232 Comments
User's avatar
Mike Hammer's avatar

Charlie Kirk was a victim of hate speech. His own.

Daniel Solomon's avatar

Regardless, he also supported opening the Epstein files.

Someone should ask his widow to come forward.

Marc Panaye's avatar

You don't need the hate speech widow. Little M. Johnson will have to swear in Ms. Grijalva.... whether he wants to or not.

Daniel Solomon's avatar

Trumpepstein may be the vehicle to bring Congressional Republicans to their senses. Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) tweeted about an "Epstein bomb" about to drop; over 100 Republican members might "jailbreak" from Trump.

Massive Congressional visits November 18.

https://www.instagram.com/flare.usa/p/DP_mdOyjdiG/

Visit Congressional Republicans.https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/851451/

Dave Conant - MO's avatar

You should have put the quotation marks around "might" Daniel. If the 100 had that much guts they could get together with the Democrats and call Congress into session, boot MAGA Mikey, and start conducting some business by passing the Epstein resolution then move on to Budgeting.

Leakie's avatar

I'm sorry to say that opening the Epstein files won't do much to dissuade the MAGA faithful to shelf their loyalty to Trump. Most won't notice or care.

Marc Panaye's avatar

Hi Leakie. I do not care much about those who buy drump's stuff but Epstein gets under drump's skin in a big way and that is what is important to me. Plus, even more important, the Epstein victims deserve to see drumpie sweat.

Leakie's avatar

I believe the victims need to be heard, certainly. It's just that NOTHING that I (and probably you) consider out of the norm seems to bother Trump or his minions. They revel in cruelty, debauchery, hate, and vileness....remember his mockery of Serge Kovaleski? I thought, surely, that's it. But nope! beyond the pale means nothing to MAGA adherents. Sadly.

Marc Panaye's avatar

Now you make me remember those horrible remarks from the wannabe dictator-king's first term. Drump piles up so much shit that I start forgetting some of it.

And you are correct Leakie plus Ms. Clinton was right with her "deplorables" comment.

Leakie's avatar

I think "Deplorables" isn't correct, exactly. Many MAGA supporters are ignorant, ill-informed and aggrieved--since NAFTA, there hasn't been work in many places in the US. The educated, monied people like Speaker Johnson and all the gutless Republicans in Congress--yes, they ARE deplorable.

Katherine Boyd's avatar

It’s something that Marjorie Taylor Greene has been insisting that the Epstein files should be released. I’ve read that 70% of Trump‘s diehard supporters are Pentecostal church members and the other 30%, or at least the majority, also want the Epstein files to be released. Democrats need to keep this issue in the limelight.

patricia's avatar

Sorry, I know, I was asking what Daniel wants "the widow" to do...the widow who now has a job outside the home against her husband's bull...

Marc Panaye's avatar

No need to apologize Patricia.

Side remark, aren't we antifa's all very polite people?

patricia's avatar

ha ha...not always !!

Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Funny how Charlie has faded out of the conversation and no one is talking about his killer. It's almost as though there's no real story there.

Ingrid Niesmam's avatar

Because he was a kid raised deeply in gun-culture and never taught how to express anger-emotions outside of shooting or killing innocent things. When actually presented with a paradox (liking someone that was taboo) and realizing everything was upside down, he resorted to the only teachings he had. Blame the whole gun-culture MAGA "we must be able to kill" crowd. They know it and don't want to publicly admit this.

Mike Hammer's avatar

Not quite the martyr they were expecting.

Hal's avatar

"Charlie Kirk was a victim of hate speech."

"Here are the Supreme Court precedents that targeting ‘hate speech’ would violate"

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/politics/supreme-court-precedents-that-targeting-hate-speech-would-violate

kasperhauser's avatar

You're assuming the other side has shame, discernment, a sense of history, or an ability to think for itself - dangerous assumptions and proven, repeatedly, incorrect. Also Levitt is a terrible human being, so bad I assume it is in all aspects of her life, not just her terrible cynical and evil turn at her day job.

