The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Trump’s Autocratic Challenge Prevail?

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Donald Trump has wasted no time in his effort to remake the federal government into his personal fiefdom. The mobster-in-chief pardoned 1500 fellow mobsters on his first day in office, sending a strong message to all Americans: If you fight for me, I’ll have your back.

Trump doesn’t care that a fair number of the insurrectionists committed violent crimes against the police. What matters to him is that they actively supported his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election and retain the presidency.

Like practically all mobsters, Trump is a bully. If you don’t support him, if you are not personally loyal to him, you will pay dearly. He has put Republican senators on notice that they will be primaried by a MAGA loyalist if they don’t play ball with him. Consequently, only three GOP senators dared to defy him by voting against Pete Hegseth, his totally unqualified pick for Defense Secretary.

At the same time, Trump has let loose ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to hunt down and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. These are the people who clean our homes and hotel rooms, pick the fruits and vegetables we buy at the market, and perform other jobs that a great many Americans are loathe to do. Removing these people strengthens Trump’s bond with the growing white nationalist movement in our country.

As terrible as Trump’s mass deportation initiative is, I believe it’s a means to an even worse end. While he has gotten Americans focused on resisting this program, Trump is moving full speed ahead, building his autocratic power by dismantling the federal government.

The mobster-in-chief is eliminating anything and firing anybody that could get in his way. With the stroke of a pen, he abolished the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and purged at least 17 independent Inspectors General. Several hundred other federal employees have also lost their jobs or been reassigned. And, he has offered incentives to any federal worker willing to resign by February 6^th.

Trump is avoiding the need for Congressional approval by using Executive Orders. Earlier this week, trillions in federal grant funds were frozen. The freeze caused such chaos and panic that Trump had to rescind it. At the same time, a federal judge also temporarily blocked the freeze, finding it violated Congress’s constitutional authority to appropriate funds. All D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs were eliminated as well.

Thankfully, the Democratic Party is finally waking up to the imminent danger Trump poses to our democracy. Its strong reaction to Trump’s power grab is the silver lining in all this. In an emergency meeting, House Democrats have called for “a legal fight, a legislative fight and a street fight” to combat Trump.

The president is playing to his white nationalist MAGA base. He doesn’t care that millions of people may lose their jobs and inflation will rise. With his radical reforms, the country could land in a rec ession, or worse. In fact, that may be what Trump actually intends.

As The Hartmann Report (Hartmannreport.com) explains, an economic crisis would help Trump consolidate power. Economic emergencies call out for a strong man government to quickly pull the nation back from the brink. Fearful of an economic collapse, the public is more accepting of authoritarian measures. During the Great Depression, Hitler employed them in Germany and FDR did in our country.

In addition, billionaires like Trump and his buddies make the most money when there’s a crash. During a downturn, the super-wealthy swoop in and buy at low valuations while everyone else is selling in fear of being wiped out. When the downturn is over, they reap the benefit as prices rise back up.

For the moment, Trump’s autocratic challenge has been checked. But he will not stop trying. The battle lines have been clearly drawn. The question is: Can the Democratic Party and the American people overcome Trump’s authoritarian challenge and save our democracy?

We are in for a monumental brawl. Join the struggle for the soul of America. Contact Indivisible (https://indivisible.org/), Common Cause (https://www.commoncause.org/), the ACLU (https://www.aclu.org/), your senators and representatives, and a host of other organizations working to protect our democracy (https://www.usgrassroots.org/50-pro-democracy-organizations).

(Note: I will only be publishing my blog occasionally for the next several months so that I will have more time to complete my memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu.)

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is a former U.S. Institute of Peace Fellow and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He is also the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America. (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.). Contact him at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

(Note: On Tuesday, Margaret and I began a month-long trip to Panama. So, my blog posts may be sporadic and possibly shorter this month. I’ll do the best I can, under the circumstances, until I return at the end of the month.)

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted cert to Trump’s appeal of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that he does not have complete immunity from criminal liability for acts taken as president. The Court has scheduled oral argument for April 22, which means a decision would not come down until late May or, perhaps, the end of June when the Court’s 2023-24 session concludes.

