The other thing about him is how utterly he domininates their brains. Probably better than half the headlines in the MSM are Trump related. It's like there is nothing else going on in the world. They hate but can't look away.
Whatever would they do if the hate didn’t stoke them. Everything in their bereft little lives comes down to Trump. It’s very sad but also pathologically insane.
I keep seeing comments here about TDS, as if it's any different than maga being obsessed with owning the libs by doing things like electing a self serving dullard to president. Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but that's the clear impression one gets here. The subhead for an article ostensibly about the president's birthday can't help but trash the other side. Couldn't you have waited until at least paragraph two? Nah, that's not what you or your readership want. It's dem derangement sydrome.
I think this could one of Trump's lasting legacies in addition to the debt added during his presidencies. And that's giving us permission to believe whatever we want.
Dems elect a dementia patient, but you still feel confident in expressing your contempt for who we elect. Your side will keep losing until you understand nobody’s buying it anymore. You don’t sound superior, you sound like a bunch of snotty idiots
You presume Biden was elected when he had dementia or am I misinterpreting? In any event, you feel he has it now? Geriatric and memory specialists say changes like slower speech or occasional word-finding difficulties are normal aging, not dementia. Biden has demonstrated the ability to form new memories and recall recent events—a key distinction between normal aging and dementia.
Then there is Trump, 79 as of today and president of the USA. Too old! In fairness to Trump, but at least his bizarre blustery, juvenile behavior aint anything new so can't be blamed on dementia.
Dichootmous thinking runs rampant here, whether in the original articles or comments.
Biden exhibits normal aging in the same way that vehicles in flames are a sure sign of peaceful protests. Keep talking among yourselves, because no one else is listening.
By 2020, I'd find it odd if conservatives said anything positive about Biden, similar to if democrats said anything positive about Trump by then.
To his credit yesterday, Trump was most eloquent in his repsonse to Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner question—“What do you think they [the protesters] want? What do you think they need, right now, from you?”
Trump's response:
“Protesters for different reasons. You’re protesting also because, you know, they just didn’t know. I’ve watched — I watched very closely. Why are you here? They really weren’t able to say, but they were there for a reason, perhaps.
But a lot of them really were there because they’re following the crowd. A lot of them were there because what we witnessed was a terrible thing. What we saw was a terrible thing. And we’ve seen it over the years. We haven’t, you know, this was one horrible example, but you’ve seen other terrible examples. You know that better than anybody who would know it. And I know it. I’ve seen it, too. I’ve seen it before I was president. I’ve seen it. I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a disgrace. And it’s got to stop.
At the same time, you also know that we have incredible people in law enforcement that we have to cherish them and take care of them. And we can’t let something like this, we have a bad apple go out and, you know, destroy the image of a whole of millions of people that take really good care of us. And then you have a movement where they say, let’s not have a police department. And you say, where are these people coming from?”
Oh, what delicious irony! Note my closing statement - giving us permission to believe whatever we want so includes everything incl. gender. You guys can't have all the fun.
You open with the supposition that what we want to believe is not true, so therefore you can believe things that are also not true. The problem with that arguement is that you have failed to prove that we believe things that aren't true. Now, do a Google and start listing all the things we believed that were called misinformation: you racists believe covid came from a Chinese lab, cops are killing hundreds or thousands of unarmed black men, masks stop covid, the "vaccines" were more effective than natural immunity, Russia and Trump, Biden's mental health, etc., etc., etc. Your side lives in a make believe world like children do.
Ryan. 90% of people on anti-depressants or in therapy are liberals. Think of all you fell for: Russiagate. COVID. The deification of 9-time arrested George Floyd. Mandatory vaccinations for a cold. The cover-up of a dementia-addled president. The coronation of an unqualified fill-in candidate. The pro-Hamas movement.
lol -- that is funny heyjude. Stay in your bubble -- keep snarking. We are entering a long nuclear winter for you guys. I hope it goes at least 3 more terms. America needs to get financially healthy again.
Trump isn't a dullard. If you were paying attention, without bias, you'd know that. He's made some great decisions so far, as president. Since your bias is your life, I'd suggest you just look at the statistics on inflation, job growth, gas prices, etc. Thank God Trump and Vance won.
Inflation had leveled off when Trump took over and has edged up because of tariffs. Inflation is still a question mark given "deals" vs "taco". Job growth is evident during T2 so far, which is impressive given low unemployement to begin with, so we'll keep 'er positive and not mention the unemployement rate at the start of T2 was 4.0% and has, according Trump, "gone down" to 4.2% as of end of May. At the start of T2, gas prices were stable and remain so at manageable levels for consumers.
We also won't mention how much our 401ks have risen due to all this Trump brilliance or the Consumer Price Index that is moderately weak and wary:
- May 2025: Conference Board ~98
- June 2025: UMich ~60.5
While more positive than spring readings, these levels are still below pre-2025 norms, reflecting continued skepticism about the economic outlook amid policy uncertainty and inflation concerns.
Your story is amazing, too! Ours is, too, and Trump has lead the way to truth, common sense, love, grit and acceptance.
This is the other ugly story today. It’s twisted, dishonest and boring as it tries to use our founding and George Washington to frame the No Kings uprising, but you already know this.
Your insightful essay today is beautiful because it shows the real human experience that happens when growth happens and recounts the hero’s story. Greatest story ever told, and you are right, the Left has nothing to offer but self-hatred projected onto others.
Wrapping themselves in the American flag, are they? A day late and a dollar short. Their flag is the rainbow one with that weird inset that gets us to accept mutilating our children. I never really minded the rainbow flag. Except when they tried to replace the Stars and Stripes with it. They always go 10 steps too far.
