One of the curious features of dealing with autocrats is that it often seems as if they have more power than the pro-democracy opposition. And yet despite that, political science scholarship proves pro-democracy forces often have more power than they think they do—when they use it. That’s exactly what’s going on in week 1 of Trump’s government shutdown. And as always, you Contrarians are helping.
It’s axiomatic that one side always gets the public blame for shutdowns. Donald Trump is on video saying that sitting presidents are responsible (in that case, he was blaming Obama). For once, he was right.
He and his party have a trifecta. That is, they control the White House, the Senate, and the House. Thus, it’s logical for voters to blame them if they can’t put together and pass a package to keep the government open. No wonder, according to a Washington Post poll, 47% Americans think Trump and Republicans are primarily responsible, versus 30% who hold the Democrats primarily responsible.
There’s more to it than just that, of course. Democrats led by Chuck Schumer in the Senate and Hakeem Jeffries in the House have very shrewdly made clear that the continuing resolution is the last chance to address a massive health care cliff that the Big Ugly Bill sets up for the American people. Millions of Americans are going to have to pay much more, in some cases tens of thousands of dollars per year—or lose their healthcare altogether if Obamacare subsidies are not extended. It can’t wait because reenrollment notifications are about to go out for next year, rates are being set, and Americans are starting to get notified of price hikes. It’s now or never.
The Democrats have smartly made it simple: they will not vote to impose these exploding health care costs on millions of Americans, not to mention to exacerbate the effect it will have on already increasing inflation. That approach seems to be taking hold with the public, particularly with consumer sentiment continuing to decline amid growing concerns over rising prices caused by Trump’s policies, including his tariffs.
This week was a good example of the power that the minority has, if they use it. But it doesn’t stop there. Trump is making his own tenuous situation worse by abusing his shutdown powers. For example, he suggested that he’d be firing a lot of Democrats, saying in the Oval Office, “Well, the Democrats want to shut it down. So when you shut it down, you have to do layoffs. So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And …they’re going to be Democrats.”
To make matters worse, he is openly blaming Democrats on government websites, like this banner pop-up on the Department of Housing and Urban Development website, among other adolescent maneuvers.
We Contrarians are not going to tolerate that. It’s illegal for him to use the shut down as an excuse to fire anyone, much less to target Democrats. That’s why we’ve joined with our partners at AFGE, AFSCME, Democracy Forward, and Altshuler Berzon, to file a new lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to dismiss public servants under the guise of the shutdown.
But our work doesn’t stop there. We’ve also filed a legal complaint with the General Accounting Office to object to that partisan HUD banner depicted above. As we explain in the complaint, the GAO has specified three types of agency communications that are prohibited under publicity and propaganda limitations. And according to GAO opinions, communications are characterized as explicitly partisan if “they are completely devoid of any connection with official functions and completely political in nature.”
The American people understand who is to blame in this shutdown mess and we think the courts and other legal authorities will see it the same way. Your support makes this and our over 125 other cases and legal matters possible. Because here at The Contrarian we’re owned by no one, all profits go to support my pro-democracy litigation. That means the fight to stop the backsliding of our democracy and do one of those course corrections that so many other countries around the world have done is fueled by your paid subscriptions. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so.
Of course, all that goes along with the main thing we do here at the Contrarian: our best-in-class democracy journalism. We had another banner week in that regard; just check out my usual weekly round-up below to see for yourself!
Healthcare & the Shutdown
Trump’s abject ignorance and megalomania made this inevitable, wrote Jen Rubin. “Operating in a narcissistic fantasy that he is beloved by voters and clueless about what is at stake, Trump naturally cannot imagine that Democrats would deny him their votes to take away healthcare from millions of Americans.”
The GOP’s lies are a smokescreen to gut your health care
Jeff Nesbit broke down the real consequences behind the false talking points. The two biggest things to know about Republicans in Congress gutting healthcare: 1) Premiums will increase by 75% for more than 20 million Americans, and 2) This is a manufactured crisis. For more facts and figures–and to see how you may be affected–see our piece on the House Democrats’ healthcare calculator.
In this special edition of The Tea, April Ryan sat down with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss Republicans’ unwillingness to bend, and how it’s led to a shutdown threatening Americans’ paychecks, healthcare, and way of life. “Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare.”
Nick Penniman wrote on the politics of contempt enabling today’s vicious budget brinksmanship: how it reaps a harvest sewn thirty years ago by Newt Gingrich, and how structural democracy reforms could help more politicians finally break the cycle.
Targeting Enemies (Including the Constitution)
The very botched Comey indictment
Barbara McQuade dissects the flaws in Comey’s indictment: a parade of stunningly amateur missteps by Trump’s insurance-lawyer-turned-prosecutor that make the case unlikely to reach trial, but do not diminish the entire exercise as “an abuse of power to punish political enemies.”
Trump’s Brazen Takeover of the DOJ, Portland, and the Military [podcast]
Rob Weissman from Public Citizen and the Council on Foreign Relations’ Steve Cook break down Comey, Portland, Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu, and…
Trump is using ‘domestic terrorism’ to target political opponents
He’s been at it for as long as he has been in politics, Austin Sarat explained, with the effect of diluting the danger of real terrorism by rendering the term meaningless–unless you agree that George Soros belongs in the same camp as Timothy McVeigh and Dylan Roof.
