In a shocking turn, the New York Times published an opinion piece under the headline: “Is There a Smart Way to Cede Power to Donald Trump?” Let me repeat that.
Is there a smart way to cede power to Donald Trump?
Excuse me?
Is there a smart way to destroy democracy? Is there a smart way to cave to fascists? Is there a smart way to convince people that concentration camps are fine?
Seriously?
The original headline sparked enough backlash that the Times apparently changed it. When I returned to the article later, it had been quietly rebranded as a transcript from a podcast episode titled The Opinions. The new headline read: “Universities Have Woken Up to Find They're in Bed with an Ogre.” And the subheading: “Three opinion writers debate whether universities should make a deal with the administration.”
Softer, sure. But the underlying premise remains chilling. Once again: Is there a smart way to cede power to Donald Trump?
The writers behind this debate — David Leonhardt, Benjamin Applebaum, and Emily Bazelon — suggest that universities may not have done anything wrong by reaching settlements with the Trump regime. Leonhardt opens the conversation with the following:
“It’s not clear to me that the colleges have done something wrong by agreeing to these settlements.”
To which I say: It’s not clear that they've done something wrong by agreeing to be blackmailed by a fascist administration? One that wants to chill free speech and destroy intellectual freedom?
Yeah, I mean — what could possibly be wrong with that?
He continues:
“It’s not clear to me that the colleges have done something wrong by agreeing to cede power to a man who was so vile, so traitorous, so un-American, so anti-American, so unfit, so corrupt, so incompetent, so unhinged, so wrong, so grotesque…”
Yet somehow, Leonhardt and others suggest that ceding power to such a person might be worth debating.
Since January 20, 2025, Republicans in Congress have systematically ceded their constitutional authority to the executive branch — all in service to Donald Trump. Powerful law firms, Ivy League universities with endowments larger than some nations’ GDPs, and corporate media have all bent the knee.
They’ve made concessions. They've endangered the future of intellectual freedom.
They have kissed the ring — and other parts — of Donald Trump. All at the expense of the American people, who rely on these institutions for honest leadership and accurate information.
So once again, New York Times:
What the actual fuck are you doing?
Let’s turn to the man at the center of all this power being ceded — Donald.
Today, he held what was billed as a press conference for signing an executive order to confirm that the U.S. will host the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A straightforward event, right? Just sign the damn paper.
But, of course, that’s not what we got. Instead, we were treated to another White House spectacle — one that turned into a bizarre show of self-congratulation and culture war rhetoric.
First, Donald was presented with what can only be described as a random prize he didn’t earn: a full set of the original medals from the 1984 Olympics.
“Can I say that I won them athletically?” Donald asked.
“Yes, sir. That would be a great honor.”
A great honor?
Really?
“What was the event?”
Mendacity? Stupidity? Corruption?
If there were medals for those categories, sure, Donald would win them all. But are they seriously pretending this man has any legitimate claim to Olympic medals?
No one should be surprised. This is the same person who made up a nonexistent golfing championship to impress guests at his clubs. So yeah, he’ll probably try to claim these medals on Truth Social tomorrow.
The real kicker? He asked if he could say he earned them “athletically.” As if saying it makes it true. And the worst part is, it doesn’t matter that no one believes him — because in Donald’s world, truth is optional.
Manufactured Panic and Boogeymen
The surreal press event didn’t end there. Donald then pivoted to one of his greatest hits: attacking transgender Americans — particularly transgender athletes — while addressing a problem that virtually no one is worried about.
The room was dead silent when he delivered his big line.
“It’s amazing the way I don’t hear any applause for that,” he muttered.
Yeah, Donald. No one’s clapping because no one cares. You’re manufacturing a crisis that doesn’t exist to fire up your base and distract from your own mounting failures.
Then came the follow-up questions, if you can call them that. One so-called “reporter” asked whether the Department of Justice would prosecute trans women who enter the country to “beat up American athletes.” Another asked if the administration would consider “genetic testing” to prove Olympic competitors’ sex.
Donald’s answer?
“There will be a very strong form of testing... and if the test doesn’t come out appropriately, they won’t be in the Olympics.”
No one clapped. Not even the sycophants.
Because it’s not about safety. It’s about stoking hate and pretending to be a hero for a problem no one asked to be saved from.
Let’s not forget — this is the same man who had just stolen three Olympic medals for nothing.
Following the bizarre medal presentation and culture war rant, Donald took questions from what was labeled a “press conference” — but let’s be honest, it wasn’t. This was a heavily stage-managed event. Every so-called journalist in the room had been pre-credentialed and handpicked for their loyalty.
In other words, these weren’t journalists. They were sycophants, propagandists, and in some cases, known Russian plants.
The questions were softballs. One reporter regurgitated Kremlin talking points about Russia’s war on Ukraine. Another fed Donald a lead-in for his favorite, increasingly deranged rant — about water.
“They wouldn’t let the water come down,” he said, ranting about California’s drought.
“We broke into it and we allowed it to come down.”
He went on about Democrats denying farmers water, “stupidly” letting it run into the Pacific Ocean, and how he personally fixed it. None of it made sense, of course — especially when you remember that this same “water-obsessed” president wasted over a billion gallons from a reservoir… during winter… when there were no crops.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein, and the DOJ’s Disturbing Priorities
Then came the real bombshell.
