The October 18, 2025 “No Kings 2.0” protests are over. Will they change Donald Trump or his increasingly authoritarian policies? We’ll see. But one thing is already clear: A miracle happened on October 18. Notwithstanding the participation of more than seven million Americans, many of them angry and frustrated, there was no violence. Nobody threw rocks at police, burned cars, or worse, as far as I can tell. 

That’s amazing. Mahatma Gandhi would have been pleased, especially had he watched the AI-generated video that the President of the United States posted featuring himself flying a military aircraft at a No Kings protest and dumping excrement on the protestors. Disgusting and inappropriate? Yes.

 I also must acknowledge that dozens of governors and hundreds of thousands of police and other law enforcement personnel also deserve praise. They, too, were peaceful. 

Notwithstanding a long day, signs, and some expletive-laden chanting police may have been offended by, no protester was shot with a rubber bullet, slammed to the ground, tear-gassed, or arrested. 

Law enforcement showed professionalism and respect for the First Amendment. (Not too long ago, such respect for the Freedom of Speech was assumed, which makes October 18 all the more remarkable.)

I was not among the seven million protestors due to out-of-state travel. But when I saw the videos of the protests, I was proud to be an American. I experienced hope, hope that somehow, against all expectations, the protestors’ efforts will be rewarded by a change in President Trump’s policies, or at least a movement towards more civil political debate or, better yet, an end to the unnecessary and destructive government shutdown.

Will President Trump pause for a minute to think about what the No Kings movement is trying to tell him? That would be nice, not just for today, but for the future of democracy. 

Unfortunately, things like the aforementioned “excrement video,” which I think might be an eye-opener for some of the President’s supporters, and the dismissive rhetoric of some of his advisors, suggest that the President, for whatever reason, is not going to budge. 

What was President Trump doing during the protests? After flying to Mar-a-Lago, the President, as is his habit, took to the golf course. 

 His score has not been released, but I suspect a few of his balls found water and that the man referred to as the “Cheater-in-Chief” kicked his ball out of the rough more than once. It is hard to “be the ball” when seven million of your compatriots are calling for your resignation, impeachment, prosecution, or a combination of scenarios that would end Trumpism. 

I want Trump to be a successful president but doubt whether that is possible. The ghost of Jeffrey Epstein seems to visit Trump every night. Eventually, House Speaker Mike Johnson will have no choice but to seat Representative Elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), and she will sign the discharge petition that could lead to the release of the Epstein files. That could be the beginning of the end of Trump’s second term.

I often wonder if Trump’s impressive schedule of diplomacy, travel, interior decorating, and architectural fantasies is just an effort to convince the American public that even if Trump engaged in inappropriate (criminal?) activities with Epstein or committed other crimes to enrich himself and his family, he deserves to remain in the White House. Trump truly believes his actions should not be questioned and he should be immune from accountability—you know, like a king.

Will his ardent supporters be able to look past what might prove to be “bombshell revelations” from the Epstein files? Time will tell. 

The No Kings protestors are patriots in the best and most authentic meaning of that word. The White House may be in chaos, but, through commitment to nonviolence and intelligence, these Americans proved what it means to be an American. God bless them all.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

Judge me by what I do, not what I say. We’ve all heard that maxim, but have you used it recently in looking at President Trump’s first eight months in office? 

On October 18, there will be “No Kings” protests across the United States. A majority of Americans are concerned that Donald Trump thinks of himself as a king. Is Trump a king? 

Many of the President’s actions, and some of his words, suggest Trump thinks he is a king.  That is worrisome because historically kings enjoy, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently said, “plenary power.” Cornell Law School defines plenary power as “Complete power over a particular area with no limitations.”

Evidence of President Trump exercising plenary power is everywhere these days. Here are 10 examples:

Sending military troops into states despite requests from state governors to refrain from doing so. National Guard Troops have been sent to Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and even Memphis. In Memphis, National Guard troops were posted outside a Bass Pro Shop and a state visitors center.

Imposing monetary penalties and revoking security clearances for lawyers at law firms involved in criminal litigation of Donald Trump before his re-election in 2024.

Firing members of once-independent agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board, Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and others.

Firing Inspectors General at 17 federal departments and agencies (some say 18). Inspectors General were once independent watchdogs within agencies charged with ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse.  (RC)

According to Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), the Trump administration expanded its use of immigration enforcement to target foreign nationals, particularly students, researchers, and legal residents—some for being accused of engaging in, or merely being adjacent to pro-Palestinian activism, some without any explanation at all.

Freezing grants to colleges and universities using spurious claims of antisemitism. The actions severely undermine the independence of American higher education.