Assuming Trump loses his appeal (which seems likely, but you never know with this Supreme Court), the D.C. insurrection trial will probably not begin before late summer or early fall. It’s highly doubtful a decision would be rendered before the November election. Clearly, a victory for Trump.

Bill Kristol recently referred to a quote from Judge Learned Hand’s 1944 Spirit of Liberty speech regarding what this truly means:

I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.[1]

If you had any doubt before, it’s now crystal clear the Supreme Court does not uphold the principles enshrined in the Constitution or serve the interests of the American people. The same may be said of the Congress as well. If it had adhered to Constitutional principles, Trump would have been found guilty by the Senate after he was impeached by the House in 2021. And even the Department of Justice cannot be relied upon by the American people. If it had served the people’s interests, Trump would have been brought to trial long before now for fomenting the January 6^th insurrection.

Yet, there is a silver lining here. All those who still believe in democracy – Democrats, Never Trump Republicans, and Independents – now know that they, including everyone reading this and myself, must double their efforts to ensure the re-election of Biden and save our democratic republic. By the time the election rolls around next fall, very few voters will have any question about Trump’s efforts to provoke the January 6^th insurrection and overturn the 2020 election. Of course, Trump’s loyal followers will stand by “their president” no matter what. That’s what cults do.

As Ben Franklin said on the last day of the Constitutional Convention on September 18, 1787, we have a republic, “if you can keep it.” It is now up to us, the American people, after 237 years, to make certain that we keep it. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://twitter.com/BillKristol/status/1737454546073309352

The Struggle for the Soul of America: We’re in for a Wild Election Year!

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

There’s never been anything like the 2024 election year. Every other day I hear a different scenario of how the presidential election could be radically changed.

First, Biden and Trump are the two oldest candidates to ever run for president of our country. One or both of them could die or become incapacitated before election day. Neither looks like they’re in great shape.

Second, the courts could find Trump ineligible to run under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment and knock him out of the race. Section 3 bars anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the country from holding federal office.[1]

The Colorado Supreme Court has already held Trump ineligible to be on its primary ballot based on Section 3.[2] The former president immediately appealed its decision to the U.S. Supreme Court which will hear oral arguments very soon on February 8^th. Prominent conservative legal scholars who are members of the Federalist Society, an influential conservative advocacy group, agreed that the Court could disqualify Trump under the Fourteenth Amendment. They wrote that Section 3 is “self-executing, operating as an immediate disqualification from office, without the need for additional action by Congress.” They then concluded that Trump could be rendered ineligible for election.[3]

From a liberal perspective, Bruce Ackerman, Yale Professor of Law and Political Science, offered a different angle in reaching a similar conclusion. He contends that “originalism,” that is, the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment as it was intended at its origin, requires Trump’s exclusion from the race for president.

Ackerman argues that the Colorado court “found that Trump’s support of the Proud Boys, which played a key role in the Jan. 6 riot, represented a paradigm case of “insurrection” as it was originally understood at the time the amendment was enacted.” And, that understanding is supported by “leading originalist scholars and jurists.”[4]

Additionally, Trump’s three appointments to the Supreme Court, “Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett,…proudly proclaim(ed) their adherence to “originalism” at their Senate confirmation hearings.” Ackerman notes it was also their “basis for repudiating Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs.”[5]

In effect, these three justices are trapped by their own doctrines. How could they use originalism to deny women the right to an abortion and not apply it to deny Trump the right to run for president? Ackerman believes that “if the three Trump appointees stick to their originalist principles and vote to disqualify him from office, the justices would actually strengthen American democracy and might help ease the country’s sharp divides — while also bolstering a beleaguered Supreme Court.”[6]

Whatever the Court decides will apply to all fifty states, not just Colorado. Given the Colorado presidential primary, along with those in 15 other states and territories, is March 5^th, just five weeks away, the Court should decide pretty quickly. A decision to throw Trump off the ballot would drastically change the election and might even result in widespread protest and violence. That last factor could play a role in the Court’s decision as well.

