Trump’s Presidency: Champagne for him, Empty Wallets for Us.

At 4:22 p.m., the alert went out. It urged everyone to run, hide, and fight as a last resort. Many of those still on campus took out their phones and sent heartbreaking messages to their friends and family, not knowing if they would ever see them again.

And while it could have been any day in America, or any place really, this time it was Brown University in Rhode Island that had an active shooter. As of this writing, two people are dead, and others have been wounded. Parents waited in panic, classmates locked themselves in closets, and a campus built for learning became a battlefield. This is what it means to live in a country that values gun rights more than human life.

And while there are people who will argue otherwise, who will say this is just the price of freedom, I wonder whose freedom they are referring to. Because nobody feels free when gun violence is now considered just as American as apple pie is, and we have to face the fact that America has a gun problem that we would rather send thoughts and prayers to the victims of than make smart reforms to make this country safer for everyone.

And this problem isn’t some new mystery we’ve never been able to solve. We’ve had the power to fix it for decades. The Second Amendment was written when guns were muskets, when one shot took thirty seconds to load, and when a “well-regulated militia” meant exactly that, not random civilians stockpiling military-grade weapons to parade through city streets. It was about protecting our homes, our property, and our communities in a time when national defense was local and communal. The authors of the Constitution never imagined AR-15s in elementary schools or high-capacity magazines in churches. But this is where we are. And the worst part? We know what works. When Bill Clinton signed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, mass shootings went down. Gun massacres dropped by 43% while it was in effect. But when it expired in 2004, Congress let it quietly die, and since then, mass shootings have surged. This isn’t about rights anymore. It’s about priorities. It’s about who our government is willing to protect, and who they’re willing to sacrifice. And for years, the answer has been clear: they are willing to sacrifice our children. Every American is now one grocery trip, one day at school, one walk through the park, one Sunday service, from being the next headline. And we’re supposed to just accept that.

And maybe the most disturbing part is how numb we’ve become to it. When the alert came through today on my phone, that there had been another shooting, I didn’t feel that immediate punch to the gut the way I used to. It wasn’t shock. It wasn’t disbelief. It was procedural. Where did it happen? Who was involved? Where are my children? Are they safe? And only after confirming that my own family wasn’t directly in danger did the rest of the story even begin to register. That is a terrifying place to be as a society. Not just accustomed to violence, but conditioned to triage our empathy. We’ve normalized the unthinkable to the point that survival checklists now come before grief. And that numbness isn’t resilience. It’s a trauma response. It’s what happens when a country allows the same assault to repeat over and over again without accountability or change. This is exactly what we should never become. Because the moment we stop feeling that jolt is the moment something essential in us is being lost.

And while that news broke, the other headlines kept coming, each one a snapshot of just how far we’ve drifted from accountability, stability, or any serious attempt to protect the American people.

Last night, President Trump responded to reporters while attending an event at the White House. He was asked about newly released photos tied to Jeffrey Epstein, images that had surfaced earlier that same day. His response? “No big deal.” When pressed about his relationship with Epstein, he said, “I haven’t seen them. But many people knew this man.” And that was it. The GOP quickly followed suit, accusing Democrats of “chasing headlines.” The same party that calls drag shows a threat to civilization has nothing to say about child sex trafficking tied to elite political networks. Because in regimes like this, crimes committed by the elite are protected.

At the same time, the Department of Veterans Affairs is moving ahead with plans to eliminate up to 35,000 health care positions, a 10 percent cut to the VA health workforce. That includes doctors, nurses, support staff, and mental health providers. While officials claim these are “mostly unfilled positions” created during COVID, veteran groups are warning that the move will create longer wait times and reduced care for the people who served this country. This follows an earlier round of 30,000 job eliminations this year. And it’s not happening because we ran out of money, it’s happening because care for veterans is being downgraded behind the scenes. The people in power talk endlessly about “supporting the troops,” but when it comes time to fund their basic needs, they disappear. This is just another move to take away money from programs that benefit the population at large and create more of a government slush fund to concentrate at the top with Trump and his cronies.

And those cuts don’t stop with veterans. As reported by The Associated Press, Senator Chuck Grassley, long known for his role as a government watchdog, has reportedly abandoned that legacy almost entirely under Trump. After decades of defending whistleblowers and investigating corruption, Grassley now looks the other way as Trump fires inspectors general, attacks the DOJ, and installs loyalists across federal agencies. Whistleblower advocates who once praised Grassley’s independence now say he’s become an enabler, helping legitimize the very abuses he once warned against. This is how institutional erosion happens, through silence. Through people who once held the line deciding, one by one, that it’s easier to let it go and potentially capitalize on the corruption themselves.

