Why subscribe? One of my annual subscribers, Jeff, says it best: “I love your passion for our country.” Thanks, Jeff! Glad you’re on board. Your MAGA neighbors won’t admit it yet, but they didn’t really want this either. The economy in the tank? Veterans thrown out of jobs, losing services, and being treated like garbage? Our data stolen by a chainsaw-wielding billionaire? Not just cutting off Ukraine, but actively defending Putin? Threatening Canada? Let’s get real. The vast majority of Donald Trump’s voters wanted cheaper groceries, illegal immigrants out of the country, and two genders. That’s about it. Sure, they wanted to own the libs too, but they didn’t want to get owned in the process. And so far, they are. Oh how they are. Grocery prices are up. The stock market is down. Performative bullshit is up, but actual deportations are down. They got their executive order on gender, but just like with abortion, Republicans are going to go way too far, and there will be a huge backlash (as there should be). No one should be more angry with Trump right now than his own voters. It’s getting harder and harder for them to defend all of this, as their 401(k) drops, and Trump is spending another weekend on the golf course. This is the time to talk to them. Repairing the social contract is on all of us, and this is the prime opportunity to do it. If they don’t know what’s going on, let them know. If they do know, tell them there’s nothing wrong with a change of heart. Don’t judge, just inform. But don’t back down either. Send them this newsletter, if it’s easier. Have them join one of our live segments. I am living proof that a full-blown MAGA gangbanger can see the light. We all are looking for things to do to save our country. Your own community—hell, your own family—is a good place to start. Don’t turn away now.
TARIFF YO-YO. Donald Trump is again playing games with all of our economic security with his joke of a trade war with Canada. And while he’s doing it, he’s making car commercials for his buddy, Elon Musk, because he’s very worried that the wealthiest man in the world—not you—is having financial problems. The reality? When Trump was sworn in on January 20, the three-year record was this: markets were way up, unemployment was way down, the employment participation rate was way up, consumer spending was way up, and inflation, which peaked 2.5 years ago, was way down. We’ve had (by far) the best post-COVID economy of ANY industrialized nation. Trade was up, the manufacturing base was kicking butt, and we were producing more energy domestically than ever before. Those are the facts. I told you to bookmark it! WAS THE BUD LIGHT BOYCOTT ILLEGAL TOO? Notice how Trump calls the Tesla boycott “illegal” in that Truth Social post. Hmm…I didn’t know boycotts were illegal, did you? Anheuser-Busch might be interested to know that. ARE PROTESTS NEXT? Of course they are. This past Saturday night, our government grabbed a legal U.S. resident, arrested him, detained him, and tried to quickly deport him without a trial. Why? He was protesting the Israeli-Palestinian war. A judge halted it for now. This is what authoritarian regimes do, and it shouldn’t happen here. I’ll have a lot more to say about this in our Thursday edition. YOU’RE EITHER FOR US OR AGAINST US. It’s not just protesters either. Throughout the government, you either go along or you’re gone. A DOJ official was fired because she didn’t think Mel Gibson’s gun rights should be restored…even though, by law, his 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction should prevent him from owning a firearm. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (cough, cough), yanked security clearances for former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, as well as the New York AG and the Manhattan DA. UKRAINE AGREES TO CEASEFIRE. The Ukraine delegation at talks in Saudi Arabia today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has accepted the U.S. peace proposal. What choice did Ukraine really have, with Vladimir Putin’s recent bombings defended publicly by the President of the United States? Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not present, said Ukraine’s proposals included “silence” in the sky and at sea, the release of Ukrainian prisoners, and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia. The U.S. threw in a deal for rare minerals. It’s all in Russia’s hands now. Stay tuned. So what can you do? Here are some ideas… The rest of the good stuff, including my beautiful mug, is for paid subscribers only. Give it a shot with a 7-day free trial. I think you’ll enjoy it. And you’ll keep my independent, hardworking, and fiercely pro-democracy staff fed! There are no big donors behind this Substack—it’s just you and us, kid (kind of like in America right now). Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app© 2025 Social Contract with Joe Walsh |