I hate that trans flag with a passion! I was in Mill Valley, CA (Marin) and the high school had 3 flags strewn up: the USA, State of California, and that stupid trans flag. WTF?
Hey, I live in Mill valley and went to that High School (Tamalpais HS, class of '72). It has become an enclave of rich libs but it's mostly performative. You gotta do what you gotta do to maintain your lib cred.
"10 steps too far" is why my husband never voted for any of it - not the "civil union/domestic partnership law" or anything else currently "progressive". He said he voted no because "You give the devil and inch and he takes a mile". NOW, they are pushing for pedophiles being classified as "minor attracted persons" (in Tim Walz's state, they opened the door to them being a "protected status/protected class" of peoples). As for "homosexual marriage", for 5000ish years of human history, "homosexual marriage" hasn't been legal in societies (there's recorded cases of a few "homosexual marriages" here and there -nothing deemed as the law or embraced by community as a whole).
The left has a bad habit of mistaking action against the enemy for hate.
To be clear, you and your fellow travellers on the left are our enemies. You've said so numerous times from hundreds of outlets in no uncertain terms, and we finally decided we believe you.
So when we strip billions from USAID and slash government payrolls, we're not just doing it to save money or dump on welfare recipients. We're doing it to attack the activism industry that is the left's favorite kind of employment. When we push men out of women's spaces, we're not just defending women from injury or violation, we're directly attacking your sacred cow of identity over reality. When we take federal funds away from places like Harvard, we're not just defending free speech and fighting antisemitism, we're working to shut down the places you gather and destroy your next generation of leaders.
You asked for a fight, pinko. Well, you got one. But we can fight without hate.
Wow, Matthew Florio, this is an exceptional reply. Nicely laid out with facts and examples.
I'd add it's love for the US that motivates those in the center and the right. Outside of Trump and America hate, I'm still trying to figure out what motivates the left.
Correction - we're no doing it to "dump on welfare recipients" at all.....we are STOPPING those who don't legally qualify for welfare, from getting it - those with fake or stolen I.D.s. or no I.D.s at all.
Sasha, I think this is the book we read during my freshman year at college. As students, we were shocked to realize that, just like the villagers, none of us could identify when the Nazis had gone too far until it was too late to stop them: The Nazi seizure of power;: The experience of a single German town, 1930-1935 (1965).
That changed my perspective.
Barack Obama--America's Himmler--fooled a lot of Americans until it was too late.
Trump is a reaction to Obama, and it is Barack who is behind the insurrection of millions of illegals who have terrorized Christians of European descent. It is Barack who orchestrated the fake insurrection charge, who insisted JAN 6 protestors be severely punished, who directed the Fani Willis witch hunt and the Juan Merchan trial, both of which suffered from juridictional defects.
Knowing what Barack is makes it tough to understand why so many Americans are easily fooled. Maybe their not fooled. Maybe Obama tells them what they want to hear, which is that a coalition of minorities should rule over the whites in the US.
Trump never would have won had Obama not won. Obama enabled Trump, but I think it is for a different reason. Obama PROVED that ANYONE could win the Presidency. It was not a legacy handed down by the parties. Obama was a guy with very little government or managerial experience. He was America's first DEI hire at the top of the ticket.
Clinton set the table with his free trade agreements that sent the working class into a tailspin. By the time Obama sailed into office, we saw just how toxic the Democrats had become. He was the last straw.
I can agree with that, but note that those trade agreements were Clintons reach across the aisle bipartisan attempts. You may recall Clinton taking Republican proposals and making them his own. We were sold out by the ENTIRE establishment. Yet another reason for MAGA. I heard Trump talking about beloved and needed illegal workers. I think this is Trump getting ahead of things and taking Democrat air. How about if Trump had a program whereby illegals could return to their home country and come back with sponsors from the places that want them so badly. If they REALLY want these workers (and many do), they would be willing to stick their necks out to sponsor them wouldn't they??
Yes, it was the entire establishment, but Clinton was president so he owns it. His move to the center also moved us into the repeal of Glass-Steagall which set us up for the banking crisis at the end of the Bush administration. Clinton's 8 years in office were a disaster for the working class, which Obama only exacerbated and added to: the whole DEI and transgender nightmare. I watched as DEI, transgenderism, and critical theory destroyed higher education. [I was a historian for 34 years at one of Pennsylvania's larger research universities that even today is still holding required workshops for faculty on how to include transgender students in classes.]
Conservatives need to come to terms with the damage done by the Bushes. They and their appointees were equally complicit, at least, in all of the disasters. Trump, and especially 2.0, is an explicit rejection of the Bushies control over the Republican Party. Trump won't be around forever and we need to make sure that the Bush wing doesn't reconstitute themselves.
I never thought of the Bushes as conservatives. Papa was beholden to the national security apparatus and Sonny was a neocon. It’s that gang in both parties we need to be rid of.
Funny how a teacher would have to even know the gender of their students (is there a curve?). Just like I wonder why I need to know the sexuality of anyone.
When I started school, in Canada (it was still the authentic Canada), we lined up every day in the schoolyard to file through one of two doors into the building. One was marked BOYS and the other was marked GIRLS.
It’s the consequences of not using the correct pronouns or saying something that will trigger your transgender students. We have to participate in their fantasy.
"Knowing what Barack is makes it tough to understand why so many Americans are easily fooled."
Obama fooled Americans in the same way that Troodo fooled many Canadians. A lot of it had to do with slick, charming charisma; it is a Pied Piper magnet to the gullible. Which is not a good point in one's personality, contrary to popular opinion. In my books, their kind of charisma is the sort of devlish energy that comes from Psychopathy.
