Do Not Blow This

 The inclusion of journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the illegal use of Signal to plan attacks on Yemen is a really big deal, both politically and substantively. Going to the front page of the Times, and it's not the lead story. Same with the Post. That doesn't mean the story doesn't have legs, as I imagine lots of people are trying to figure out what the fuck happened.

Here's the thing. This is the most important moment of the Trump presidency for Democrats so far. Bigger than the Continuing Resolution disaster. 

The lead story at the Times is the impact of Trump's lawless immigration program on colleges. At the Post, it's the breakdown in Social Security. Those are legit stories.

The Yemen group chat, though, is about national security. It's about the combination of lawlessness and just rank incompetence of the Trump team. It's pretty easy to understand; it's immediate. 

Democrats need to focus. They can't chase every Trump scandal. He's going to say outrageous shit over the next week, like a squid squirting ink to cover his distress. Focus on these facts:

- Pete Hegseth is out of his depth,
- Trump is out of the loop.
- These are criminal acts.
- National security is serious business.

Authoritarians have to constantly project strength. This makes them look foolish. What's more, look at the lead story in the Post, about DOGE's attack on basic Social Security services. 

This is the moment Democrats can define Trumpism as basically buffoonish and dangerous incompetence. On some level, the Democrats have to convince Americans that expert governance is important. Events like this - combined with the coming economic dislocations - are able to create a narrative that will be reinforced by event after event.

But Democrats can't blow this. They have to keep this story alive. Republicans are really good at hammering a nontroversy until it becomes an actual controversy. People are comparing this to Hillary's email server, but Democrats need to think about Benghazi, a regrettable incident that Republicans kept hammering until it became a scandal simply by repetition. This scandal is real, and yes there are many more happening all around us, but make this everything. Get Waltz or Hegseth fired. 

Democratic voters are desperate for Democratic politicians to fight back. This is that moment.