Firing thousands of federal employees without cause or pressuring them to resign. These actions have effectively gutted many federal agencies, including FEMA, the CDC, the CFPB, and the Department of Education. Last week Trump, citing the “Democratic-caused shutdown” of the federal government, Trump fired the entire staff of the Office of Special Education Programs at the Education Department, effectively abolishing it. The office was created to ensure that students with disabilities are not discriminated against in federal education programs. Trump also fired 100 employees at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This office operates the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (988).

Rescinding grants made to address climate change. Without legislative authorization, Trump has made the Environmental Protection Agency into an office to promote the use of fossil fuels. 

Redecorating the White House to look like a royal palace with hundreds installations of gold, the erection of massive flagpoles and the construction, now underway, of an enormous ballroom more than doubling the size of the White House.

And one additional item—massive corruption by rewriting federal regulation of cryptocurrency while Trump, Trump family members, and others close to the President made large and wildly successful investments in crypto.

This list could go on to cite the indictments of Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, efforts to fire the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, apparent solicitation, and receipt of a gift of a Boeing 747 luxury jet to the Trump Presidential Library from Qatar.

President Trump is acting like a king with no respect or use for Democracy. He appears to be working to rig or set the stage to cancel the 2026 mid-term elections.

Concern over President Trump’s leadership is why more than 2,000 “No Kings” protests are planned for October 18, 2025, including in Easton and Cambridge. More information about No Kings and October 18 can be found here. 

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

Former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich recently expressed regret that the press is reluctant to report on Donald Trump’s mental decline. Reich is right. We are not reading enough about the President’s state of health in the mainstream media. Because so much depends on the President’s ability to fulfill his duties as President, Americans need to know that their president is healthy and fit for the job.

Much of the press, unfortunately, has become reluctant to write negative things about the President for fear of retribution or a billion-dollar lawsuit. Mainstream media’s reluctance is understandable, even though the constant stream of lawsuits and threats of abusive regulatory actions, such as revoking broadcast licenses, are themselves evidence of what many of us see as the President’s mental instability.

In recent weeks, I have raised the President’s obvious decline with friends and asked them whether they see the same things that I do. For the most part, these conversations confirm that it isn’t Trump Derangement Syndrome or just distaste for the President’s policies that have caused me to conclude that the President, and, more importantly, the United States, is in big trouble. 

To use one of the President’s favorite words, we have a lunatic running the country. I use the term “lunatic” loosely because I am not a psychiatrist. But as Bob Dylan once sang, “You don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

An ill and dangerous wind is blowing across America and, because of America’s leadership role in the world, it’s blowing everywhere else as well.

Some of Trump’s antics strike me as crazy but are generally harmless. Yes, I don’t like Trump’s “improvements” to the White House, but those decorations won’t start a war or cause a recession. The only harm caused by much of the “Trump show” is embarrassment—for Trump and the United States.

Unfortunately, other initiatives that the President has launched in his second term are harmful. He has turned the Department of Justice into a personal retribution machine against those he believes have harmed him. 

Trump has also thrown the concept of government ethics into the trash. Federal policy on cryptocurrency, for example, has facilitated the Trump family making billions since he took office in January. Coincidence? Or corruption? 

And what about the President’s posts on his social media platform? Visit there and you will find a video of Trump and OMB director Russ Vought, AI generated, dressed as the grim reaper. Firing federal workers, ending foreign assistance and efforts to fight climate change, and cancelling research grants to elite universities are funny, right? No, they aren’t. I found the grim reaper video disgusting. Only mentally ill people would post such garbage on their social media pages.

I could go on and quote from President Trump’s recent speech before generals and admirals at Quantico last week, reference mental gaffes (such as claiming to end seven wars but not being able to remember the countries involved), and, of course, post videos of the President looking “not well.”

America needs to take a hard look at the man who is our president. Trump may not admit it, but he is supposed to work for the American public. There is a reason there is a group called “No Kings” and serious efforts are underway to end Republican leadership of the House of Representatives.

The government used to encourage us: “If you see something, say something.”  I see a president in serious mental decline. There, I said it. And if you take a close look at the President, what he does, says, and his physical appearance, I think you’ll agree.

The 25th Amendment was passed for a good reason.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

Over the weekend, I watched the video Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s posted on social media X in which he declared that the Medals of Honor granted to members of the 7th Calvary involved in the so-called Battle of Wounded Knee will not be rescinded. Hegseth said the soldiers involved in the incident deserved them. 