I'm a 64 year old white straight legacy Republican converted to MAGA before MAGA was even born, having spent enough 1:1 time with OWS and Tea Party protestors to know that I had a larger obligation to my wife, kids, future grandkids and parents to do more than sit idly by as a traditional Republican to continue this managed decline headed up by the Elites and Establishment.
My father was a blue collar populist Democrat. I remember having breakfast with progressive activist/actor Dennis Weaver with my Dad as he ran our rural county's Democrat Party for 12 years. I became a conservative Republican as Reagan handed over reigns to Bush....and that's when the "Globalist" thing started to happen and blue collar jobs started getting offshored; grey collar jobs getting outsourced...and America's future put in peril by well-meaning but ill-informed bureaucrats.
I sat on the tarmac at Reagan Airport in 2009 watching American suffer tremendously, including my own 401k, while 13 tower cranes operated over the DC skyline. How unfair was this? Everyone's lives get disrupted while Washington and Wall Street get bailed out and nothing changes for them except the ease in which they can steal more power from the people?
That was when things changed for me. When Trump came along to lead the MAGA parade already in motion, I questioned whether he was the right man after cozying up to the Clinton's and Pelosi's for so many years financing so many Establishment candidate's political campaigns to make me wince. But I held my nose and voted for Trump in 2016, then watched as my siblings (most of them) shut me off when I tried to explain the rational of Trump and the necessity to dramatically change our body politics.
Most of those siblings and many cousins are the Pre-Epiphany types Sasha admits to being herself. They'll be at No Kings rallies today and many went to the pink pussyhat protests in 2016. These are not rich people. Fact is...my net income is 2-3x what any of theirs are, yet they hold out hope that Democrats will beat down Trump so we can go back to the status quo and managed decline.
My brother and I are the only 2 left who believe in the power of populism and know that it's the only thing We the People have left to stop the managed decline of America.
Happy Birthday Mr. President...and let's make the 250th anniversary of America's birth next year one the world will never ever forget.
Some things are very simple. Seek the truth no matter what ot may be. Do not stereotype- evaluate each person as an individual. If you disagree with someone make your point with facts and analysis not infectives.I voted for trump three times because he was the better candidate and better reflected my views and beliefs not because I viewed him as a savior. He still does and says thi is that I disagree with and sometimes find offensive. So what. That's what a free country is all about. Today we are lectured once again that ",our democracy " is on the line , this time because trump is trying to enforce the law and deport millions here ILLEGALLY. And even though the American people last December made clear in a free and fair election that they fervently wanted trump to do just that ( citizens of all races and ethnic backgrounds). That is what democracy is all about and today's "protests to save democracy" and the "rule of law" should be viewed as just the opposite.
You make a good point....the people who hate Trump don't listen to him! Congratulations to you for having the common sense to watch his rallies and actually hear what he's saying.
"No Kings" is ironic as the Dem party handed over the office of the president to a ding bat as if it was obvious who was to inherit the throne upon Biden's abdication. No votes necessary when succession has already been determined.
The leftwing of several Western countries is behaving less and less like they support democracy and more and more as if "political inheritance of power" is their ongoing principle.
Hillary Clinton and Michele Obama both fervently believed that they should "inherit" the American presidency....just because their husbands had been in that role. Even Jill Biden seemed to believe this about herself.
This attitude is the basis for the apoplectic hatred of DJT. He stripped them of what they believed they were owed. The endless whoring, scheming, selling-out, debasement, humiliation...was for nothing... after all of that they where denied their prize.
We are living through historic times. I’m cautiously hopeful about Trump’s goal to enter a Golden Age - where he can make a deal with regimes around the world so everyone’s standard of living is better and no one would want war, and hope his motive is to enter the history books as the president who saved America.
But there are a lot of people who fit into Solomon Asch’s 2/3 of the people who remain woefully ignorant. And they vote - hence a reason why no democracy has not yet resisted tyrannical rulers at some point in time.
Everyone fighting over Trump vs Democrats while no one fighting over their 7% interest mortgage and 25% interest credit cards. Well played bankers, well played.
Your acceptance of Usury is average. The mentality of people who argue over what color hat their king is wearing is average. Stay average, but pay your rent, slave.
Yes. My first was 15.75. I held on and was rewarded when rates went down and ant property appreciated. Lesson learned, unlike the mis-guided people who walked away from their homes in 2008, and gave their financial future to the banks.
We knew people who walked away from their loans. I couldn't believe it, a total loss. Had they waited it out like you did, they probably would have been fine.
Just because I don’t carry debt doesn’t mean that I can’t recognize the polarization of our countrymen. More saddened that the simple minds can’t recognize the distraction. And your acceptance of “average” interest rates illustrates that their brainwashing works well. 🤷🏽
Now look up Heter Iska and try to read about it without moving your lips. See if you can understand that not “everyone” has to pay interest on their mortgage?
Remember, there is a form of pride that is indistinguishable from stupidity, because it prevents people from learning new information and renders them incapable of changing their mind.
"A Heter Iska loan is a financing structure used in Jewish law that redefines a traditional loan as an investment partnership, allowing profit sharing while avoiding the prohibition of interest (Ribbis) between Jewish individuals. This arrangement enables the lender to receive returns on their investment rather than interest, making it compliant with Halacha."
And this applies to an average American applying for a home loan how?