Steve 218's avatar

Karoline Leavitt is a nasty piece of work. She's adept at spewing hate and lies.

Ron Bravenec's avatar

But a devout Christian at the same time! /s

Katherine Boyd's avatar

She’s rumored to be a member of Opus Dei, hardly Christians, they want to turn the US into a theocracy.

Ron Bravenec's avatar

Really!? I know that Vance and Vought are hard-right Catholics, but not her.

Katherine Boyd's avatar

I heard it on a Substack conversation between Substack’s editor and a woman whose name I can’t remember. I don’t think it’s been verified.

Carol Jane George's avatar

History clearly shows this type of child-women glued themselves to The Fuehrer and other murderous dictators, too. RumpT has a long list of them, none qualified for the jobs to which they have been assigned.

crazy cat lady's avatar

carol jane - i hadn't thought of that, but you are making a very insightful analogy. the child-women who glued themselves to hitler. it's so very frightening to see it in these females who spend more on cosmetics and botox and plastic surgery than i spend on shoes in an entire decade. they all look the same. they are the stepford trump groupies.

RRiveter's avatar

Very apt observation. These women attach themselves, in my way of thinking, because they have hit dead ends in their lives, want to be noticed, want power, and are still able to use their feminine and physical wiles to attain their power goals through the roving eye of Trump, plus undoubtedly, his hands. Every one of them: Noem, Hatchett, Levitt, even Bondi, although she is the only one who does have some experience in her chosen field, are of this ilk. Very little previous pertinent experience, have attached themselves to "players": Fox News, a Republican, powerful lover in the case of Noem, con organizations such as Trump U and other ridiculous institutions, which have all provided notice of them to Trump, who always chooses the best looking chicks he can find with the smallest brains, who won't argue with him, and give him slavish devotion. It's been the same with this guy for 30-40 years. The only one who doesn't necessarily fit this description is his current wife, who I don't think is stupid, but is absolutely there for the money and support of her family/son. But she too, hit dead ends in Slovenia: how long can a woman pose nude and get noticed in her life? She got the notice of Trump when she was young, arranged an advantageous pre-nup with him, and gained many of her goals: support of her aging parents, having a child, living in unadorned luxury. Wouldn't be happening in Ljubljana, I can assure you of that. Not sure his first wife was of this ilk as well, and she dumped him.

L B Rose's avatar

But...they're so pretty...

Carol Jane George's avatar

Some of his dolls are 'pretty", most in a very artificial and even at times surgically-altered faces; so little of the kind of beauty that shines out through the eyes and face of an honest, loving person. Many times in my 75 years I have noticed that once you get to know someone's heart, their face takes on a different look, one you see so deeply, and some with a new beauty, even a physical beauty, that you may not have seen before. Yep, from good or from evil, the soul shines through in the face. . . .

L B Rose's avatar

Unfortunately they are attractive to a type of unattractive men.

Betsy L's avatar

Gross. Lips like machine guns?

DS's avatar

Shameless is their superpower, along with lying and remaining silent when they need to be heard in defense of democracy.

Louise's avatar

Among former lying White House press secretaries, remember Sarah Huckabee-Sanders? She's now the Governor of Arkansas. Lie well enough and it means career advancement in the GOP.

Carol Jane George's avatar

Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, as governor of Arkansas, helped dilute child labor laws, yet claims to be Christian. It is interesting to consider who benefits from removal of child labor laws. Guess which children are being exploited, often can't attend school, and slaughter and process large animals, such as hogs. Devastating for children to have to do this to help feel their families, who can't afford the meat from these kill plants. And I'm sure her faux-Christian father Mike is just proud as he can be of his daughter.

Louise's avatar

yes, I read about the child labor law issue with Huckabee-Sanders. What can you say about a woman who would do such a thing?

