Signs that some folks are waking up

When I’m feeling low about the state of the world, my partner often bucks me up by saying that he believes if we can survive Donald Trump, the world will be a better place on the other side. That Trump is such a villain that the rejection of him, when it comes, will drive people to run to the left to get away from him. 

As Heather “Digby” Parton wrote yesterday, we’re seeing some signs it’s already happening — at least in other countries. Canada, Germany and Australia reversed a rightward electoral trend, electing liberals and rejecting far-right parties. I’d argue we’re also seeing it here in the U.S. It’s not just that Trump’s approval ratings are falling. He’s losing popular support on immigration, which suggests more Americans are starting to feel moral disgust, not just irritation at his bad economic policies. 

Here I thought Christians took solemn oaths seriously

As readers are no doubt aware, Trump said “I don’t know” when NBC’s Kristen Welker asked him if he believed he had a duty to “uphold the Constitution.” This is, of course, a lie. He does know, because he took the presidential oath of office, where he solemnly swore to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” There was no exception for “unless it’s to pursue your unhinged, racist hatred of immigrants.” 

It’s not news that Trump wants to be a fascist dictator. But it’s also striking because he, like most officials, swore his oath not just before the nation, but also before God. Yes, he forgot to put his hand on the Bible, but I double-checked the video: He absolutely said, “so help me God.”

I’m an atheist so I’m not surprised that God hasn’t struck him down for this blasphemy. But Trump’s biggest fans, by a wide margin, are white evangelicals. If you asked most of them abstractly what happens to people who break oaths they swore to God, they would tell you that person is going to hell. Especially a person who did so without shame or apology. Especially if that person lied by playing dumb while they broke their oath. 

But it’s Trump, so white evangelicals won’t care. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see even more pastors and other spiritual leaders on the right pick up the argument that the Constitution no longer applies when the issue is immigration. Russ Vought, the Project 2025 architect who now heads the Office of Management and Budget, openly argues that the GOP should embrace this “post-constitutional moment,” and not be constrained by the law.

It all goes to show their true faith is not in Jesus or God, but in white supremacy and male domination.  

John Fetterman needs to resign

On Friday, both New York magazine and the New York Times published deeply researched, distressing articles about Sen. John Fetterman’s mental health. The Pennsylvania Democrat denies allegations that he’s had a serious personality change since his 2022 stroke, but frankly, those denials are hard to buy. The articles are extensively sourced, and one reporter, Ben Terris, had an off-the-record conversation with Fetterman that he characterizes as disturbing, even if he can’t share the specific details. Plus, it all fits with what we’ve seen publicly from Fetterman, who used to be an outspoken progressive. Since taking office, he’s had a hard right turn on many issues, even immigration, despite his wife being previously undocumented. 

A lot of people have already called on Fetterman to resign, so the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, can name his successor. I fired up Bluesky over the weekend, expecting some pushback from progressives, especially based on concerns about ableism. But no, most people seemed to agree that Fetterman’s situation is untenable and he should resign.

I welcome this reaction because it suggests Bluesky is supporting a level of nuanced thinking that has been sucked out of Twitter even before Elon Musk took it over. Disability doesn’t necessarily mean a person can’t serve, but realistically, there are some cases where a person’s health interferes with their job duties. Fetterman’s personality change means he’s not the person voters thought they were choosing, and his staff clearly can’t function well in this environment. 

Also, people are still feeling burned by Joe Biden hiding his age-related decline. He gave up the ghost way too late, and it’s likely why Kamala Harris couldn’t build the momentum she needed to beat Trump. Shaming people who had legitimate concerns about Biden’s health didn’t make those concerns go away, and Democrats lost the election as a result. These are difficult issues, but that’s all the more reason we need to embrace complexity, instead of shunning it with slogans.

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What we're reading this week

• “Michael Lewis’s Paean to Federal Workers Hits Differently Under DOGE,” Sam Rosenfeld, New Republic

• “Don’t Look at Stock Markets. Look at the Ports,” Juliette Kayyem, Atlantic

• “The Refs Are Not Trying to Screw You,” Will Leitch, New York

• “Trump’s Failings Are Obvious. Why Are People Still Surprised?” Jamelle Bouie, New York Times

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