To understand how no-interest mortgages apply to the average American, one must first grasp key financial concepts. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank controlling the money supply, was established in 1913 on Jekyll Island by influential bankers, a fact few know. Usury, excessive interest lending, is vaguely recognized. Fractional banking, where banks lend beyond reserves, creating money, is obscure. Heter Iska, a Jewish law-compliant contract restructuring loans as partnerships to avoid interest, is largely unknown. Most Americans lack awareness of these topics, as they are rarely covered in education or media, making no-interest mortgages complex and inaccessible. Without this foundational knowledge, the mechanics and availability of no-interest mortgages—limited by complex regulations and market norms—remain obscure, leaving the average person disconnected from their potential benefits or implications.
Lol. You must be French. Wave your white flag of surrender as your head explodes from being forced to confront your cognitive dissonance. Au revoir, mademoiselle.
People learn very slowly and some never at all, and the average American on Substack forums is no exception, clinging to myths of freedom and prosperity despite being ensnared in systems like debt or corporate control. They’re caught up in the illusion of politics, fervently debating as if their side holds the key to salvation. Trump supporters feel superior, pointing to how bad things were under Biden, while Biden supporters smugly recall Trump’s failures, each blind to the deeper contradictions of their lives. The masses are highly suggestible, manipulated by media and elites to fight amongst themselves—divided by party lines—rather than uniting against the debtors and institutions that bind them. For example, someone with a 7% mortgage might think it’s normal and acceptable because it aligns with the 100-year average, not questioning how it keeps them tethered to banks for decades. I’m surprised no one’s thrown the usual slur at me for pointing out these financial traps, as they often do to shut down such critiques. Acknowledging this truth would disrupt their routines and shatter their identities. Similarly, someone proud of reducing their debt might feel accomplished, yet fail to see they’re still trapped in a cycle of financial dependence, as facing that reality would crush their fragile sense of progress. The pain of admitting they’re pawns in a system prioritizing profit over their well-being is too intense, so they hide behind political tribalism and patriotic narratives. Like ostriches with heads in the sand, they revel in the ignorant bliss of their Substack echo chambers, safe from hard truths that could demolish their political illusions and worldview.
Honestly, for me it is not about Trump. I loved America before Trump and I will love America after Trump. But I do give him all the credit for becoming the only port in the storm created by the Leftists in America, today MUCH more numerous and subversive than any time in my life, even in the most dangerous days of the Vietnam War protests, the Black Panthers, the Weather Underground, the SLA, the campus bombings. Evil in America is never far away, threatening our homes and way of life. Resisting it, even when it overtakes our friends, is an every day battle.
I grew up in a patriotic, God-fearing family with an Army officer father who came home from Korea with PTSD and only wanted a simple American life. He created me only three years after returning. He would not talk about his experiences in Korea until his last 15-20 years. It was too near and too raw when I was growing up in our small town where both my parents grew up, though never knew each other till my dad came home. Trump's role is as Captain America, who defends the ideals of America at risk of his own life. He does so without complaints, at least not many. Even though he hates war and declined to serve in Vietnam, he is a patriot through and through who now risks his life for all of us and our way of life. I am forever grateful.
Thank you Sasha. Your self-effacing transparency is beyond refreshing. This piece has great historical value. It should be saved in an incorruptible archive somewhere. Maybe I’ll just print it out.
The other thing about him is how utterly he domininates their brains. Probably better than half the headlines in the MSM are Trump related. It's like there is nothing else going on in the world. They hate but can't look away.
The only thing that makes a President Trump possible is our horrid, rotten, petty, duplicitous political class.
Happy Birthday President Trump! You may not be perfect, but you are exactly who America needs at this moment in history.
Whatever would they do if the hate didn’t stoke them. Everything in their bereft little lives comes down to Trump. It’s very sad but also pathologically insane.
Correct. He broke all of them. Astounding.
I've never seen a melt down like this in my entire lifetime. They are truly broken.
Using DJT as a scapegoat (common enemy #1) has backfired hugely. The no kings protests look like a death spiral to me.
I keep seeing comments here about TDS, as if it's any different than maga being obsessed with owning the libs by doing things like electing a self serving dullard to president. Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but that's the clear impression one gets here. The subhead for an article ostensibly about the president's birthday can't help but trash the other side. Couldn't you have waited until at least paragraph two? Nah, that's not what you or your readership want. It's dem derangement sydrome.
I think this could one of Trump's lasting legacies in addition to the debt added during his presidencies. And that's giving us permission to believe whatever we want.
Dems elect a dementia patient, but you still feel confident in expressing your contempt for who we elect. Your side will keep losing until you understand nobody’s buying it anymore. You don’t sound superior, you sound like a bunch of snotty idiots
You presume Biden was elected when he had dementia or am I misinterpreting? In any event, you feel he has it now? Geriatric and memory specialists say changes like slower speech or occasional word-finding difficulties are normal aging, not dementia. Biden has demonstrated the ability to form new memories and recall recent events—a key distinction between normal aging and dementia.
Then there is Trump, 79 as of today and president of the USA. Too old! In fairness to Trump, but at least his bizarre blustery, juvenile behavior aint anything new so can't be blamed on dementia.
Dichootmous thinking runs rampant here, whether in the original articles or comments.
Biden exhibits normal aging in the same way that vehicles in flames are a sure sign of peaceful protests. Keep talking among yourselves, because no one else is listening.
Do you find it at all odd that conservatives said Biden had cognitive issues in 2020? A lucky guess? Clairvoyance?
It took bad polls to get Dems to reluctantly concede the obvious.
By 2020, I'd find it odd if conservatives said anything positive about Biden, similar to if democrats said anything positive about Trump by then.