The medals were awarded in 1890, shortly after the “battle” took place. At the time, the U.S. government was on a campaign of genocide against Indigenous people in the West. The “battle” took place after the U.S. chose to violate a treaty that gave Indigenous people ownership of vast territories.

Hegseth was prompted to issue his “final” decision because his predecessor, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, had declined to accept a report that recommended the medals not be rescinded.

Why was the 21st century Department of Defense looking at rescinding medals? Oliver “O.J.” Semans Sr., an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and a former U.S. Navy firefighter who witnessed the aftermath of “the Battle,” wrote President Trump in 2019 to urge him to rescind the medals. Semans wrote:

“The ‘Battle at Wounded Knee’ on December 29, 1890, was no battle. It was a massacre. … The 7th Cavalry, which was obligated by treaty to protect my ancestors, instead hunted my ancestors, surrounded them, and gunned hundreds of them down. This included terrified women and children who fled—defenseless—through the snow, forever stained by their blood.”

President Trump declined to rescind the medals. Notably, Seman’s letter followed a statement by Trump ridiculing Senator Elizabeth Warren as she announced a run for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination. Trump said Warren should have filmed her announcement to establish a presidential exploratory committee while standing in front of a backdrop of Bighorn or Wounded Knee with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, instead of making the announcement in her own kitchen.

How does Hegseth effectively condoning a massacre align with the warrior culture he lectured military Generals and Admirals about yesterday? Not very well. If the soldiers involved in the “battle” at Wounded Knee deserved medals, so too does Lt. William Calley, the perpetrator of the My  Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War.

Over the weekend, I also read about worries within the Pentagon centering on Secretary Hegseth’s behavior. He is reportedly prone to tantrums and frequently yells at subordinates. Many staff have quit their jobs. Others question Hegseth’s mental health or speculate that he may have returned to excessive drinking. (Evidence of Hegseth drinking since his confirmation has not surfaced.)

Should a “Department of War” be led by a hot-headed Secretary answerable only to a 79-year-old President who himself shows signs of mental decline and who has involved the military in actions against American citizens and others? I don’t think so.

When lecturing Generals and Admirals yesterday, Hegseth may have had the least military command experience of anyone else in the room except for President Trump (bone spurs) and the enlisted personal working to staff the gathering. He also had no relevant executive experience before his nomination to head what used to be called DoD before Trump nominated him to the post in 2021. Hegseth, as you may recall, was a Fox News weekend anchor. President Trump liked what he said on the air and no doubt thought he looked the part.

All of us should support a strong and ready military, but Hegseth’s advocacy for a “warrior culture” that would remove woman from combat, limit leadership roles for people of color (many of whom might prove to be outstanding military leaders if given the chance to lead) and taking other actions that would ban gay and trans people, as well as people who are not Christians from serving.  That is not an effective strategy to build a strong military.

I’m not holding my breath, but I want to hear Donald Trump say “You’re Fired” again. The words should be directed at Mr. Hegseth.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

On Saturday morning, before getting out of bed, I read the news on an app called Flipboard. Like dozens of other sites, Flipboard collects “news” from various sources and publishes it in a magazine corresponding to the interests or tastes of the reader. For good or ill, I read a lot about President Trump. As a result, Flipboard serves up several articles about Trump each day. Some are positive. Others, less so.

The first article on Saturday was a picture of President Trump stuffing his mouth full of spaghetti while King Charles III was speaking. The image showed Trump oblivious to the King and the King looking down at Trump while Trump struggled with the spaghetti. 

I immediately doubted the authenticity of the photo, but others had not. The article included a series of social media posts condemning the President for his eating habits and declaring him to be an embarrassment to the United States. 

Later on Saturday, I confirmed the image was fake. Honestly, I should have known that immediately (as opposed to suspecting it). President Trump may be many things, but it is hard to imagine that he never learned to eat spaghetti.

Hopefully, the media will cover what I will call the Spaghetti Picture and report that Trump is the victim of a hoax. What I am wondering, however, is whether the President will direct Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to find the party (poor choice of words here) responsible for posting the photo and prosecute him or her.

Is ridiculing the President with a doctored photo a crime? Of course not. I remember doctored photos of President Carter being attacked by a giant rabbit while fishing. I remember multiple pictures of Richard Nixon that elongated his ski-jump shaped nose. 

President Reagan also was subject to the publication of photos of him with his one-time co-star, Bonzo, a chimpanzee. Those photos were real—Reagan actually starred in a film with Bonzo as his co-star.  The photo was a publicity shot. Reagan never threatened anyone who published it during his political career.

