The Daily Wrap Up

21 October, 2025

[ Transcript edited for clarity and flow]

Are we still shocked? Really? Are we still shocked that a man as despicable and craven and greedy and grifty and destructive as Donald Trump would be all of the things he is? Are we still shocked that he would have the audacity and the complete lack of self-awareness to announce that he is ordering a triumphal arch to be built and placed at the entrance of the Memorial Bridge that leads from Arlington National Cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country? No, no--in honor of him. Are we shocked that he calls it the “Arc de Trump?” That makes me want to die of shame, quite frankly. Although, potential bright side—someday, if we survive, we might be able to repurpose it, so that’ll be fun.

Are we shocked when somebody who has never created anything in his life would destroy the people’s house? We have no right to be shocked. I’ve said this time and time again: We have to shift our focus. Donald is going to keep getting away with anything he can get away with. This is his MO from time immemorial. Push the envelope; see how far he can continue to push the envelope. If he gets away with it, push it further.

Instead, we have to turn our attention to the people who are allowing all of this to happen. We can be deeply, deeply embarrassed that Donald stood in front of the world with his tiny arches and claimed that the arch was being built for him and named after him right and will be placed right near Arlington National Cemetery.

Who is allowing all of this to happen? It is the corrupt, illegitimate super-majority of the Supreme Court and every single elected Republican, not just in Congress—not just in the House of Representatives, not just in the Senate—but in this country, from local governments, through state governments to the federal government. The Republicans are allowing all of this to happen and need to figure out why. I’m sure privately, some of them are horrified that Donald allowed a bulldozer to deface the facade of the East Wing. I’m sure some of them are feeling terrible about it, but unless and until they grow a spine and stand up and speak out and put a stop to these desecrations—which Congress has the power and the Constitutional responsibility to do.

In other words, the blame for all of his can be laid at their feet. Donald is who he is. I have never in my life met a human being who is as incapable of evolving as he is. He cannot change. And why should he? He has never had to since he was a very young child. The members of the Republican party, however—they know; they know that they could at least put the brakes on Donald’s worst depredations. They know that they could box him in if only they cared enough to.

So why aren’t they? Because they care more about their petty power; they care more about rigging the system; they care more about turning this country into whatever version of it they have in their minds, whether it’s a theocratic apartheid state, or a white supremacist authoritarian dictatorship. They are the ones who are responsible for allowing this to continue. And they must pay the price.

Somebody has to be held accountable that the people’s house is being systematically destroyed by a tyrannical toddler with delusions of grandeur, who is so psychologically damaged he needs a $250 million ballroom to make himself feel better about the fact that he’s a weak, pathetic piece of garbage. If somebody is not held accountable for this, then the road we’re on is going to get darker, and the slide is going to get steeper.

I do not know how to change things in the Republican party. All I know is that we need to continue speaking out and showing up in force and making it clear to these craven, weak-kneed capitulators that we aren’t going anywhere. We are serious about saving our country from them. No kings, no fascists, no un-American, anti-American, anti-constitutional lickspittles are going to be allowed in this government anymore if we have anything to do with it.

It has to be up to us. We need to force the issue, and the only way that happens is to keep showing up in force, not with force, but in force, with one voice speaking out against all of the horrors that are being committed on a daily basis. Because far too many people are afraid of a man who is himself a terrified little boy.

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Donald is the most miserable person alive, which, considering all of the advantages he’s had in his life and considering how much he has is a testament to what a pathetic loser he is. For him, it never is enough so he continues to rip off the American people.

This afternoon The New York Times reported that Donald is seeking roughly $230 million dollars from the Justice Department. Why? Well, he wants compensation for federal investigations into his corrupt, illegal and unconstitutional actions. These, according to him, include the FBI’s Russia probe, the classified documents case, and, no doubt, the January 6th case. Donald’s claims were submitted through the DOJ’s administrative claim system as opposed to his usual filing of a grievance lawsuit. The second claim alleges privacy violations by the FBI and their Mar-a-Lago search and he referred to it as a malicious prosecution. The Times story adds that, if granted, compensation for matters like this usually get covered by taxpayers. So what does that mean? That means that Donald’s DOJ, as led by the execrable Pam Bondi, will almost certainly cut him a check for $230 million at our expense.

This is happening during a government shutdown; an economic downturn caused directly by Donald’s egregious economic policies, including his misguided tariffs, which are impoverishing American farmers; and yes, because he does not care about Americans, including those who voted for him as many as three times, he wants us to pay him $230 million dollars. Because almost everything is wrong with this country right now, he will almost certainly get it.

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We’re almost three weeks into the aforementioned government shut down that has resulted in thousands of layoffs, and Donald celebrated. Because who can be bothered with the fact that people have been furloughed and aren’t getting their paychecks? who can be bothered that essential workers are being expected to show up to work without pay. Who can be bothered? Donald has a White House to destroy and a ballroom to build and a triumphal arch to put up. He’s busy. And all of that in between rounds of golf, for which we also pay.

[Watch on Youtube HERE]

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The idea that there are people who work in this government, people who have actually taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, who either aren’t or pretend not to be sickened by what they are enabling, surpasses my understanding. The Associated Press reports that today Donald hosted a gathering of Republican lawmakers in the parking lot that used to be the White House Rose Garden. He applauded GOP leaders who are responsible for the shutdown. He made fun of Joe Biden, a man who is no longer relevant.

And, of course, Donald falsely touted the greatness of his tariff policies, despite the fact that, as we all know, just as the American farmer knows, they’re failing catastrophically. Instead of addressing the hundreds of thousands of civil servants who are going without pay or talking about the Head Start programs that are going unfunded—you know those pesky little programs that help feed hungry children— Donald talked his usual nonsense. Here is what he had to say:

Somebody went up there, they say you’re the third best president in the United. This was on television. Third best, and they said, who are the first two? George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And I got extremely angry at this, man, it’s going to be tough to beat Mr. Senator. It’s going to beat John. It’s going to be very tough to beat Washington and Lincoln, but we’re going to give it a try, right? Hey, they didn’t put out eight wars, nine coming, all right? We put out eight wars, and the ninth is coming. Believe it or not.

I choose not to believe that. Donald has done nothing to solve anything. In fact, he’s made everything worse. Clearly, Donald is quoting some kiss-ass sycophant who simply likes his proximity to corrupt power. Unfortunately, this country is full of millions of such people. Every year, however, historians rank the presidents of the United States, and time and time again, these historians who are across the ideological spectrum, rank Donald as the worst president in this country’s history.

So let’s keep the momentum from the No Kings rallies going. Let’s refuse to let up. Just as every day is getting worse, every day we need to remind them we’re coming for them, metaphorically speaking. Let’s continue to focus on the people who are letting all of this happen. Because when all is said and done, they are the ones we’re going to be dealing with for a very long time.

[Watch on Youtube HERE]