more tech workers have lost their jobs so far in 2026 than in all of 2025. Rough estimate is over 35,000+ people have lost jobs and downsized in the U.S. alone. Oversea companies are doing the same so more people even in U.S. companies are being let go.
My mom said she views Trump with everything he does no matter what the circumstances or situations he touches from voter suppression, trade deals, everything as this -
"When his only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
The problem is we, all of us as people in this nation are the nails. Some already grasped this years ago, some may never have the capabilities even her own son.
That’s the reason, the importance of voting in this midterm election. For years she’s voted by mail-in ballot this year she’s voting in person. Driving her group of ladies to the polls. We already rented the party van that seats fifteen..
Our group has already assigned a multitude of drivers and have already signed up people to take to the voting locations in advance of mail-in ballots being mucked up. We have placed sign up sheets at senior centers, and various other locations to call in and rides will be available for early voting for all of them. Planned just in case for whatever may come down the pike of whatever was going to become a difficult option, which it shouldn’t cause you know as tRump says he’s the greatest by far, a big winner and all those polls taken that all Americans just love what he’s doing in the job… cause nothing says this by unleashing his own henchmen to suppressing everyone’s vote…
The German film “Werk ohne author” , supposedly portraying the life of painter Gerhard Richter, gives a chilling picture of life in a nazi environment. I found it most disturbing. I don’t know if it is available with English undertitles/sync (ask Jeff B), but definitely worth watching, as a warning about the Trump crowd.
I am tired today. Every notification on my phone makes me cringe. Every time it goes off I think, “Is this the one that destroys the world as we know it totally?” I have been near tears repeatedly for the last couple of days. Hopefully I can come back quickly from this overwhelming sense of futility and back to the righteous anger and sense of purpose in fighting against it all.
This week I'm working in a town called New Berlin, which is near Milwaukee. When I looked at the Milwaukee Journal this morning, I was horrified to read a story about the New Berlin mayor who is posting anti-Muslim videos and claiming he's doing so "for informational purposes." He's being called upon to step down, but of course, he's refusing. This is the same county, btw, where one of the county board members called for the public execution of Dr. Fauci. The book "Hitler's Willing Executioners" makes a lot of sense now that I see these horrid people in action.
Get rid of that convict very very quickly. He has done enough damages to America and its allies. Putin’s puppet is reaching its consumate-by date anyway. The useful idiot has done an excellent job screwing the country and giving back money to the billionaires who manipulated his latest fake election. Fuck them all and corrupt scotus with it of course. Thank you
Bravo to Doug Ford for standing up to the bully! Wish the Republicans and Democrats in Congress would do the same!!! We the People are watching and will be voting in November!!!!!
Those poor children, having to sit there and listen to this lunatic rant and rave about things that aren't important to them. I would never have let my child be exposed to this. Or him.
The photos are nauseating - and you can even see whatever contraption he has wrapped around his carcass in one of them. Ugh, he makes me 🤮. The idea that he is the image of a president these young minds are first encountering is heartbreaking. I was thinking back to the last conversation I had with my sister, before the 2024 election. She is a public school teacher only because the Christian school in town collapsed under a scandal, and is a staunch evangelical and Trump voter. I was still trying to reason with her “common sense” (oh how I loathe their weaponization of that term!!!). She told me that a janitor at school who attended her church had lost his job over “woke” policies and I asked for more information. She said he refused to empty litter boxes of human feces as part of this job and was fired. What the hell? Yes, she said, because “they” are allowing children to identify as cats and demand accommodations. I tried - as calmly as I could remain - to explain this was a fake story started at another school after someone spotted kitty litter in a janitorial closet (used for its absorbency of various bodily fluids). Oh no, she knew him personally and he was a good man and lost his job over it. I said it was debunked on Snopes and she scoffed “a liberal website!” I gave up. For 56 years I’d tried to find a bridge to my one and only sister and I couldn’t find my way anymore. I think of her often, teaching… inexplicably a special ed teacher with a biology degree, and I just can’t any more.
HS, I'm sorry to hear about your estrangement from your sister over her defence of Trump's tactics. It just shows that his supporters will believe any rubbish he spouts. I hope she sees the light after the mid terms in November.
So sorry to hear this have a brother deep into the ooze of MAGAland gave him a post it note with this written on it —
Go to Leaving MAGA.org
"Here's a way out, seek help.please"..