This is just one of several wild cards in this year’s election. I will explore others in the coming weeks and months.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66690276

[2] https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-d16dd8f354eeaf450558378c65fd79a2

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66690276

[4] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/25/supreme-court-originalism-trump-ballot-eligibility-00137666

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Biden Under Fire While Trump Has His Own Problems

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

(Note: Since my computer was in the shop getting software fixes for some days, there was no blog post last week.)

While it’s still early, the 2024 elections look like a nail-biter. Unless one of them falls seriously ill or Trump ends up in prison before November, the presidential election will most likely be a tight race between President Biden and Donald Trump.

Usually, an incumbent president has an advantage in his bid for re-election. But only a third of those surveyed in a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll approved of President Biden’s job performance — a record low for any president in the last 15 years. Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating is eight points higher than Biden’s.[1]

Still, Trump’s not in great shape either. A recent poll of Iowa voters conducted days before Monday’s caucuses found 43 percent of those who supported Nikki Haley said they would vote for Biden over Trump in a general election.[2]

Another sign of Trump’s general election weakness is a number of his former staffers speaking out publicly against him. Sarah Matthews, a press aide on Trump’s 2020 campaign and in the Trump White House who resigned on Jan. 6, 2021, noted, “I would support Biden over Trump…I won’t support someone who refused to participate in a peaceful transfer of power, tried to overthrow a free and fair election, and incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol.”[3]

At the same time, Biden’s strong support of Israel in its war against Hamas is definitely hurting his re-election chances. In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, 57 percent of respondents disapproved of his handling of the war.[4] With over 24,000 Palestinian civilian deaths due to Israel’s massive bombings, Biden is being sued for complicity in Israel’s alleged commission of genocide in Gaza.[5]

Biden’s immigration policy at our southern border is also not popular. Many feel that too many poor, illegal immigrants are entering the country.[6] While lower, nagging inflation is yet another issue pulling his approval ratings down.

Then there’s Biden’s age. He sometimes appears unsteady on his feet or unsure of his words. He often does not present a strong leadership image. Two-thirds of Democratic-leaning voters want their party to nominate someone other than Biden for president.[7] Additionally, MSNBC pundit and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough noted that every Democrat he has spoken to privately believes President Biden is “too old” to run for reelection.[8]

Though there’s nothing he could do about his age, Biden and his Democratic colleagues seem unwilling or unable to change course regarding some of these other issues. This is particularly true when it comes to Israel. As a result, he is losing a good portion of the youth vote that got him elected in 2020. And they are not just frustrated with Biden, they are actually angry with him.[9]

Both candidates have their work cut out for them. Trump needs to figure out how to convince skeptical Republicans to stick with him. On the other hand, if Biden does not start listening to the people who elected him, he may not only fail to win this critical election, but he may also be responsible for losing American democracy to authoritarian rule.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4408318-bidens-approval-rating-drops-to-new-low-poll/#:~:text=In%20an%20ABC%20News%2FIpsos,percent%20approved%20of%20his%20performance.

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-may-help-republicans-against-110000920.html

[3] Ibid.

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/biden-israel-gaza-poll.html

[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/14/us-president-biden-sued-for-complicity-in-israels-genocide-in-gaza

[6] https://cis.org/Arthur/Why-Biden-Implementing-Immigration-Policies-Few-Americans-Favor

[7] https://www.axios.com/2023/09/07/poll-biden-2024-second-term-democrat-voters-cnn

[8] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4202366-scarborough-says-democrats-privately-say-biden-too-old-to-run/

[9] https://www.vox.com/politics/24034416/young-voters-biden-trump-gen-z-polling-israel-gaza-economy-2024-election

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Enjoy the Holidays! Don’t Get Overwhelmed!

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

We live in very trying times. So many difficult critical situations demand our attention:

Will Congress provide more funding for Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion?

Will the U.S. send more funds to support Israel’s war against Hamas? Will the funds be with or without conditions? Will President Biden put more pressure on Israel to narrow its offensive in Gaza? Should the U.S. change its position on a cease-fire?

What will the Supreme Court decide on the question of Trump’s immunity from prosecution for unlawful acts he committed while president? When will it rule? Will the March 4^th D.C. trial regarding Trump’s culpability for the January 6^th attack on the Capital and attempted coup be delayed?

What happens if Trump gets elected president next November?