Carol Jane George's avatar

The radical right, pretending to be "pro-life", cares nothing for underprivileged children once out of the womb. It is the most un-Christ-like thing one can imagine beyond murder, torture, rape, and other power-addicted behaviors, which actually is exactly what defines the current radical right. Humans on Earth are rejects to other intelligent life-forms in the universe, I think.

crazy cat lady's avatar

yes they want all the babies to be born, but they don't care what the hell happens to them after that.

Charlie in VA's avatar

This 75-year-old grandad was pleased to join millions of my fellow domestic terrorists on Saturday for a joyful celebration of what makes this country great!

Steve 218's avatar

I beat you by two years (77) and even though it rained throughout the celebration, it didn't dampen either the turnout nor the spirits of those who attended.

Robert Manz's avatar

Proud ANTI-FASCIST here.

Marc Panaye's avatar

All decent people are anti fascists.

Robert Manz's avatar

So where were they Nov 2024? Asleep. Asleep. Asleep. (See line in movie Casablanca)

Charles's avatar

Robert, I think a lot of voters have suspended their ability to read, question, research and form their own opinion. Maybe they have never had those skills. In their ignorance,they have saddled us with. a delusional, vindictive and evil president. He has in turn saddled us with a coterie of ignorant, incompetent sycophants whose specialty is lying and making stupid statements. The spineless Republican Congress is no longer able to raise itself off the floor. They show their fealty to the Republican President by buying any proposal he makes. The Republican Senate has approved every Trump nominee, no matter how ignorant, unqualified or sycophant they are.

We, the American people, have elected these "public servants" We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Carol's avatar

I think 2024 voters actually believed Trump’s lies about lowering food costs and whatever the hell else he promised. I also think Harris had a short amount of time to get her message across and that her message didn’t jump out like Trump’s. Why anyone believed him, especially after his 2016 presidency, January 6th, lies about the 2020 election being stolen and all the rest of it is a mystery to me. Could it be as simple as white man vs woman of color?

Nay's avatar

In many cases the answer is a resounding YES.

RRiveter's avatar

I would agree Carol, but frankly, the Dems played a very bad game towards the end. Biden made a lot of mistakes, i.e leaving Afghanistan, even though Trump had initially initiated that debacle, not controlling the influx of folks across the Rio Grande, not getting immigration laws reworked, catering to the pro-Palestinian crowd, which Fox News used against him daily, etc. He checked out of his presidency towards the end, and Kamala did not have the time or even possibly the gumption to separate herself from Biden and really prep and deliver her own message. Just didn't happen. And frankly, if Biden had decided to not run again, we would have had a Dem primary, and had some choices. We didn't, and it all blew up. Trump has so many deficits, I can't keep up with them, but the one strength this SOB has is manipulation of the media, and boy, did he get that one done with staff assist. Also, let us not forget that all types of media: MSM and social media, played a huge role in dissing Biden, the Dems, Kamala, etc etc, and either inadvertently or purposely praising Trump, thus convincing many people, particularly young ones who had been children during his first term, that he would turn the economy around, lower prices, control the southern border in a better manner and get rid of supposed criminals, etc etc. None of this shit has happened. He lied, bigly, as J Kimmel likes to say, and many folks bought it, and the Dems did very little to stop those lies. Hopefully, more and more people, including the Maga crowd, will start to truly buy into reality when they recognize their incomes falling due to higher prices, American manufacturing and business sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, construction, landscaping, etc start to truly decline due to the heartless and illegal deportation of Hispanic workers who make those industries function, as well as the absurd level of tariffs which are crippling the American economy.

Carol's avatar

There's a lot to digest in your comment. I do agree with your thoughts about so many of your statements. Thanks for your input.

Carol Jane George's avatar

Neither Harris nor Trump received a majority of the votes cast in November. He did not receive a mandate. The more we see of the illegal, inhumane processes of Project 2025 occurring before our eyes daily, the more ignorant of us to fail to realize their tactics will be employed in interference in any up-coming election. Governor Pritzker has provided the clearest discernment of this that I have seen.