More importantly, do images of this type, especially the Spaghetti Picture, constitute “hate speech?”  There isn’t, of course, a clear legal definition of hate speech and words and images that don’t incite violence are legal. (I hope that, after reflection, Pam Bondi might even agree.) So, should the Spaghetti Picture go without punishment?

President Trump in recent weeks has exploded, repeatedly, at the media, especially comedians, who ridicule him. Colbert was fired by CBS and Kimmel joined him, before ABC relented in the face of a boycott of ABC’s parent, Disney.

The President is threatening to revoke broadcast licenses to stem negative coverage of his administration and its handiwork. Will Trump order the prosecution of the creator of the Spaghetti Picture? Will he sue whoever asked AI to create it for $15 billion?  Will he ask Pam Bondi if AI can be sued?

Let’s hope not, but Trump’s now-dismissed $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times and the chilling words of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who exploded after Jimmy Kimmel commented on the murder of Charlie Kirk suggest otherwise.  Carr called Kimmel’s remarks (intentionally not repeated here) “the sickest comments possible.”

Carr went on to say, “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney [the owner of ABC, the network that broadcasted Jimmy Kimmel Live!]. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr’s comments were condemned by—surprise–Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who described Carr’s comments as “dangerous as hell.”

I agree with Ted Cruz. I also hope he might advise President Trump to not to overreact to the Spaghetti picture. 

I am sure President Trump is angry about the image. I do not blame him for that. But I will blame him if he does anything about it. 

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

There’s nothing like a horrific murder to get our attention. That murder happened last Wednesday, and because you already know about it, we don’t have to discuss it here. But what I’m watching is how the crime is impacting the rest of the news, things like Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar, the pending government shutdown, and even last weekend’s Emmy Awards.

I see broadcasters tiptoeing through the news, especially from reporters who might already have felt some degree of intimidation by the Trump administration or the political force that increasingly just describes itself as MAGA. President Trump, Vice President Vance, and many other Republicans have suggested that “the left” somehow set the stage for the events in Utah last week. Although the evidence to date suggests the shooter acted alone, Trump and his allies suggest the existence of opposition to MAGA “radicalized” the shooter and thus “the left” should share the blame for the most prominent political murder in recent memory.

President Trump suggested last weekend that 93-year-old George Soros should be jailed for funding Democratic and pro-democracy groups. Jailed. I politely disagree. 

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, told Fox News “evildoers” were behind her husband’s murder and that they “should all know this: If you thought my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country, and this world.” I wonder if Kirk would have approved.  It sounds like a threat, not a call for civil discourse.

A little less politely, I condemn Stephen Miller’s call for “the left” to be “dismantled,” because he says, “the left” foments violence and encourages “terrorism.”  Ironically, Miller’s words might terrify people who are even mildly left leaning because “dismantling” sounds like a call for political violence. I have never met anyone who wanted to be “dismantled.”

Since September 10, Democrats, with exceptions, have wisely been cautious in discussing last Wednesday’s shooting. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefffries, for example, said, “I am shocked by the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Political violence of any kind and against any individual is unacceptable and completely incompatible with American values. We pray for his family during this tragedy. “ 

Appropriately, no mention was made of Kirk’s sometimes racist, transphobic and homophobic rhetoric, but Jeffries should have at least mentioned political disagreements. He unintentionally contributed to what some are referring to as the canonization of Kirk.

Matthew Dowd of MSNBC got fired for saying, “Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. You can’t stop with these sorts of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place.”

In firing Matthew Dowd, MSNBC called his comments “inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable.”  Did you know that Dowd worked for Republican George W. Bush? The words that got him fired don’t read as a call to violence or a suggestion that advocates of controversial political positions deserve to be shot.

In firing Dowd, MSNBC is tiptoeing around the news. I sense that while the network has repeatedly reported on “the right’s” political rhetoric and condemned it, it is increasingly intimidated from doing so. And given that President Trump has repeatedly threatened networks with revocation of broadcast licenses and personally called for the firing of journalists (and comedians), MSNBC may be wise to avoid “poking the bear.”

For the last week, I haven’t seen much about efforts of red states to redraw districting maps to eliminate Democratic seats in the House of Representatives. That story may be seen as an attack on the right from Democrats since the implication is that the Republicans seek to avoid electoral defeat in 2026 by rewriting the rules for the election. 

We need to hear about what’s going on. We also need to read about the President’s health, about the release of the Epstein files (remember those?), jobs statistics, inflation, and things like Andy Harris saying western Maryland doesn’t need FEMA disaster assistance because the state can pay for it with Wes Moore’s tax increase.

I condemn all political violence and would like to see the right and left (and the middle) tone down the rhetoric, but I don’t want to see the news media tiptoe around the news. We need to count on the press and our two-party political system to serve as a check and balance against the powers that are in power. 