Of course, there are many more shaky balls up in the air for us to be concerned about, like climate change, immigration policy, abortion rights, gun violence, and on and on.

But let’s not forget that it’s the holiday season. Time for family gatherings, exchanging gifts, contributing to worthy causes, catching a new movie, and enjoying a good party or two.

I do my best to maintain a balance between my personal life and what’s going on in our world. If you’ve been reading my blog posts (See https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog/), you know how concerned I am about a number of these issues. Still, I try not to let such pressing problems overwhelm me. While I stay informed and contribute, in some matters, both financially and in other ways, I also make considerable time for fun and relaxation.

Additionally, as the year comes to a close, I will be reflecting on 2023 to examine my successes and shortfalls, and what I might have done differently. I will also be looking forward to 2024: how I might up my game and what I’d like to do or accomplish in the coming year.

Finally, in keeping with my need for balance and desire for leisure, I am taking a two-week break over the holidays from writing my blog. That will give me more time to work on my memoir, which I hope to finish by late spring, as well as for the other activities I mentioned above.

So, Happy Holidays! Wishing everyone contentment, joy and good health in the new year!

And Peace on Earth; Goodwill to all!

Namaste!

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Like It Or Not, Biden Is Our Only Hope

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

I recently had a difficult political conversation with a couple of friends. While usually supporters of Democratic candidates, they emphatically proclaimed that they would not vote for Biden for president next year. But, neither would they support Trump.

My friends indicated that they may not vote for president at all in the coming election. However, if they decided to vote, they were leaning toward Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for president, who is currently polling an impressive 22% in a three-way race with Biden and Trump.[1]

I argued that not voting or supporting a third-party candidate would help Trump get elected. And a Trump second term would be a disaster for our country. Of course, it’s not a certainty that voting for a third-party candidate like Kennedy or perhaps Sen. Joe Manchin, if he decides to run, would boost Trump’s election chances. But can we take that chance?

In my mind, this is not about Biden’s age or whether or not we agree with some of his policies. What the 2024 election will really be about is whether the United States continues to be a democracy.

Every day Trump tells us loud and clear who he is and how he will rule our country if he regains the White House next year. The Washington Post noted Trump in his Veterans Day speech called his political enemies “vermin” and suggested that they pose a greater threat to the United States than countries such as Russia, China, or North Korea. It reminded the newspaper of dictators Hitler and Mussolini.[2]

The United States would become an authoritarian regime if Trump were elected. Michael Luttig, former conservative federal appeals judge and assistant White House counsel under President Reagan, asserted, “I am more worried for America today than I was on January 6. … [Trump’s] election would be catastrophic for America’s democracy.”[3]

Here are just a few of what a second Trump presidency would look like:

First, Trump would break down legal restrictions and traditional protections against political interference and give the White House authority to install ideological allies throughout the federal government.[4] He intends to strip tens of thousands of career employees of their civil service protections, which would allow him to fire all government officials he considers disloyal to him and replace them with loyal lackeys.[5]

Second, Trump wants to undertake the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. He would end birthright citizenship, using an executive order that would introduce a legally untested interpretation of the 14th Amendment.[6] His White-nationalist policies would invoke new legal authorities to pursue mass expulsions and enlist the military to help carry them out.[7]

Third, Trump would crack down on gender-affirming care by declaring that hospitals and health care providers that offer transitional hormones or surgery no longer meet federal health and safety standards and will be blocked from receiving federal funds, including Medicaid and Medicare.[8]

Fourth, Trump would ramp up oil drilling on public lands and offer tax breaks to oil, gas, and coal producers. He would roll back Biden administration’s efforts to encourage the adoption of electric cars and reverse proposed new pollution limits. He would exit the Paris Climate Accords, end wind subsidies, and eliminate efficiency regulations imposed and proposed by the Biden administration.[9] Our efforts to fight climate change and save our planet would take a huge step backward.