Meanwhile, Trump is ramping up a massive and strategically vague and very unpopular military operation in the Caribbean. ”Operation Southern Spear”, as it is called, includes nearly 15,000 U.S. troops, warships, and strike aircraft deployed to the region under a campaign originally pitched as anti-drug trafficking but now clearly aimed at pressuring Venezuela. It’s the largest buildup in the region in decades. Congress hasn’t formally authorized this. With Politico reporting members of congress speaking out against these aggressive military moves: “I’m not a supporter of ground troops,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said in a Tuesday interview. “I’m not a supporter of regime change forced by the United States. I mean, if Maduro decides to go of his own accord, fine. But I’ve never been a supporter of regime change.”

This is just another example of Trump’s authoritarian power moves.

As all of this is happening, Trump is reportedly exploring a new global alliance called the “Core 5,” which would replace the traditional G7 and align the U.S. with countries like Russia, China, India, and Japan. It’s another attempt to rebrand himself as a powerful global player. Instead of strengthening relationships with the democratic allies that have helped keep the U.S. secure and economically strong for decades, he’s looking to build ties with authoritarian “strongman” type governments. And it’s not because he shares their values, it’s because they’re the only ones who don’t make him feel weak to his face. Most world leaders don’t take him seriously. He knows that, and he resents it. So he turns to leaders who rule through control and intimidation, because that’s the model he wants for himself. This isn’t about smart foreign policy; it’s about image.

And if it feels like there is a breakdown in every corner of our government, you are right, and it has been in the works for a very long time. We’ve created a perfect storm of institutional failure, detailed planning by far-right actors, and a population worn down by crisis fatigue. Trump didn’t build this alone. He was simply the perfect vessel for them to use. Trump doesn’t have deep beliefs or cares concerning anything but himself, which made him the ideal candidate for a movement like the one the Heritage Foundation has been building for decades. He didn’t write Project 2025, he probably hasn’t even read it, but he’s surrounded by people who did. People who are counting on his narcissism to carry their ideology into power. Because that’s how it works. Authoritarian regimes don’t start with dictators. They start with weak institutions, compromised courts, manipulated media, and a population too exhausted or divided to push back. That’s how you get a man like Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House, not because he earned it, but because he’ll do what he’s told. That’s how you get a court stacked with ideologues, thanks to a stolen seat and a dying justice who put legacy above timing. That’s how you get chaos at the surface and deeply strategic control underneath. And it hurts to call some of these failures out, but we have to.

History shows us the pattern that all fascists follow. Mussolini threw galas while his people starved. Hitler entertained party elites at the Eagle’s Nest, his mountain-top retreat. Stalin feasted with his inner circle while millions died from famine and purges. And Trump tore down the East Wing of the White House, a symbol of American history, just to build a ballroom, while hosting Roaring Twenties–style Great Gatsby parties for his inner circle at Mar-A-Largo. All while 24 million Americans could lose their health insurance at the end of the month because it’s becoming too expensive to afford. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Opulence for the elite. Nothing for everyone else.

As we head into the holidays, I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to hold each other close and refill our joy reserves. No one knows exactly what the new year will bring, but we do know it’s going to be intense as we get closer to the midterms. And banking some sanity where we can find it this month will help. Since turning my whole focus to this fight ahead of us, I’ve been working on more ways I can help you stay informed and empowered in this moment. Building out new ways to bring you information that matters. Not just nightly breakdowns of the day’s most important news stories, but usable talking points, shareable resources, and deeper context to help you make a difference wherever you are. I should have more to share before the new year. I’m actually feeling more hopeful than I have in a long time, too. I can see the smallest sliver of light at the end of a very dark tunnel. We have a very good shot at taking back Congress later next year, and that day can’t come soon enough. And for as much hope I am feeling right now, it sits with deep sadness as well, as I hold the victims and survivors from today’s mass shooting in my heart. This violence must end.

Have a good rest of your weekend, and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Heather

P.S. If you’ve made it this far, chances are we see things the same way. You can help keep this work going by subscribing to my Substack; there’s a free option, or you can become a paid subscriber for just $5 a month. Paid subscriptions help me reach more people, cover more ground, and keep telling the truth about what’s happening to our country.