We need to avoid tiptoeing. Abdication will not save American democracy. We need free, vigorous, and civil political debate and news reporting. Violence should have no place in our political system. Neither should intimidation. 

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.

Breaking News! Those of us who regularly write about the Trump administration often imply that nothing can be done to stop, or even slow down, Trumpism. The unintended message in stories about Trump’s complete dominance of the Republican party is that our situation is hopeless. We are doomed to watch Trump and his party destroy democracy over the next few years. Not so fast.

A few weeks ago, a Spy reader reached out to me about an initiative that could get the wheels of America back on track. The idea is a simple one and is based on hard truths about today’s politics. The country is badly divided. For many Republican voters, little that is being said about Trump and his policies that appears to move them to abandon the MAGA dogma. Plus, in the 2026 mid-term elections, there are shockingly few seats that can be described as competitive.

The truth of the 2026 mid-terms is that a handful of House races will determine whether the country is liberated from Speaker Mike Johnson’s (Trump’s) death grip on the House of Representatives. If Democrats win in November 2026, President Trump can no longer count on Mr. Johnson to pass legislation such as the comically named Big Beautiful Bill.

More importantly, a Democrat-controlled House would mean that the Trump administration will be held accountable for its actions. Democrats will be empowered to issue subpoenas to get the information needed to determine whether the President is faithfully executing the laws of the United States. In short, there will be a new sheriff in town. Not necessarily one that will be able to stop everything destructive that the administration attempts, but one that is able to stop much of the MAGAnification of America. In short, the liberation of the federal government will have been launched. 

William Galston of the Brookings Institution wrote this last month:

“The president’s party almost always loses ground in midterm House elections, as has happened in 20 of the past 22 midterm elections stretching back to 1938, and both exceptions reflected unusual circumstances.

The president’s job approval has a strong impact on the outcome of midterm House elections.

The odds that public sentiment will shift enough to extend Republicans’ control of the House seem low, an assessment reinforced by the parties’ changing demographic bases.”

I agree. So, too, does President Trump. That explains the Congressional redistricting efforts in Texas, Missouri and other states and Trump’s calling mail-in voting “fraud.”

A group called Enough! has launched a campaign to target “swing” Congressional districts in the hopes of securing a Democratic majority. Eighteen House districts have been identified, including both Republican seats won by a narrow margin and similarly vulnerable Democratic seats. Enough! will attempt to persuade voters in those districts through targeted media campaigns that Trump’s policies, broken promises, and lies are hurting Americans.

The weapon that Enough! and other groups planning a similar strategy will use is truth. If voters are reminded—or informed- of how Trump policies are increasing prices, denying people health care, disrupting the rule of law, and otherwise jeopardizing America’s future, they will see Trump for who he is—an oligarch out for himself.

Notably, Andy “Handgun” Harris (R-MD) is not on the group’s list. I would like to see him targeted. Harris hasn’t represented the Eastern Shore for some time. As Chairman of the Freedom Caucus, he has become one of Trump’s top foot-soldiers on the Hill. 

Harris’ tenure in Congress could also end if Maryland, like Texas, California and other states revises Congressional districts before the 2026 mid-term elections.

I will be keeping an eye on Enough! and other groups that are working to end the GOP regime in the House of Representatives. 

Can these campaigns succeed? I would say yes, but even if they don’t, they will help slow down Trumpism. Republicans in swing districts will respond to pressure from constituents who are unhappy about Trump’s policies and angry that their representatives voted for the “Big Beautiful Bill.”  If one more Republican had voted no on Trump’s massive debt-increasing bill, it would have been defeated. 

The Cook Political Report analyzes House races and publishes a list of competitive races. See the list here.

If you are among the millions of Americans unhappy with Trump and MAGA, do not give up hope. We can all see what is happening. We need to do something about it. Working to ensure a positive outcome in the 2026 mid-term elections is a good place to start.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack. He expects the 2026 mid-term elections to provide some relief from Trumpism.

Donald Trump has more than seven months under his belt in his second term as president. For six of those months, the President’s supporters regularly threw around the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Anyone with a criticism or uncharitable comment about the President was dismissed as a victim of TDS. 

August ended without anyone accusing me of TDS. What gives? I worry—and write-about–Trump more than ever. My theory is that while Trump critics have not changed, the President and his policies—mostly things that he talked about during his campaign that are now the heart of the Trump legacy—are no longer surprises. We once wondered what Trump would do next. Now we know—or think we do. 