RRiveter's avatar

Trump did NOT receive a mandate, no way. Yes, he got more electoral votes, but only a small amount of more of the popular vote. His lie of "getting a landslide"? Another lie, per usual.

Robert Manz's avatar

Fixed!!! Thanks so much.

patricia's avatar

I know you mean 2024

crazy cat lady's avatar

absolutely! and we know who the enemy within is.

DS's avatar

Likewise! Like loving democracy, being anti-fascist shouldn't a controversial statement, unless your MAGA.

Charles's avatar

We should relegate the term "Antifa" to the MAGAs. We should be proud "anti-fascists". Let Trump, his clowns and the MAGAs run as anti-anti-fascists. That's not anything to be proud of!

Steve 218's avatar

As in math, two negatives make a positive. Anti-anti means they are fascists.

Marc Panaye's avatar

Math is a stranger to the wannabe dictator-king. The orange thinks it is possible to reduce pricing of healthcare drugs more then 100%.....

Steve 218's avatar

He did say that, did he not? It must be some form of New Math. Effectively, wouldn't that mean that big pharma would pay us to take their drugs? We know that's not going to happen.

RRiveter's avatar

Ain't nothing going to change with Big Pharma. They are way too powerful to truly follow Trump's ideas. They'll give the asshole lip service, but lowering prices? Yeah, when I'm dead and don't need their crappy drugs, half of which make you feel worse. A cup of tea does a better trick, and a can of pepsi or gingerale.

LV Jan's avatar

Correct. Which is why MAGAs won’t understand what we mean!

BigDaddy52's avatar

You wouldn't think so, but magats seem disgustingly proud....

Nay's avatar

Like counter revolutionaries.

DS's avatar

I like that!

Gary Anderson's avatar

My own small village protest event (my personal first protest, and I’m 78 year old great grandfather of three) involved ~700 people on the I70 overpass in Genesee, Colorado! If that’s what terrorists look like, count me in!

The young woman standing next to me waving a big sign that said “HATE WILL NEVER MAKE US GREAT” exemplified the spirit of the crowd.

Carol Jane George's avatar

Thanks from another granny for your great comments. I regretted deeply that I couldn't attend the No Kings march in my small city in Idaho Saturday, because my work required that I travel 80 miles and into four small village cities of Idaho. But What Comfort!: driving along, I found patriots on a corner of each of those villages in deeply red areas, and some of us driving by were waving and honking.

Gary Anderson's avatar

I was pleased at the I70 traffic that honked, waved, flashed lights in support as they drove under us. I was both surprised and gratified that the number of 18 wheelers coming through honked air horns and flashed lights. Not a single example of rolling coal either.

Carol Jane George's avatar

Wow! How this message made my day! Not all truck drivers are MAGA! I am so glad you shared this with us.

Betsey Phillips's avatar

Whoa! Anti-fascists have been spotted in Bozeman, MT? My husband and I are just about to move to Bozeman into a senior living community. I'll keep my eyes open for them. I hope there is room for 2 more.

Paula's avatar

Psst, Betsy, Be careful -they are everywhere! 😀

JudiLI's avatar

I hope I get to see a tribunal where all these lying grifters are held accountable for their words and actions.

Freddie Baudat's avatar

Accountability. Now there’s a word we could stand to have more of!

Steve 218's avatar

There are people calling for Nuremberg II trials.

Carol's avatar

Oh, how wonderful it will be when they are held accountable!

Charles G. Masi's avatar

No! No! ANTIFA means, literally, "anti-fascists." Be an anti-fascist! America needs more anti-fascists. Everyone who attended, supported, or even thought mildly kind thoughts about the NO KINGS! rallies over the weekend should proudly shout,

"I AM ANTIFA!"

Carol Jane George's avatar

BUT I think she was referring to the lying Trump admin as the grifters, not the anti-fascists protecting our free nation, From Sea to Shining Sea!