And fifth, Trump has pledged to terminate the Department of Education. He would push the federal government to give funding preference to states and school districts that abolish teacher tenure and allow the direct election of school principals by parents. He also has said he would cut funding for any school that has a vaccine or mask mandate and will promote prayer in public schools.[10]

There’s much more. But who would stop him? The very conservative Supreme Court majority that he built during his first term? Don’t hold your breath. If you are thinking of not voting for Biden, you better think again. At this point, electing Biden is probably the only way we can be sure to keep Trump out of the White House.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3881

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/12/trump-rally-vermin-political-opponents/

[3] https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-has-big-plans-for-a-second-term-critics-say-they-pose-a-threat-to-democracy-203042124.html

[4] https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/16/politics/trump-agenda-second-term/index.html

[5] https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f

[6] Ibid.

[7] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/14/trump-mass-deportation-immigration-stephen-miller/

[8] https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Train Falling Off the Rails

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

I can see the tide turning. On Tuesday, voters in an Iowa county that supported Trump by a 17-point margin in 2020 voted to elect Democrat Kimberly Sheets to the position of county auditor. Sheets captured 66.5% of the vote over her Republican opponent who had spread false conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2020 presidential election. Iowa’s county auditors oversee elections.[1]

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled Donald Trump’s D.C. trial on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election for March 4, 2024.[2] As hard as he tries, Trump will not be able to hide his disgraceful betrayal of our democracy until after next year’s presidential election.

Last Thursday, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee set October 23^rd for the trial of Kenneth Chesebro, one of 18 defendants charged alongside former President Trump with various acts of conspiracy to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.[3] While Trump may not be on trial in this latter hearing, it will expose to the American people a great deal about his alleged criminal wrongdoing in the 2020 Georgia election.

Finally, the wheels are coming off the treacherous Trump train. But even if Trump is found guilty in all four criminal cases now pending against him, it will not fix our broken democracy.

That is why it’s imperative that we, the people, need to get to work now to fix our democracy. That’s a very tall order. Many measures, beginning with open primaries and the right to vote and have our votes counted for everyone over 18, will be required to repair our democracy. While what’s required won’t happen overnight, if we want to save our country from autocratic rule, there is no time to waste.

Where to start and what to do? For some practical answers to those questions, attend the ‘Fix Our Democracy’ rally on the eastside of the Roundhouse in Santa Fe this Friday at noon. Rick Hubbard, who is alerting Americans to the urgent necessity to come together and repel the imminent danger to our democratic way of life, will be the featured speaker.

Hubbard, an 81-year-old retired lawyer and political activist, is Walking Across America to Fix Our Democracy. Obviously, he can’t do it alone. This is a critical time in our country and if we ever were going to help save our democracy from authoritarianism, now is the time to step up and get involved.

Show your support and attend the rally this Friday at noon and bring a friend or two with you. Urge all your friends and colleagues to be there. Please send this notice to as many people as you can. For more information, see the press release below.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

For immediate release

CONTACT: Rick Hubbard Cell: 802-999-3905

Email: fixdemocracy@rickhubbard.org

This 82-Year-Old Could Be at Home Complaining About Dysfunctional Government.

Instead, He’s Walking Across the Country to Fix Our Democracy.

Many Americans think that our government and political system isn’t serving the common good. Instead of properly serving constituents, our elected representatives spend countless hours raising money and becoming beholden to special interests. However, one man is taking to America’s roads to say that all is not lost, and “we the people” have the power to rescue our democracy.

Retired Vermont lawyer and businessman Rick Hubbard started his Walking to Fix Our Democracy quest from Pasadena, CA in October of 2022. He will arrive in Santa Fe, NM Friday morning, September 1, and will speak at the east side of the Roundhouse at 12 noon hosted by Indivisible Santa Fe, RepresentUs New Mexico, Common Cause New Mexico and Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America. The nonpartisan event is free and all are welcome.

Hubbard traveled through California, Nevada and Arizona before leaving the road in December 2022 when his life-partner Sally had a relapse of her cancer and later passed away in April 2023. After putting her affairs in order, Rick returned to the Walk in August 2023, starting in New Mexico with the intention of arriving in Washington, DC after the January 2025 inauguration and a new Congress is seated.

Hubbard’s project is not just about one person, however. Walking to Fix Our Democracy is a national effort to engage, activate, and support citizens to fix our democracy. Rick wants to empower voters across the land to walk and advocate in their own communities to demand proper representation.

