Brett Meiselas: Erika Kirk was extremely gracious in her speech. I really, deeply feel for her. I cannot imagine the strength it takes to get up on that stage in front of so many people just days after your husband was shot in such an atrocious manner, killed in cold blood. I cannot imagine having the strength to deliver the speech she gave.
But to see the way political actors hijacked this event for their own ends—it goes to what I said earlier: they never waste a tragedy. They always try to exploit it. You had people who were upset, grieving, mourning someone they cared about. And instead of consoling them, instead of uniting the country—this could have been a moment to bring out the best in everyone, to say, we are all Americans—they used it to inflame tensions, stoke more hatred, and even stoke violence. That is completely disgraceful.
That, to me, is the most dangerous aspect of Donald Trump as a so-called leader: he cannot lead in moments of crisis. When crisis strikes, he inevitably makes it far, far worse.
Meiselas: We need to speak with moral clarity, and that means rooting it in values rather than short-term transactions or gain. Trumpism is all about short-term transactional gain—market manipulation, get-rich-quick schemes—and no one wants to call out the facts, the science, the values that define democracy.
Calling it out may cause some short-term pain. Disney/ABC may face retaliation from the Trump regime. Apple may face higher tariffs if they don’t show up at the White House delivering gold bars to Donald Trump. But in the long term, you’ll be better off. If you capitulate in the short term, Trump will just keep coming after you.
And when the entire ship that is the United States sinks, you’re on that ship too. You’re not getting off. It will eventually hurt you as well. The alternative is acting with moral clarity. What’s needed right now is leadership—making tough decisions.
Leadership means speaking out with moral clarity, even when you face threats, harassment, or criticism. Leaders don’t send their communities in to be butchered and then walk them into it. Leaders explain disinformation, why it’s harmful, and correct it: I know you may have heard this online or from a friend, but it’s wrong.
That’s leadership—taking a stand. For example, labor unions that refused to endorse Kamala Harris and stayed on the sidelines: it’s obvious Trump hates unions. If union members think he supports them, they’re being misled and defrauded.
Union leaders need to step up and say: I know you’re hearing that, but it’s wrong. Otherwise, the loudest, most dangerous voices dominate the conversation while you bend to their whims.
@KevinStankiewi5@ScottPresler So you no longer need doctors, surgeons, dentists, engineers, et al? Just hope for the best with some random place they got "training?"
@DonaldJTrumpJr See he finally turned off the caps lock. How much was dangled like a treat by the Russian oligarchs that came along? What did your family get out of this failed meeting?
wackslacks No, California is not considered more gerrymandered than Texas. Analyses from Princeton Gerrymandering Project grade CA's commission-drawn map a B for fairness, while TX's partisan map earns an F for Republican bias. Metrics show TX has greater seat-vote disparity favoring GOP.