To his credit yesterday, Trump was most eloquent in his repsonse to Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner question—“What do you think they [the protesters] want? What do you think they need, right now, from you?”
Trump's response:
“Protesters for different reasons. You’re protesting also because, you know, they just didn’t know. I’ve watched — I watched very closely. Why are you here? They really weren’t able to say, but they were there for a reason, perhaps.
But a lot of them really were there because they’re following the crowd. A lot of them were there because what we witnessed was a terrible thing. What we saw was a terrible thing. And we’ve seen it over the years. We haven’t, you know, this was one horrible example, but you’ve seen other terrible examples. You know that better than anybody who would know it. And I know it. I’ve seen it, too. I’ve seen it before I was president. I’ve seen it. I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a disgrace. And it’s got to stop.
At the same time, you also know that we have incredible people in law enforcement that we have to cherish them and take care of them. And we can’t let something like this, we have a bad apple go out and, you know, destroy the image of a whole of millions of people that take really good care of us. And then you have a movement where they say, let’s not have a police department. And you say, where are these people coming from?”
Clear as mud, as usual.
So you’re going with it was a lucky guess as your explanation. That does sound better than clairvoyance.
Is this verbatim? I bet not. And I understood what he was saying.
He’s the candidate that knew ‘What is a woman?’
Talk to me about derangement 🤦🏻♀️
Oh, what delicious irony! Note my closing statement - giving us permission to believe whatever we want so includes everything incl. gender. You guys can't have all the fun.
You open with the supposition that what we want to believe is not true, so therefore you can believe things that are also not true. The problem with that arguement is that you have failed to prove that we believe things that aren't true. Now, do a Google and start listing all the things we believed that were called misinformation: you racists believe covid came from a Chinese lab, cops are killing hundreds or thousands of unarmed black men, masks stop covid, the "vaccines" were more effective than natural immunity, Russia and Trump, Biden's mental health, etc., etc., etc. Your side lives in a make believe world like children do.
That's NOT what I'm saying. I don't believe you believe what you believe is untrue anymore than what I believe is what I believe is untrue.
The usual circular argument that ends with you undermining your own statement in a gobbledygook of nonsense. Lib genius is amazing.
Well, the difference is that the libs are intent on pushing their insanities on the rest of us, whereas Trump is intent on pushing what the sane want.
You feel the libs are insane and maga / Trump is sane. You are unawre that "the other side" feels maga is similary not exactly sane.
Ryan. 90% of people on anti-depressants or in therapy are liberals. Think of all you fell for: Russiagate. COVID. The deification of 9-time arrested George Floyd. Mandatory vaccinations for a cold. The cover-up of a dementia-addled president. The coronation of an unqualified fill-in candidate. The pro-Hamas movement.
I don’t even know what to say at this point.
I don't doubt it. Those libs are smart! The fact that almost all maga are not helps me understand things a little better. Thank you.
Research shows that conservatives are more mentally healthy than leftists - have less mental illness and issues.
So you personally know that "almost all maga are not smart"? WOW, how arrogant and self-righteous.
lol -- that is funny heyjude. Stay in your bubble -- keep snarking. We are entering a long nuclear winter for you guys. I hope it goes at least 3 more terms. America needs to get financially healthy again.
Long nuclear winter for us guys? OK, Happy Warrior.
Trump isn't a dullard. If you were paying attention, without bias, you'd know that. He's made some great decisions so far, as president. Since your bias is your life, I'd suggest you just look at the statistics on inflation, job growth, gas prices, etc. Thank God Trump and Vance won.
Inflation had leveled off when Trump took over and has edged up because of tariffs. Inflation is still a question mark given "deals" vs "taco". Job growth is evident during T2 so far, which is impressive given low unemployement to begin with, so we'll keep 'er positive and not mention the unemployement rate at the start of T2 was 4.0% and has, according Trump, "gone down" to 4.2% as of end of May. At the start of T2, gas prices were stable and remain so at manageable levels for consumers.
We also won't mention how much our 401ks have risen due to all this Trump brilliance or the Consumer Price Index that is moderately weak and wary:
- May 2025: Conference Board ~98
- June 2025: UMich ~60.5
While more positive than spring readings, these levels are still below pre-2025 norms, reflecting continued skepticism about the economic outlook amid policy uncertainty and inflation concerns.
Your story is amazing, too! Ours is, too, and Trump has lead the way to truth, common sense, love, grit and acceptance.
This is the other ugly story today. It’s twisted, dishonest and boring as it tries to use our founding and George Washington to frame the No Kings uprising, but you already know this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/june-13-2025?r=fpto&utm_medium=ios
Your insightful essay today is beautiful because it shows the real human experience that happens when growth happens and recounts the hero’s story. Greatest story ever told, and you are right, the Left has nothing to offer but self-hatred projected onto others.
Wrapping themselves in the American flag, are they? A day late and a dollar short. Their flag is the rainbow one with that weird inset that gets us to accept mutilating our children. I never really minded the rainbow flag. Except when they tried to replace the Stars and Stripes with it. They always go 10 steps too far.
I hate that trans flag with a passion! I was in Mill Valley, CA (Marin) and the high school had 3 flags strewn up: the USA, State of California, and that stupid trans flag. WTF?
I've a cousin who lives in Mill Valley. Frankly, I'm surprised they had the American flag up at all. Uber Woke there....
Hey, I live in Mill valley and went to that High School (Tamalpais HS, class of '72). It has become an enclave of rich libs but it's mostly performative. You gotta do what you gotta do to maintain your lib cred.
And she does. It's wreaked havoc on her family. It makes me sad.
Extremism is one of their tools.