“We can make our political system fairer, more inclusive, more competitive, and more representative. Our walk is a nonpartisan effort to make the case in communities across the U.S. that fixing our democracy first is the quickest and most effective way to unlock progress on issues important to us all: Climate change, health care, education, infrastructure, the freedom to vote, campaign financing, and much more,” says Hubbard.

Walking to Fix Our Democracy has several purposes:

Raise awareness about the need, and ways, to avoid autocratic rule of government.
Spotlight state and local democracy activist efforts along the route.
To encourage short walks for the same purpose on specific, coordinated dates in communities across America.
To encourage candidates for Congress and other levels of government to make fixing our democracy their lead issue, starting with the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Hubbard considers this project as an opportunity for high school and college age youth to amplify their voices and concerns about how government functions and its accountability, both locally and nationally. “I have a request for youth to tell me what to say or ask on their behalf, when I speak with the media, our elected and potential representatives, and the American people,” he stated.

As Hubbard walks, he encourages citizens of all ages to walk with him, organize local walks, invite him to speak to groups, high schools and colleges, and share his effort via social media. “My logistics are mostly a volunteer effort,” said Hubbard. “I depend on volunteers as I travel to help drive the RV, organize events and help get the word out. This walk, like democracy, isn’t a spectator sport! It won’t be successful unless we all do our part to make it work,” he said.

See the schedule and how to get involved by visiting the website at http://www.fixourdemocracy.us

[1] https://iowastartingline.com/2023/08/29/iowa-voters-oust-conspiracy-theorist-from-county-elections-post/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/28/trump-jan-6-trial-date/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert

[3] https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4169484-fulton-county-da-seeks-oct-23-start-date-in-trump-georgia-trial-after-speedy-trial-request/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Is His Own Worst Enemy

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On Thursday, August 10^th, Special Counsel Jack Smith requested a January 2, 2024 trial date in the insurrection case against Donald Trump.[1] Objecting to such an early trial, Trump immediately fired back that Smith was “deranged” and the date was “election interference,” given the Iowa caucuses are just two weeks later on January 15, 2024.[2]

The prosecutors have indicated that the first batch of discovery material they will share with Trump’s team includes roughly 11.6 million pages.[3] For the defense to just review that much evidence — and there’s more to come — would most likely take longer than five months.

Trump, on the other hand, wants to delay the trial until after the 2024 election. He is betting on winning the election. As president, he would then fire Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland and have the charges dropped by his newly appointed attorney general.

By calling for such an early trial, Smith is giving U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan room to set a compromise date that would still be prior to the general election campaign next fall. The judge indicated that she would set the trial date at the next pretrial hearing on August 28^th.

If the trial is to be before the election — given that the voting public needs to know the verdict before going to the polls — it stands to reason the case should be heard before the Republicans choose their candidate for president next July. The GOP must know whether Trump is a convicted felon before it chooses its nominee.

Then, on Friday, Judge Chutkan held a hearing regarding “protective orders” governing evidence. Smith’s motion for a protective order was in response to Trump’s post on social media: “If you go after me, I’m coming after you.”[4] Trump has made a number of other threatening or intimidating remarks targeting potential witnesses, like former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Smith, that could also impact the jury pool.[5]

But Trump’s bullying just may backfire. In response to his public browbeating, Judge Chutkan made it clear that she would not tolerate Trump harassing or threatening witnesses. She noted:

Even arguably ambiguous statements from parties or their counsel, if they can be reasonably interpreted to intimidate witnesses or to prejudice potential jurors, can threaten the process…The more a party makes inflammatory statements about this case which could taint the jury pool, the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly.[6]

We all know what a hard time Trump has keeping his mouth shut. The judge has warned him and his lawyers that she “will take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings.”[7] That could even include incarcerating Trump prior to the trial. Just a few days ago in another federal criminal case, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan revoked Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail and ordered him jailed pending trial for attempting “to tamper with witnesses” in his multibillion-dollar fraud case.[8]

While Trump may have valid arguments for a trial date later than next January, Trump’s inability to behave ethically in accordance with the judge’s orders may hasten his trial date and lead to his downfall. In effect, Trump is his own worst enemy.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-push-for-january-trial-date-in-jan-6-case-against-donald-trump/

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/rattled-trump-melts-down-truth-135728272.html

[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-protective-order-january-6-case-judge-hearing/

[4] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/04/feds-alert-judge-to-trumps-if-you-go-after-me-im-coming-after-you-post-00109944

[5] https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mike-pence-attacks-jan6-trial-1818217

[6] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/11/judge-warns-trump-speed-trial-00110870

[7] Ibid.