The second-term Trump, a decade later than when the flamboyant TV personality rode the golden escalator down to the lobby of Trump Tower in 2015 to announce he was running for president, is much different than the first-term edition. The 2015 Trump engaged in a publicity stunt and believed running for president would boost his brand, even if he lost. Some say he never even expected to win, and I agree. That Trump had a few campaign themes—mostly based on hate—but otherwise had no vision for an administration. He hadn’t even figured out how to use the powers of the Presidency to make billions for himself and his family.

Since 2015, Trump has ceased to be the publicity hound who demanded a cameo in Home Alone 2 as a condition of allowing a scene to be filmed in the Plaza Hotel lobby. That was the pre- “I am your retribution Trump” who had not sent a mob to the Capitol to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election to the presidency. That Trump had not been found guilty on 34 felony counts for business fraud or defamation and was called a rapist by a judge in the E. Jean Carroll case. And so on.

Fast forward to 2025. Trump implausibly won the presidency despite his impeachments, convictions, indictments, and a track record of creating chaos and cuddling up to Vladimir Putin. The public bought into Trump’s message of hate. Democrats, America haters that they are, were out to wreck America, Trump said. Their weapons were DEI, environmental regulations, medical research, foreign aid, and immigration policies. One Trumper told me in 2022, after assuring me that he was not a racist, that Joe Biden would not be happy until everyone who worked for the federal government was Black.

Many of us tired of Trump before voting against him in 2024. There were 75,017,613 of us. There was no Trump landslide in the election. No Trump mandate to remake the federal government. And certainly nothing to justify suspending basic civil rights and launching an assault on democracy.

Criticism of Trump 2.0 largely took the form of condemning the Heritage Foundation owner’s manual, labeled Project 2025, created in the belief that if Trump won the presidency, he needed a set of ideas (other than just retribution, racism, and self-enrichment) to guide his second term.  Trump of course, denied that was the case. He even claimed, plausibly, that he hadn’t read Project 2025, but then selected Russell Vought, a principal author of Project 2025, to head the Office of Management and Budget. Vought is the man behind 350,000 federal workers being fired or forced out of their jobs. 

Trumpers today imply that “Trump-hating” is based on his sleezy personality, his lying, his cheating at golf, his greed, and his penchant for name-calling. “What about his policies?” they ask. I answer that Trump’s second-term policies are worse than the President’s smell. Whatever caused the stench that former Representative Adam Kinzinger detected when he met Trump cannot be worse than the odor coming from tariffs that are already driving up prices and immigration policies that will create a labor shortage that will surely boost inflation. Or from the miasma of Alligator Alcatraz and the denial of due process to ICE-arrested deportees.

Trump Fatigue is about weariness of both Trump and his handiwork—the mess he is creating that will take generations to clean up. 

One of the signs of Trump Fatigue in August included reports last week that the increasingly exhausted-looking Trump had died. They pointed to the absence of public scheduled events for several days, a nasty bruise on Trump’s hand, and those swollen ankles. Some also pointed to the deterioration in Trump’s golf game. He let himself get videoed cheating several times—in one case, whiffing (swinging and missing the ball altogether). Winners of dozens of golf championships, such as Trump, usually are not whiffers.

I have also read recently—in news sources that Karoline Leavitt would condemn as fake news—that Trump shows signs of senility and insanity by posting dozens of rants at 2 a.m.on his social media site. Yes, the President of the United States studied Seth Meyers’ ratings and is outraged that his contract was renewed. 

I could write about the gold in the Oval Office, the UFC cage match scheduled to be held on the White House lawn on July 4, 2026, and plans for another massive military parade, this one featuring the Navy, to be held on Trump’s 80th birthday. But it’s not necessary. 

All these things, and more, are outrageous, but are now expected. If Trump were to announce tomorrow that he was “eliminating” the Department of State and painting the White House green (his favorite color), I would shrug my shoulders. I have Trump Fatigue. And people are not talking about TDS anymore because commenting on Trump, the motley cast of misfits he has assembled as an administration, and his destructive policies are starting to raise questions for more of us, including hard-core Trumpers.

Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think, is dead, but maybe that’s just my TDS. I deny that but fess up to suffering from Trump Fatigue. And if you remain a Trump supporter, watch out, it’s contagious.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack. He suffers from Trump Fatigue, but hopes the 2026 mid-term elections will provide some relief. 

A wave of hopelessness is descending on Americans troubled by the MAGAfication of the United States. I think of the 1987 Kevin Costner movie No Way Out because, well, a convincing strategy to stop Donald Trump’s assault on democracy, civility, and truth has not yet been found. Not that a few courageous people are not trying. 