After hearing “fake news” being repeated out of his mouth and asking what the sources were and one was even from Fox it’s disturbing to see family loose reality and fall into a cult but able to be functional in other ways… who knows he may find his way out. It’s worked on a few acquaintances and long term friends that they are suffering the pain Trump has already unleashed.. guess for some the switch doesn’t flip until they are personally affected.. sad times
I am sad to say how much I understand. I have experienced similar problems with family
It seems we all have family members who can’t see through the propaganda despite being highly educated.
But MAGA/MAWA is a KKKult much like Jim Jones and Jonestown, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, Scientology, etc. It is hard to leave a cult/KKKult, sadly, some never do and will give up everything and even die for their leader.
I have decided to NOT let politics completely sever my relationships with family members, yet. I am a former special ed. educator and worked in human services and, Admittedly, it is extremely hard to look them in the eyes and know they support pedophiles, rapists, war mongers, criminals stealing all our money, etc., sociopathic Nazis.
We need to just keep marching forward with or without them….preferably-hopefully with them. We have a very hard and dangerous fight ahead.❤️🩹
I have a " baby" sister out in Missouri that I have totally lost to Trump world. She might as well be living in another galaxy. I can identify with your pain.
There was a note on Substack saying that President Biden is getting better - not cured but better so that’s good news.
President Trump on the other hand falls deeper into the mire with every swing he takes. Can someone please get him a train set and set it up in the white house so he and his nasty chums can play all day.
They certainly are not doing any governing.
Canada is a smart intelligent country who are not going to bend to a bully.
USA has to prove that they are smart intelligent people who are going to rid themselves of this whole wasps nest of unintelligent bullies who have been blinded by trumps gold obsession.
Stand up tall USA and see what Trump has done to your country, make sure that nothing and I mean nothing stops you voting this man to be sidelined and out. It is going to be tough as the bully boy is already lining up stumbling blocks. Climb over, crawl over but make sure you vote out this very dangerous man.
Dear Heather, my heart goes out to you. I know the effort and energy you put into your posts and it is exhausting. I am only one person but one of a great many who thank you for that effort and energy.
The whole world is weary of DT and his dangerous and utterly inhumane behaviour that affects us all. I wish you could have a long vacation and just relax!
I wish we all could!
That time will come. Thank you.
Love from the UK. 🇬🇧
Heather once again you have written a terrific post outlining the orange buffoon's increasingly incoherent ramblings. I had never heard of Doug Ford, Toronto's mayor, but well done to him for speaking so frankly about Trump's lies and standing up for Canadians. I'm still worried about what Trump will do in the next couple of months. He's quite capable of declaring a non existent emergency in order to derail the mid terms. I hope I'm wrong.
I’m glad to join with others from the UK & beyond in supporting Heather’s posts. She writes with fluency & clarity at a very difficult time.
Canada is a grown-up country. It's time for the USA to grow up as well and expunge this monster once and for all.
Thank you Heather for a number of things one still being able to sit and watch him. Am way past being able to stomach hearing him let alone seeing him and writing your piece.
As my mom and I were talking she remarked that, no one really knows what it was like even in the late 1930’s coming out of the Great Depression here in the U.S. and all that was happening in Europe with Hitler and Mussolini in 1940. She was young but recalls those times here in the U.S. History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme as Twain said. Who knew that the U.S. would be the axis versus the allies in the 21st century and the economic systems all around in the U.S. would render us back into those times of bread lines and lack of jobs..
Stand with PM Carney and Canada as to what they need to do for their own sovereignty. Their own countrymen. Don’t know if people in the U.S. know that Canada is the third-largest source of imports globally, following Mexico and China to the U.S. That Canada is the top foreign supplier of energy to the U.S. This is the single largest category, and the U.S. heavily relies on Canada for crude petroleum and natural gas at a tune of $195.9 billion. Automotive vehicles and parts is at $52.8 billion and this includes fully assembled cars and trucks, as well as an extensive flow of automotive components that are imported to all auto makers here in the U.S. to assemble so many vehicles. Then there’s Capital goods that are major components for machinery for farmers, for nuclear reactors, boilers, and industrial equipment at $52.4 billion. As we are facing issues with food insecurity cause who knows what that “mystery meat” that Trump announced is going to be cheaper really is. We all know of the slaughtering of wild mustangs and he still isn’t disclosing what countries he apparently negotiated with for this cheaper meat. Is it Mexico that apparently the USDA seems to be lifting restriction about the epidemic of screweorms in that countries cattle. Is it the meat that the Chinese customs rejected in March 2026, a 22-ton shipment of beef from Argentina after tests detected traces of chloramphenicol, a restricted antibiotic banned in food-producing animals since 1995 or some other meat that Argentina has screwworms in their cattle as well. Yea Canada imports key products to the U.S. that span baked goods, cereals, “meat”products, and soft dairy. Let alone services of telecommunications, information services, and business travel that fuels the U.S. industry of hospitality.