"10 steps too far" is why my husband never voted for any of it - not the "civil union/domestic partnership law" or anything else currently "progressive". He said he voted no because "You give the devil and inch and he takes a mile". NOW, they are pushing for pedophiles being classified as "minor attracted persons" (in Tim Walz's state, they opened the door to them being a "protected status/protected class" of peoples). As for "homosexual marriage", for 5000ish years of human history, "homosexual marriage" hasn't been legal in societies (there's recorded cases of a few "homosexual marriages" here and there -nothing deemed as the law or embraced by community as a whole).
Partisan stereotyping and ignorance because Trump and MAGA do just as much hate.
The left has a bad habit of mistaking action against the enemy for hate.
To be clear, you and your fellow travellers on the left are our enemies. You've said so numerous times from hundreds of outlets in no uncertain terms, and we finally decided we believe you.
So when we strip billions from USAID and slash government payrolls, we're not just doing it to save money or dump on welfare recipients. We're doing it to attack the activism industry that is the left's favorite kind of employment. When we push men out of women's spaces, we're not just defending women from injury or violation, we're directly attacking your sacred cow of identity over reality. When we take federal funds away from places like Harvard, we're not just defending free speech and fighting antisemitism, we're working to shut down the places you gather and destroy your next generation of leaders.
You asked for a fight, pinko. Well, you got one. But we can fight without hate.
You combine your resolution to fight if needed with a peace offer and all you get back from HL3 is more hate.
Wow, Matthew Florio, this is an exceptional reply. Nicely laid out with facts and examples.
I'd add it's love for the US that motivates those in the center and the right. Outside of Trump and America hate, I'm still trying to figure out what motivates the left.
Also, hahhahaa, you said "pinko" gotta love that.
Correction - we're no doing it to "dump on welfare recipients" at all.....we are STOPPING those who don't legally qualify for welfare, from getting it - those with fake or stolen I.D.s. or no I.D.s at all.
You have tons of hate and fight both go hand in hand
It's the difference between beating on you because you won't stay down and chasing you when you run, scooter.
Quit attacking and watch the desire to hit you evaporate.
That is an outright lie and you know it. Both sides wont let up their attacks and history over the past 20 years prove that.
Won't know until you stop swinging, sport. There might be a way to defuse the national time bomb, and if there is, it starts when you stop.
Speaking of "pinko", Harvard is a commie training ground!
Well said sir.
MJ, I wish I could like this a thousand times!
There you go again, HL3, with the false equivalences... But have a Happy Trump Birthday anyway!
Whats false about my statement?
Trump is your President and call 866 DHS 2ICE to report any illegal aliens.
Give some examples with video like Sasha did.
Sasha, I think this is the book we read during my freshman year at college. As students, we were shocked to realize that, just like the villagers, none of us could identify when the Nazis had gone too far until it was too late to stop them: The Nazi seizure of power;: The experience of a single German town, 1930-1935 (1965).
That changed my perspective.
Barack Obama--America's Himmler--fooled a lot of Americans until it was too late.
Trump is a reaction to Obama, and it is Barack who is behind the insurrection of millions of illegals who have terrorized Christians of European descent. It is Barack who orchestrated the fake insurrection charge, who insisted JAN 6 protestors be severely punished, who directed the Fani Willis witch hunt and the Juan Merchan trial, both of which suffered from juridictional defects.
Knowing what Barack is makes it tough to understand why so many Americans are easily fooled. Maybe their not fooled. Maybe Obama tells them what they want to hear, which is that a coalition of minorities should rule over the whites in the US.
Trump never would have won had Obama not won. Obama enabled Trump, but I think it is for a different reason. Obama PROVED that ANYONE could win the Presidency. It was not a legacy handed down by the parties. Obama was a guy with very little government or managerial experience. He was America's first DEI hire at the top of the ticket.
Clinton set the table with his free trade agreements that sent the working class into a tailspin. By the time Obama sailed into office, we saw just how toxic the Democrats had become. He was the last straw.
I can agree with that, but note that those trade agreements were Clintons reach across the aisle bipartisan attempts. You may recall Clinton taking Republican proposals and making them his own. We were sold out by the ENTIRE establishment. Yet another reason for MAGA. I heard Trump talking about beloved and needed illegal workers. I think this is Trump getting ahead of things and taking Democrat air. How about if Trump had a program whereby illegals could return to their home country and come back with sponsors from the places that want them so badly. If they REALLY want these workers (and many do), they would be willing to stick their necks out to sponsor them wouldn't they??
Yes, it was the entire establishment, but Clinton was president so he owns it. His move to the center also moved us into the repeal of Glass-Steagall which set us up for the banking crisis at the end of the Bush administration. Clinton's 8 years in office were a disaster for the working class, which Obama only exacerbated and added to: the whole DEI and transgender nightmare. I watched as DEI, transgenderism, and critical theory destroyed higher education. [I was a historian for 34 years at one of Pennsylvania's larger research universities that even today is still holding required workshops for faculty on how to include transgender students in classes.]
Conservatives need to come to terms with the damage done by the Bushes. They and their appointees were equally complicit, at least, in all of the disasters. Trump, and especially 2.0, is an explicit rejection of the Bushies control over the Republican Party. Trump won't be around forever and we need to make sure that the Bush wing doesn't reconstitute themselves.
I never thought of the Bushes as conservatives. Papa was beholden to the national security apparatus and Sonny was a neocon. It’s that gang in both parties we need to be rid of.
Funny how a teacher would have to even know the gender of their students (is there a curve?). Just like I wonder why I need to know the sexuality of anyone.