Anne Pierce's avatar

My uncle was in the Navy in WWII, and several of my dad's cousins (he was classified as 4F) served also - a couple of them never returned. These veterans, gone from Earth now, were anti-fascists and we owe them a never-ending debt of gratitude. Trump maligns their legacy. We can't let him succeed.

Ann Jamieson's avatar

My father was an anti-fascist too. In the army, and one of those lucky enough to return home safely. He would be disgusted by

David Krupp's avatar

We must follow up NO KINGS DAY by making sure these Democrats win their Governorships overwhelmingly:

Spanberger for Governor, PO Box 3121, Glen Allen, VA 23058 and

Mikie Sherrill for Governor, PO Box 43032, Montclair, NJ 07043

Jason's avatar

Don't forget Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor!

David Krupp's avatar

He's going to win!!!!

Katherine Boyd's avatar

I’m sure Zoran will win, but Trump has warned that if he does, Trump will punish New York! Will this be the beginning of initiating the insurrection act?

Ann Jamieson's avatar

I think he's phenomenal! We need some more like him!

Jason's avatar

It does look that way! but it's not over until its over...and then, the really hard work will begin!

But everyone I know here is genuinely excited...and really happy to have at least something in today's political landscape that is promising and positive.

Emily S's avatar

Jen, I’m so grateful to you. Each day’s column is a gem. I look forward to Tuesday’s “Words and Phrases We Could Do Without” and Friday’s “ Undaunted.” And of course, “Coffee with the Contrarians”

Thank you!

Terry Westby's avatar

They have decided they have the power to define us. We must make a huge effort to define ourselves. You call me antifa, well I don't know your Auntie Fa or Aunt Tifa, but I am a proud descendent of brave Americans who fought Fascists and Nazis in World Wars I and II. And in doing so we properly label them as the Fascists they behave like. I said this before; you can't be Nazi adjacent without being a Nazi.

Carol's avatar

Well said! My Dad and Father-in-Law each fought for 4 years in WWII. I grew up appreciating their sacrifices.

crazy cat lady's avatar

i have a photo of my father, uncle, and all of their friends who survived world war II. i have it hanging in my dining room. i'm so proud to be my father's daughter. whatever i can do to honor his legacy, even as a disabled woman of 74 years old, i will do.

Carol's avatar

What a legacy! I'm sure your father & uncle and friends would appreciate your honoring them!

Katherine Boyd's avatar

I heard someone on the NYC NPR station say on Monday that we should call the next antifa march the “I love America” protest in response to Mike Johnson’s lie that protesters hate America. What a great idea!

Jim Carmichael's avatar

Well said, Jen! Clumsy isa good description of the administration’s effectiveness. We will survive this if we decide to.

Michelle Jordan's avatar

Johnson, Trump, Vance and Leave It, yes this is not a typo are all fascists no doubt. You nailed it Jen! Those slanderous and salacious slugs all redefine words because all of these people are morally bankrupt. Protests are only going to get bigger and louder.

Steve 218's avatar

Stephen Miller, Russell Vought, and Petey Hegseth add to the retinue of the fascists.

Catherine Lugg's avatar

Thank you! I'm sick of the GOP's endless 50 year pearl clutching (starting with Agnew). They need to go the f*ck up, take responsibility, and represent ALL of the USA.

Stephen Brady's avatar

tRump , his enablers, and the reichwing echo chamber have driven a big, sharp wedge through the American Body Politic. It was an evil of immense proportion and it was done out of hate and greed. Of course, these MAGAts were always there on the fringe of republican politic, but they used to be contained. With new atrocities every day wrecked on our Nation, it is exhausting. How to cram this genie back in the bottle? Even if we regain control, what is to keep the 70+ million voters who made this from inflicting the same chaos again down the road? We are 2 nations inhabiting the same real estate and that is not working well in Israel and it could easily devolve into violence on a grand scale here. It may take an epic depression to get the Right to see that they are being used, but we all will pay a terrible price.

Steve 218's avatar

"It was an evil of immense proportion and it was done out of hate and greed." Do not forget the lust for power and control. Both will facilitate greed.