[8] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/11/sam-bankman-fried-sent-to-jail-while-he-awaits-trial-00110933

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Beginning of the End for Donald Trump

Posted on August 5, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Many thought this day would never come. My gut told me that American democracy would not survive if it let Donald Trump off the hook. Then, on August 1, 2023, more than two and a half years after the January 6^th attack on our nation’s Capitol, Trump was indicted for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The former president is finally being held accountable for his treasonous conduct.

While there is no guarantee that justice will prevail, there is now a clear and convincing path to Trump’s being found guilty as charged. For those who still remain skeptical, consider these factors:

The Judge Assigned to the Case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama and confirmed by a 95-0 bipartisan Senate vote, will oversee the case. She has stood out as one of the toughest punishers of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6^th, even handing down harsher sentences than Justice Department prosecutors recommended. At one sentencing hearing, Judge Chutkan explained, “It is not patriotism, it is not standing up for America to stand up for one man – who knows full well that he lost – instead of the Constitution he was trying to subvert.”¹

In November 2021, Judge Chutkan ruled against Trump in a prior hearing when she refused his request to block the release of documents to the U.S. House’s Jan. 6 committee by asserting executive privilege.²

The Trial Venue. The January 6^th conspiracy case will be tried in Washington, D.C., a pretty progressive city with a multicultural population. Unlike the Mar-a-Lago documents case in Florida, the jury pool will not be drawn from a Republican-friendly area more inclined to look favorably upon the former president.

Trump has already questioned whether an impartial jury can be seated in D.C. But Judge Chutkan previously ruled in the case of one January 6^th defendant that the assumption the jury pool would be politically biased against them was “not an appropriate basis for changing venue.” She found that “Jurors’ political leanings are not, by themselves, evidence that those jurors cannot fairly and impartially consider the evidence presented and apply the law as instructed by the court.”³ Judge Chutkan will not permit the trial to be moved to another venue.

The Timing of the Trial. It is critical that the case be tried before the November 2024 presidential election. The American people must know the outcome of this trial before they go to the polls, assuming Trump is the GOP nominee, which now seems likely. But Trump and his attorneys will do everything they can to delay the trial until after the election. They will argue that they need more time for discovery and pre-trial motions in such an important case.

Additionally, Trump will contend that the government had over two years to prepare its case, and, in all fairness, he should have just as much time to get ready for the trial. In fact, Jack Smith, the special prosecutor handling the case, was not appointed until November 18, 2022, less than nine months ago. Prior to that, the Department of Justice was focusing on prosecuting people who participated in the January 6^th attack on the Capitol. Preparing the case against Trump was not the DOJ’s focus until Smith came on board. Thus, Smith can argue that giving Trump, who has known for several months that an indictment was coming, another nine months to get ready for trial would be equivalent to what the prosecutor has had to put his case together.

The 1974-75 Watergate case involved high-level officials in the Nixon administration who were charged and convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. It was a complex political trial comparable to the January 6^th insurrection case. President Nixon was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in that case.⁴The seven defendants were indicted on March 1, 1974, and tried and convicted in January 1975, less than a year later.⁵Given the Watergate precedent, Trump’s trial could be completed by next summer.

Trump already has two other trials scheduled for next year. In one of them, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has signaled that he is ready to set aside former President Trump’s March 2024 trial date in New York to make way for a possible trial related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6^th insurrection trial.⁶That would make a Spring 2024 trial date for the insurrection case feasible. It would also provide Trump’s attorneys with approximately nine months to prepare for trial.