One of those people is California Governor Gavin Newsom. After Texas reworked its Congressional Districts to pick up five more Republican seats in the House of Representatives in next year’s mid-term elections, Newsom followed suit. If Texas is going to Gerrymander, California will too. 

Newsom also writes his own social media posts, matching Trump’s skill at random CAPITALIZATION and name-calling. Newsom posts on X rival Trump’s for outrageousness. In June, for example, after Alabama Senator, former football coach, and Trump ally Tommy Tuberville called for Newsom’s arrest, Newsom responded: “Alabama has 3X the homicide rate of California. Its murder rate is ranked third in the entire country. Stick to football, bro.”

Newsom also has not hesitated to file lawsuits against Trump administration actions, including a challenge to Trump’s deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles.

And, just to remind the public of Trump’s grift, Newsom is offering merchandise inspired by Trump, including $100 Bibles with his signature and hats reading “Newsom Was Right About Everything.”

Unfortunately, Newsom’s tactics are not likely to end the Trump regime or change his policies. Only the election of a Democratic House or Senate, and preferably both, will do that. And even if Democrats win control of Congress, there is no guarantee that Trump won’t continue to attempt to run the government through executive orders and judicial decrees issued by judges like Aileen Cannon, the Florida judge who spared Trump accountability in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.

Recently, the producers of the TV series South Park have taken on Trump with ridicule. An article in Slate magazine reports, “South Park’s New Episode Takes on the Ass-Kissers Surrounding Trump.” People are talking about the episodes, but will they make a difference? Trump’s artificially colored orange complexion and bizarre hairstyle failed to prevent his election in 2016 and 2024 as did reports of grift, tax-evasion, sexual assault, and marital infidelity.

For the last two months, the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein has returned to haunt Trump. Many of us suspect that not only did Mr. Epstein maintain a “client list,” but Donald Trump was on it. Trump’s campaign of distraction has motivated things like a major, albeit unsuccessful, push to end the war in Ukraine and an FBI raid on the home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. And let’s not forget the military takeover of the Washington, D.C. police. If you are looking for a word to describe all three events, try “distraction.”

If you are counting on Epstein’s ghost to stop Trump, don’t hold your breath. The Epstein scandal is slowly fading from the public’s attention as it prepares for Labor Day. As fall approaches, Trump’s minions at the Department of Justice, FBI, and Congress will announce that all investigations of the matter are over and that everything appropriate to share with the public has been released. Case closed, or so Trump hopes.

Are we doomed to lose our Constitution? Is America fated to following the path of 1920s Italy and 1930s Germany into a “Golden Age” that destroys democracy? Let’s hope not.

I am heartened by the continued growth of the Indivisible movement. In the face of a relentless Trump, this group has not quit. I also am finding that other people, including many not yet engaged with Indivisible or any other anti-Trump movement, are questioning fines levied against elite universities, the termination of NIH research, the surrender in the fight against climate change, the ironic war against crime in D.C. (and soon Chicago and other cities, including Baltimore) launched by a convicted criminal, and all that gold decoration in the White House. 

 I sense that Trump may be edging closer to a tipping point—the point where even people who like some of his policies such as “border security,” will say, “enough” or conclude that Trump really does want to be a dictator or, due to mental illness and debilitation, think he already is one.

Let’s hope there is a way out before it is too late. The Trump administration is not the yang to the Democrats’ yin. It is an assault on democracy.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack. Dean fondly remembers when the Republican Party accepted democracy, civility, and the rule of law. 

Are we sure we want to know what went on in Anchorage last Friday? Yes, I know, President Trump met with Vladimir Putin, and no agreement on anything was reached. And we also know that pundits are trying to figure out what, if any, progress may have been made towards securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. But I am wrestling with the optics of what we saw. There’s a story there, and it is an ugly one.

I tuned into news coverage of the meeting at about 2:00 p.m. or so, figuring that how the two heads of state greeted each other could signal whether some sort of agreement would be reached when the meeting began. My hopes for a successful meeting evaporated when I saw how orchestrated “the arrival” was. 

Putin apparently insisted that any meeting with Trump take place on American soil. That, some say, was a victory in itself for Putin, who is a convicted war criminal (The World Court) and is persona non grata in countries other than North Korea, China, and a few others. But Putin wanted more. After Trump’s 747 arrived (the Qatari one is still undergoing renovation, and awaits a paint job and serious upgrades), Trump was left waiting in it for a half hour until Putin’s jet arrived. 

That must have angered the volatile Mr. Trump. F-bombs must have been flying.

