Don't Get Lost In The Moment

 Given the overwhelming awfulness of everything, it can be soul crushing to follow the news with any regularity. Trump and MAGA's assault on the fabric of American democracy is non-stop. However, maybe take a breath and separate what they are actually doing and what they are just yammering about.

As Marshall notes, all of Russell Vought's threats about permanently firing Federal workers during the shutdown or denying them back pay have not been backed up with actual action. This is very Trumpist: talk shit but don't actually do what you're talking about.  Have we annexed Greenland yet?

As Richardson notes, Trump's detachment from actually doing the job of president is similar to Warren Harding, another idiot Republican who didn't know shit about shit, who turned his administration over to the corrupt Ohio Gang. Trivia alert: Harding is one of three presidents to die in office of natural causes.  Just saying. These people - Vought, Miller, Bondi, RFK, Jr, Patel - are doing unpopular shit, because they are a terrifying combination of blithering idiots and deeply committed ideologues. 

So as we navigate the Kakistocracy, it can be overwhelming listening to the fascist ravings of Stephen Miller or the mush mouthed inanities of Trump himself. 

That's the point. 

They want to overwhelm you and they are pretty good at it. Who's talking about Charlie Kirk right now? The "This Changes Everything" crowd has moved on, because we simply skip from outrage to outrage. This works for and against them.

However, Democrats are winning the shutdown fight. Republicans are laying the groundwork for the capitulation by falsely claiming that no one cares more about health care access than they do. Eric Swalwell was on Twitter saying that the Epstein stuff is close to breaking. 

Doomerism is what they need. Will we have free and fair elections in 2026? I have no idea! It's a long, long way off. Despairing about that now is both psychologically unhealthy and strategically counterproductive.

Trump and Company aren't popular. If the economy weakens any further, they will collapse in public support. That's why they are likely spinning so fast to commit as many outrages as possible. Time may be running out on them. Or maybe not. But we can't tell from our perspective today.