The Prosecutor. Special Counsel Smith has a reputation for winning tough cases against war criminals, mobsters, and crooked cops.⁷As a former prosecutor for the NM Public Education Department, I know that prosecutors do not bring charges against someone unless they are confident that they have the evidence to prove their case. I’m sure Smith has that confidence as well.

Smith called for a speedy trial in this case.⁸One very significant indicator of Smith’s desire to bring this case to trial as soon as possible is that despite noting six other co-conspirators, none of them were indicted. Indicting others would have required more discovery and pre-trial motions which would have been more reason to extend the trial date. Smith is well aware of the importance of trying and winning this case before next year’s election.

The Key Witnesses. Almost all of the key witnesses in this case are credible Republicans, most of whom were appointed by or closely associated with Trump. Bill Barr, Trump’s former attorney general, confirmed that Trump “knew well he lost the election.”⁹

Former Vice President Pence stated that Trump pushed him to reject the Electoral vote count on January 6^th in violation of his Constitutional role and send the election to the House of Representatives.¹⁰There are many more GOP witnesses of high standing ready to testify how Trump plotted to overthrow the government. The picture they will paint is of a power-hungry tyrant itching to turn American democracy into an autocracy under his total control.¹¹The DOJ and the American people cannot allow this to happen.

The time has come. For Donald Trump, it’s the beginning of the end.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66383603

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/09/politics/trump-documents-january-6-committee-national-archives-judge-ruling/index.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/08/03/trump-wants-to-move-jan-6-trial-to-west-virginia-heres-why-thats-unlikely/?sh=454a658e3913

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_Seven#:~:text=Nixon%20who%20were%20indicted%20by,a%20president%20was%20so%20named

https://www.history.com/news/watergate-scandal-timeline-nixon

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-trial-schedule-shift-isnt-out-question-alvin-bragg-suggests-1816132

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/newsmaker-who-is-jack-smith-special-counsel-who-brought-trump-indictment-2023-08-02/

https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-2020-election-probe-08-01-23/h_9c00612a136c29eb3ddf91fce31b9c8b

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/politics/bill-barr-trump-arraignment-2020-election/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wevombMsZFY

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Are We on the Brink of a Second Civil War?

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

The question of whether the United States is on the brink of a second Civil War has become increasingly relevant since the January 6^th insurrection. Even more critical, however, is this question: What do we do now to decrease political violence in our country and make another civil war much less likely?

There are some who have concluded that we are already in a second Civil War. A pretty good case can be made that they are correct, at least to some extent. Right or not, however, the more pressing question is: What do we do now to reduce political violence?

A September 2022 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that “17 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly agreed that political violence against those they disagreed with was acceptable, with slightly more Democrats agreeing with the statement than Republicans or independents.”[1] But when it comes to elected officials including Congresspeople, David Frum points out in a recent article in The Atlantic that “Only the GOP Celebrates Political Violence.”[2]

Reducing political violence is an urgent issue that Congress should have at the top of its agenda. But whether there are enough members of Congress to form a bipartisan coalition to effectively address it remains to be seen, especially in the current hyper-partisan atmosphere engulfing Washington.

Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld is a Senior Fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In testimony before the January 6^th Select Committee, she proposed numerous actions Congress could take to reduce political violence. Among them was crafting “a political pact to reduce violent rhetoric and imagery among candidates and Members of Congress…with teeth (i.e. strict sanctions).” She also advocated for federal legislation banning private militias.[3]

Another effort Kleinfeld proposed was “programs that strengthen individual and community resilience to violence and protect targeted groups and their communities.”[4] This is where we can help.

Specifically, I believe we need to organize local and state-wide, non-partisan conferences focused on developing and implementing effective community-based strategies to reduce political violence. Such strategies might include counseling and educational programs for individuals and groups on the left and the right who may be susceptible to resorting to political violence. Job training and placement for such individuals could prove beneficial as well.

The rise of political violence threatens our democracy. We ignore it at our peril. Now is the time to take positive action to thwart it before it’s too late.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-americans-think-about-political-violence/

[2] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/pelosi-republicans-partisan-political-violence/671934/

[3] https://carnegieendowment.org/files/2022-Rachel%20Kleinfeld%20Jan%206%20Committee%20Testimony.pdf

[4] Ibid.