Times will be different because let’s face it Canada isn’t the only nation that will stand up and walk away when he decides on higher tariffs what retaliation will they come back with. Anybody think Mexico or China won’t, would consider any American a fool if you think those two nations won’t walk as well and fight back. Think all other nations aren’t already making deals with other nations in their trade that they are importing or exporting with goods leaving out the U.S.? How do you think the job market will be in just under a year?
If you’re not up on the news Tyson Foods the biggest company just has permanently closed multiple major meat processing facilities in August cutting over 3,000 jobs. Major corporations across tech, retail, and finance are laying off thousands of employees in August 2026 as companies restructure to fund investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and trim operating expenses. According to the Layoffs.fyi tracking data, more tech workers have lost their jobs so far in 2026 than in all of 2025. Rough estimate is over 35,000+ people have lost jobs and downsized in the U.S. alone. Oversea companies are doing the same so more people even in U.S. companies are being let go.
My mom said she views Trump with everything he does no matter what the circumstances or situations he touches from voter suppression, trade deals, everything as this -
"When his only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
The problem is we, all of us as people in this nation are the nails. Some already grasped this years ago, some may never have the capabilities even her own son.
That’s the reason, the importance of voting in this midterm election. For years she’s voted by mail-in ballot this year she’s voting in person. Driving her group of ladies to the polls. We already rented the party van that seats fifteen..
Our group has already assigned a multitude of drivers and have already signed up people to take to the voting locations in advance of mail-in ballots being mucked up. We have placed sign up sheets at senior centers, and various other locations to call in and rides will be available for early voting for all of them. Planned just in case for whatever may come down the pike of whatever was going to become a difficult option, which it shouldn’t cause you know as tRump says he’s the greatest by far, a big winner and all those polls taken that all Americans just love what he’s doing in the job… cause nothing says this by unleashing his own henchmen to suppressing everyone’s vote…
VOTE
Trump looks disheveled and bloated as well as sounding completely bonkers. It won’t be long.
The German film “Werk ohne author” , supposedly portraying the life of painter Gerhard Richter, gives a chilling picture of life in a nazi environment. I found it most disturbing. I don’t know if it is available with English undertitles/sync (ask Jeff B), but definitely worth watching, as a warning about the Trump crowd.
I am tired today. Every notification on my phone makes me cringe. Every time it goes off I think, “Is this the one that destroys the world as we know it totally?” I have been near tears repeatedly for the last couple of days. Hopefully I can come back quickly from this overwhelming sense of futility and back to the righteous anger and sense of purpose in fighting against it all.
This week I'm working in a town called New Berlin, which is near Milwaukee. When I looked at the Milwaukee Journal this morning, I was horrified to read a story about the New Berlin mayor who is posting anti-Muslim videos and claiming he's doing so "for informational purposes." He's being called upon to step down, but of course, he's refusing. This is the same county, btw, where one of the county board members called for the public execution of Dr. Fauci. The book "Hitler's Willing Executioners" makes a lot of sense now that I see these horrid people in action.
Get rid of that convict very very quickly. He has done enough damages to America and its allies. Putin’s puppet is reaching its consumate-by date anyway. The useful idiot has done an excellent job screwing the country and giving back money to the billionaires who manipulated his latest fake election. Fuck them all and corrupt scotus with it of course. Thank you
Nobody worth a damn does...that's for certain!
Bravo to Doug Ford for standing up to the bully! Wish the Republicans and Democrats in Congress would do the same!!! We the People are watching and will be voting in November!!!!!
Those poor children, having to sit there and listen to this lunatic rant and rave about things that aren't important to them. I would never have let my child be exposed to this. Or him.