When I started school, in Canada (it was still the authentic Canada), we lined up every day in the schoolyard to file through one of two doors into the building. One was marked BOYS and the other was marked GIRLS.
The horror! 😁
It’s the consequences of not using the correct pronouns or saying something that will trigger your transgender students. We have to participate in their fantasy.
And Cabbage Head drove the final nail in the coffin.
"Knowing what Barack is makes it tough to understand why so many Americans are easily fooled."
Obama fooled Americans in the same way that Troodo fooled many Canadians. A lot of it had to do with slick, charming charisma; it is a Pied Piper magnet to the gullible. Which is not a good point in one's personality, contrary to popular opinion. In my books, their kind of charisma is the sort of devlish energy that comes from Psychopathy.
Just saw this — Obama on borders
https://x.com/mazemoore/status/1934041328880324927
He has always been a slippery eel.
Obama has said he would sit in his DC home basement and pull the levers of government. I take him at his word
Mr. Trump is an individualist. He finds his own way and walks it courageously. That is the purest form of Americanism I can think of.
I'm a 64 year old white straight legacy Republican converted to MAGA before MAGA was even born, having spent enough 1:1 time with OWS and Tea Party protestors to know that I had a larger obligation to my wife, kids, future grandkids and parents to do more than sit idly by as a traditional Republican to continue this managed decline headed up by the Elites and Establishment.
My father was a blue collar populist Democrat. I remember having breakfast with progressive activist/actor Dennis Weaver with my Dad as he ran our rural county's Democrat Party for 12 years. I became a conservative Republican as Reagan handed over reigns to Bush....and that's when the "Globalist" thing started to happen and blue collar jobs started getting offshored; grey collar jobs getting outsourced...and America's future put in peril by well-meaning but ill-informed bureaucrats.
I sat on the tarmac at Reagan Airport in 2009 watching American suffer tremendously, including my own 401k, while 13 tower cranes operated over the DC skyline. How unfair was this? Everyone's lives get disrupted while Washington and Wall Street get bailed out and nothing changes for them except the ease in which they can steal more power from the people?
That was when things changed for me. When Trump came along to lead the MAGA parade already in motion, I questioned whether he was the right man after cozying up to the Clinton's and Pelosi's for so many years financing so many Establishment candidate's political campaigns to make me wince. But I held my nose and voted for Trump in 2016, then watched as my siblings (most of them) shut me off when I tried to explain the rational of Trump and the necessity to dramatically change our body politics.
Most of those siblings and many cousins are the Pre-Epiphany types Sasha admits to being herself. They'll be at No Kings rallies today and many went to the pink pussyhat protests in 2016. These are not rich people. Fact is...my net income is 2-3x what any of theirs are, yet they hold out hope that Democrats will beat down Trump so we can go back to the status quo and managed decline.
My brother and I are the only 2 left who believe in the power of populism and know that it's the only thing We the People have left to stop the managed decline of America.
Happy Birthday Mr. President...and let's make the 250th anniversary of America's birth next year one the world will never ever forget.
Brava!
Thank you for a great read this morning. What a great way to start my day.
Happy Birthday Donald J. Trump!
Happy Anniversary Army!
Happy Flag Day!
Some things are very simple. Seek the truth no matter what ot may be. Do not stereotype- evaluate each person as an individual. If you disagree with someone make your point with facts and analysis not infectives.I voted for trump three times because he was the better candidate and better reflected my views and beliefs not because I viewed him as a savior. He still does and says thi is that I disagree with and sometimes find offensive. So what. That's what a free country is all about. Today we are lectured once again that ",our democracy " is on the line , this time because trump is trying to enforce the law and deport millions here ILLEGALLY. And even though the American people last December made clear in a free and fair election that they fervently wanted trump to do just that ( citizens of all races and ethnic backgrounds). That is what democracy is all about and today's "protests to save democracy" and the "rule of law" should be viewed as just the opposite.
Bravo.
I'm reminded of a quote from a fun little movie..."You have a lyrical way of cutting through the BS"
You make a good point....the people who hate Trump don't listen to him! Congratulations to you for having the common sense to watch his rallies and actually hear what he's saying.
Sasha, great job. Wonderful post. You hit all the right notes, again. Thank you.
"No Kings" is ironic as the Dem party handed over the office of the president to a ding bat as if it was obvious who was to inherit the throne upon Biden's abdication. No votes necessary when succession has already been determined.
The leftwing of several Western countries is behaving less and less like they support democracy and more and more as if "political inheritance of power" is their ongoing principle.
Hillary Clinton and Michele Obama both fervently believed that they should "inherit" the American presidency....just because their husbands had been in that role. Even Jill Biden seemed to believe this about herself.
This attitude is the basis for the apoplectic hatred of DJT. He stripped them of what they believed they were owed. The endless whoring, scheming, selling-out, debasement, humiliation...was for nothing... after all of that they where denied their prize.
Yup. Wasn't it delicious?
Yes, Their comeuppance. The rage!
I think their collective Id was out of control.
Such an amazing and inspiring tribute The story of your growth is wonderful. Thanks for sharing your journey
We are living through historic times. I’m cautiously hopeful about Trump’s goal to enter a Golden Age - where he can make a deal with regimes around the world so everyone’s standard of living is better and no one would want war, and hope his motive is to enter the history books as the president who saved America.
But there are a lot of people who fit into Solomon Asch’s 2/3 of the people who remain woefully ignorant. And they vote - hence a reason why no democracy has not yet resisted tyrannical rulers at some point in time.
Everyone fighting over Trump vs Democrats while no one fighting over their 7% interest mortgage and 25% interest credit cards. Well played bankers, well played.