Trump is targeting the First Amendment rights of all Americans
Tom Joscelyn, Susan Cooke & Norm Eisen unpack Trump’s appetite for oppression as whetted by Charlie Kirk’s murder. “Antifa is not the target. The civil society organizations that provide services in our communities and stand up for democracy are. Authoritarian rulers fear their own people above all else.”
The Worst Commander-in-Chief
Brian O’Neill skewered the hollow, resource-wasting pageantry of Trump and Hegseth’s Quantico summit. “Everything about the staging revealed what this administration values: spectacle over method, summons over orders, posture over plan.”
Even Fox is calling out Hegseth’s effort to stifle the press
Josh Levs unpacked the administration’s latest attempt to silence journalists via a DoD memo that would allow the Pentagon to quash reporting of any and all undesirable information—a move not without irony in the wake of Signalgate. “If Pentagon leaders want to do something about information leaks, they should look within.”
Our enemies are smiling at us: Amy McGrath and Jen dissect the Trump and Hegseth Show in Quantico
Lt. Col Amy McGrath joined Jen to break down how the Quantico fiasco creates an operational security risk and foreshadows more weaponization of the military against American citizens–all with taxpayers footing the bill. “It’s humiliating to lecture actual warriors on warrior ethos.
The Entertainment Front
Culture columnist Meredith Blake pulled no punches in reporting on the Riyadh comedy festival, Saudi Arabia’s latest culture-washing scheme, for which all too many U.S. comedians—many self-proclaimed free speech defenders—agreed to restrictive censorship in exchange for fat checks. “It’s part of a massive, extravagantly well-funded rebranding campaign designed to make the rest of the world forget about the kingdom’s atrocious human rights record.”
Conservatives are going to hate Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show — and that’s a good thing
Carron J. Phillips wrote on the NFL’s smart choice to platform Bad Bunny—a choice that might seem uncontroversial, given that he’s one of the world’s biggest musical acts, but which means something in the face of MAGA’s violent racism. “Bad Bunny rebels against what this administration tries to define as “American.”
Split Screen: Tilly Norwood brings the AI dystopia to Hollywood
Azza Cohen wrote on “AI Actor” Tilly Norwood, breaking down everything wrong with the entertainment industry’s lack of urgency on halting the creatively bankrupt, labor-devaluing AI slop agenda. “This isn’t craftsmanship. It’s theft dressed up as innovation.”
Fighting Back Against Fascism
The Contrarian covers the Democracy Movement
This week we saw ongoing protests in Chicago against ICE activities and Trump’s threats to send troops, Portland showing just how #WarRavaged it isn’t, protests in D.C., Kansas, Iowa and more. Thursday: A message for the military leaders, in and supporting Portland, Iowa students support their superintendent, protest in Kansas, and more. Get help organizing from Indivisible, find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org.
Portland’s rise: A city rebuilding through public-private partnership
Andrew Hoan of the Portland Metro Chamber reported on civic solidarity in Portland, OR in the face of the Trump administration’s invasion threats. “One hundred seventy-five Oregon-based organizations—from business, labor, religious, academic, and community sectors— alongside our elected leaders…have united to tell the administration: We don’t need a troop deployment.”
Inhumane ICE Raids & How We Can Help with Carlos Eduardo Espina
Carlos Eduardo Espina joined Jen to talk ICE overreach, the changing political landscape in Texas, and how neighbors and community members can support immigrant communities
“We need people who are filming and who are documenting all these things…Trump is really overstepping, and the polls show it.”
Autocrats can’t stand being mocked: E. Jean Carroll on the power of women & comedians
E. Jean Carroll joined Jen with the rousing advice that you’re allowed to be depressed for 10 minutes a day—but then it’s time to go outside and act. “Why are we all so nuts? Just vote them the fuck out of office next year.”
Cartoons & Fun Stuff
This week our cartoonists took on the flashy theatrics at Quantico (State of Play by Calder Robinson, ‘The era of unacceptable appearance is over.’ by RJ Matson), the Swiftian farce of Comey’s indictment (The Department of Revenge, by RJ Matson), the state of Israel-Gaza negotiations (Peace in our time, by Nick Anderson) and the shutdown express (In the driver’s seat by Michael de Adder). To round out the week, Tom the Dancing Bug was back with A Busy, Busy Day in Washington, D.C.
Your sheet-pan dinner might be feminist
Emily Beyda brings us hearty convenience cooking with a side of activist history. “ I hope this recipe helps you keep your chin up and your belly full as you fight the good fight.”
Meet Elsa! Joyce Vance’s German Shepherd sweetie stays busy annoying her big sister and flagrantly ignoring furniture-sitting regulations.
PLEASE change the "tax cuts to the wealthy" language. We have heard that so many times that it has become meaningless. Please point out that when the wealthy do not pay taxes or pay lower taxes, ordinary Americans are paying more than their fair share for our common benefits, such as roads, air traffic control,
weather reports, defense, air force one, public education, national parks, etc. When the wealthy pay fewer or no taxes, ordinary Americans are paying the public bill, including for benefits, the wealthy take advantage of . I think the term" tax cuts for the wealthy" has become meaningless because it has been so overused and it is too generalized. Thank you fir all that you do.
The Dems should also be pounding the table that they are not going through with the charade of appropriating money only to have the president refuse to spend it while the GOP Congress goes along with the president's usurpation of Congressional power.