Once Putin’s plane finally arrived, Trump awkwardly descended the steps from his plane onto a red carpet leading to a podium. A similar red carpet was provided for Putin. I would describe it as blood red, but that may be taking things too far.

Trump attempted to time his walk towards Putin so that they would meet at the podium at the same time. Trump is apparently a poor judge at figuring out how fast to walk. He took a number of baby steps and then started to zig-zag from one side of the red carpet to the other. He looked ridiculous.

Eventually, the two heads of state met. Some have criticized how Trump shook Putin’s hand, but other than to consider it awkward, I’m not sure what the problem was. Personally speaking, I would not have shaken Putin’s hand given the number of deaths for which he is responsible.

As the two leaders met, Trump had arranged a fly-over of a B-2 stealth bomber flanked with four F-35 stealth fighters. Call this a little one-upmanship by our Commander-in-Chief. To reiterate his point—that America is better armed than Russia—a few F-22 fighters were parked nearby.

Military experts have commented that it might not have been the greatest idea to give the Russian staff accompanying Putin an opportunity for a close look at the F-22, but maybe there were no new insights to be gathered. Personally speaking, I would have forgone both the fly-over and displaying F-22s.

Once the pair got to the meeting site, there were signs reading “Pursuing Peace” prominently displayed. These were nice signs, but Putin is not pursuing peace. That is why the one outcome of the meeting that was figured out quickly was that Trump is no longer demanding an immediate ceasefire as a prelude to peace negotiations. 

The two leaders spoke for three hours, but when they held what was billed as a press conference afterwards, no details of what they talked about were shared. Putin gave a short lecture on the history of Russia, including a reference to the fact that Alaska was once part of Russia. As Putin spoke, Trump looked alternatively angry and disturbed.

Once Putin shut-up, Trump recited a few pleasantries before the pair of “world leaders” left the stage. No questions were answered.

Did Putin humiliate Trump at the meeting? I would not go that far. What I would say is that America was disadvantaged by having a negotiator who has little respect for foreign policy experts. Trump has yet to learn that the types of negotiations he did as a New York real estate developer don’t work when negotiating with former KGB officers.

So, where are we? The war in Ukraine goes on. Putin, best I can tell, has not made any concessions other than to say that he will end the war when all his demands are met. More Ukrainians—and Russians—will die. If there is a “light at the end of the tunnel,” I don’t see it yet.

Do I blame Trump for the war continuing? No. I blame Putin. (But I disagree with the claim that the war is “Biden’s war” and choked when Putin expressed agreement with Trump’s claim that the war would never have started had Trump been president.)

Monday: An Intervention or Progress Towards Peace?

Much to my surprise, Friday’s debacle in Anchorage was followed by another, more serious meeting on Monday. This meeting offered hope, but unfortunately, not the expectation that the war would end soon. 

I watched the string of black Chevrolet Suburbans pull up to the South Portico of the White House Monday as more than a half dozen European Leaders arrived to support Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his meeting with Donald Trump. My theory is that the various heads of state, Secretary General of NATO, and the President of the European Union were there for two reasons—to prevent Donald Trump from inflicting another round of humiliation and abuse on Zelenskyy and, more importantly, to host an intervention with Donald Trump.

Intervention? Think about the interventions taken to rescue alcoholics from destroying their own and other lives. In Monday’s case, the goal was to stop Trump from acting as Putin’s agent in the “negotiations” to end the war in Ukraine. The intervention was prompted by Trump’s sudden reversal on the question of whether a ceasefire must precede the start of peace negotiations and Trump’s advocacy for Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia in exchange for an end to the war. 

The Europeans were successful in saving Zelenskyy from more abuse, at least more abuse of the public, televised kind. Unfortunately, Trump continues to push Putin’s criminal agenda. 

There will be no ceasefire this week. And as the discussions in Washington were taking place, Putin’s military continued its destruction of Ukraine. Every new inch of territory won by Putin before a peace agreement is reached (if it is ever reached) makes the Russian Empire a little bigger.

Trump remains in full appeasement mode, ala Neville Chamberlain. That is one reason a video (who knows if it is real?) was posted on the web of a Russian military vehicle racing down a Ukrainian road with both Russian and American flags waving from it.

Putin has a friend in Trump and that should trouble us all.

All that having been said, everyone that I have spoken to, hopes that despite (or because) of Trump, the war will eventually end. My problem with giving Putin his entire wish list is that in short order he will develop a new one that could include annexing Estonia, parts or all of Poland, and the rest of Ukraine.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack. Dean fondly remembers his last trip to Kyiv, taken before Vladimir Putin’s ongoing campaign to obliterate it.