7% mortgage rates are close to average.....and if you're stupid enough to pay 25% interest on your cc you belong in the poor house, permanently.
Your acceptance of Usury is average. The mentality of people who argue over what color hat their king is wearing is average. Stay average, but pay your rent, slave.
100 yr. ave. mortgage rate 7.33% ---- US News & World Report
Yup. It's been lower than usual for so long people have forgotten the 1980's when mortgage rates approached 17%.
Yes. My first was 15.75. I held on and was rewarded when rates went down and ant property appreciated. Lesson learned, unlike the mis-guided people who walked away from their homes in 2008, and gave their financial future to the banks.
We knew people who walked away from their loans. I couldn't believe it, a total loss. Had they waited it out like you did, they probably would have been fine.
My folks lost their 1st home in ‘82. 18% mortgage taken on and no work. Things got better but they didn’t buy again until early 90’s.
Yep had one of those
Construction loan was 18%
First 30 yr was 14. 25
Thankfully my dad said just do it it will work out
Lots of Refinancing — the trade off was worth it
I think everyone is missing your point Jack. Though I don’t know why.
Looks like you know who pays 25% interest on their cc debt......soon you'll want us to bail you out..........sigh
Just because I don’t carry debt doesn’t mean that I can’t recognize the polarization of our countrymen. More saddened that the simple minds can’t recognize the distraction. And your acceptance of “average” interest rates illustrates that their brainwashing works well. 🤷🏽
OK, enlighten us, Socrates, what is the 200+ year average interest rate of the long Treasury Bond. I'll wait while you look it up.
Now look up Heter Iska and try to read about it without moving your lips. See if you can understand that not “everyone” has to pay interest on their mortgage?
Remember, there is a form of pride that is indistinguishable from stupidity, because it prevents people from learning new information and renders them incapable of changing their mind.
But you go on, keep settling for being average.
"A Heter Iska loan is a financing structure used in Jewish law that redefines a traditional loan as an investment partnership, allowing profit sharing while avoiding the prohibition of interest (Ribbis) between Jewish individuals. This arrangement enables the lender to receive returns on their investment rather than interest, making it compliant with Halacha."
And this applies to an average American applying for a home loan how?
To understand how no-interest mortgages apply to the average American, one must first grasp key financial concepts. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank controlling the money supply, was established in 1913 on Jekyll Island by influential bankers, a fact few know. Usury, excessive interest lending, is vaguely recognized. Fractional banking, where banks lend beyond reserves, creating money, is obscure. Heter Iska, a Jewish law-compliant contract restructuring loans as partnerships to avoid interest, is largely unknown. Most Americans lack awareness of these topics, as they are rarely covered in education or media, making no-interest mortgages complex and inaccessible. Without this foundational knowledge, the mechanics and availability of no-interest mortgages—limited by complex regulations and market norms—remain obscure, leaving the average person disconnected from their potential benefits or implications.
I refuse to further engage in a war of wits with someone unarmed
Lol. You must be French. Wave your white flag of surrender as your head explodes from being forced to confront your cognitive dissonance. Au revoir, mademoiselle.
People dont care about those issues because the media doesnt care left or right.
People learn very slowly and some never at all, and the average American on Substack forums is no exception, clinging to myths of freedom and prosperity despite being ensnared in systems like debt or corporate control. They’re caught up in the illusion of politics, fervently debating as if their side holds the key to salvation. Trump supporters feel superior, pointing to how bad things were under Biden, while Biden supporters smugly recall Trump’s failures, each blind to the deeper contradictions of their lives. The masses are highly suggestible, manipulated by media and elites to fight amongst themselves—divided by party lines—rather than uniting against the debtors and institutions that bind them. For example, someone with a 7% mortgage might think it’s normal and acceptable because it aligns with the 100-year average, not questioning how it keeps them tethered to banks for decades. I’m surprised no one’s thrown the usual slur at me for pointing out these financial traps, as they often do to shut down such critiques. Acknowledging this truth would disrupt their routines and shatter their identities. Similarly, someone proud of reducing their debt might feel accomplished, yet fail to see they’re still trapped in a cycle of financial dependence, as facing that reality would crush their fragile sense of progress. The pain of admitting they’re pawns in a system prioritizing profit over their well-being is too intense, so they hide behind political tribalism and patriotic narratives. Like ostriches with heads in the sand, they revel in the ignorant bliss of their Substack echo chambers, safe from hard truths that could demolish their political illusions and worldview.
Honestly, for me it is not about Trump. I loved America before Trump and I will love America after Trump. But I do give him all the credit for becoming the only port in the storm created by the Leftists in America, today MUCH more numerous and subversive than any time in my life, even in the most dangerous days of the Vietnam War protests, the Black Panthers, the Weather Underground, the SLA, the campus bombings. Evil in America is never far away, threatening our homes and way of life. Resisting it, even when it overtakes our friends, is an every day battle.
I grew up in a patriotic, God-fearing family with an Army officer father who came home from Korea with PTSD and only wanted a simple American life. He created me only three years after returning. He would not talk about his experiences in Korea until his last 15-20 years. It was too near and too raw when I was growing up in our small town where both my parents grew up, though never knew each other till my dad came home. Trump's role is as Captain America, who defends the ideals of America at risk of his own life. He does so without complaints, at least not many. Even though he hates war and declined to serve in Vietnam, he is a patriot through and through who now risks his life for all of us and our way of life. I am forever grateful.
Thank you Sasha. Your self-effacing transparency is beyond refreshing. This piece has great historical value. It should be saved in an incorruptible archive somewhere. Maybe I’ll just print it out.