Caitlin Collins, one of the only actual journalists in the room, pressed Donald on something that should alarm everyone: Why is the Department of Justice suddenly doing favors for Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator and convicted sex trafficker?
Caitlin Collins: “Were you aware of and did you personally approve the prison transfer for Ghislaine Maxwell?”
Donald: “I didn’t know about it at all. I read about it just like you did.”
He claimed ignorance — as he always does — and then tried to pass the buck to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“He’s a very talented man… respected by everybody,” Donald said.
“Whatever he asks would be totally appropriate.”
Let’s be clear: Nobody respects Todd Blanche. He was on the legal team that lost Donald’s New York case, the one where Donald was found guilty of 34 felonies.
So let’s imagine for a moment what Blanche might be doing behind closed doors to stay in Donald’s good graces. Because this is not how justice is supposed to work.
Even if — and this is a massive if — you still somehow believe Donald is a good guy, why is it acceptable that 90% of the time, he claims not to know what’s going on in his own administration?
He’s supposed to be the one in charge. Or is he just admitting, once again, that he’s not?
Texas Democrats Hold the Line
While Donald’s circus continues in Washington, something much more grounded — and vital — is happening in Texas.
Democrats there are fighting back against a redistricting power grab that would add five new House seats — all conveniently drawn for Republicans. And they’re doing it by denying Republicans a quorum.
By staying out of state, Democrats have repeatedly prevented the Texas House from reaching the number of members required to hold a vote. Furious, Republicans are now threatening arrests. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that civil arrest warrants had been signed for the absent Democrats. Governor Greg Abbott even ordered law enforcement to carry them out.
But there’s a problem: these warrants are likely unenforceable outside of Texas. Many Democrats are currently sheltering in states like New York and Illinois, where they’re protected — for now — from this authoritarian overreach.
So, with arrests off the table, Republicans are escalating.
Texas Senator John Cornyn sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel (yes, that Kash Patel), asking for federal help in tracking down and detaining the Democratic legislators. Let that sink in: federal law enforcement being asked to hunt down elected officials who are simply using a legal tactic to delay a gerrymandered vote.
This is authoritarianism, plain and simple.
Democratic Governors Step In
Thankfully, some Democratic leaders are stepping up.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has joined Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul in offering safe haven and public support to the Texas Democrats. Newsom, never one to mince words, had a message for the country:
“Just out in the open — corruption at a whole nother level. Do not allow this to be normalized.”
He continued:
“I’m not here to be a member of some think tank. We’re here as pragmatists, practitioners… and I’ve got kids. I care deeply about the 250th anniversary of this great country next year. It’s all at risk.”
He’s right. These governors are now the last line of defense against the Republican Party’s increasingly brazen fascism.
To national Democrats: take note. This is what leadership looks like. Now act accordingly.
Rage Against the Regime: A Resistance Awakens
Amid all the chaos, corruption, and cruelty, there’s a powerful countercurrent taking hold across the country — a resistance that’s growing louder, more unified, and more relentless.
This past Saturday, Americans across the country gathered to make their voices heard in coordinated protests dubbed Rage Against the Regime. From Los Angeles to New York, thousands turned out in protest of Donald and the Trump regime’s ongoing assault on democracy.
One particularly powerful moment came from Charlottesville, Virginia, a pivotal swing state where every vote counts. According to 29 News Charlottesville, hundreds lined the sidewalks outside the Shops at Stonefield to protest Donald’s authoritarian agenda.
“This administration does not deserve our support,” said one protester.
The event was organized by Indivisible Charlottesville, and it wasn’t just a protest — it was a community action. Volunteers collected food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and hosted a station where people could write to their elected officials.
Vanessa Russell, one of the event organizers, summed it up:
“We are out here to support our community because our elected officials are making decisions in the middle of the night to cut programs for those who need it most.”
Protesters Speak Out
Protesters came from all walks of life. Student activist Tatiana Bird explained her motivation:
“Just having your eyes and ears open to the world and understanding that the things going on right now are simply not compatible with an enduring society… a society that values empathy and baseline human care.”
Another attendee, Bonita Wilson, was participating in her very first protest:
“I hope it motivates other people to get up, stand up, fight back — and vote.”
That’s how change happens. One person shows up. Then another. Then hundreds. Then thousands.
And yes — these protests happened on J.D. Vance’s birthday.
Protest as a Birthday Gift
Fun fact: Donald and J.D. Vance have now both had nationwide protests follow their birthdays this year.
Coincidence? Maybe. But I think it’s a hell of a way to celebrate — not their birthdays, but our resistance.
So no, I’m not here to wish them a happy birthday. I’m here to say:
Let’s keep protesting.
Let’s keep organizing.
Let’s make them miserable.
Because that’s what accountability looks like.
We are navigating one of the most dangerous periods in modern American political history. The stakes are enormous. But if we want to win — truly win — we have to fight this battle on multiple fronts.
Yes, we have to grow the movement.
Yes, we have to make our protests impossible to ignore.
Yes, we have to mobilize and organize and outvote them.
But we also need to stay sane. We need joy, laughter, and, occasionally, mockery.
Because mockery is a weapon — one they absolutely hate. It undermines their authoritarian image. It exposes how ridiculous they really are. And frankly, it’s fun.
Mock them.
Laugh at them.
Make their lives miserable with mockery.
Because it weakens them — and it strengthens us.
