Though our self-proclaimed “peace president”[1] campaigned against long, unnecessary wars in 2024, Trump has now started one of his own.[2] He initiated the war because he “had a feeling”[3] that the Iranian regime was going to strike United States’ assets.

President Trump took our country to war based on “a feeling.” And 73% of the Republican Party still approve of his performance[4] despite his violating the Constitutional mandate requiring that only Congress can declare war.[5] The continuous backing of this lawless president by the Republicans is disgraceful. They share a great deal of the responsibility for the tragic state our nation is in today. And they must be held accountable in the 2026 elections.

Despite his continuous bragging, Americans are finally waking up to the con artist Trump truly is. His overall approval ratings are sinking fast. According to one recent survey, that number is just 36% today.[6] Still, it’s highly unlikely Trump will change his ways. In fact, initiating the Iran War appears to be just his latest con, a very costly attempt to distract attention away from the Epstein files. Given Trump’s failure to release them, the huge volume of sealed documents most likely contains evidence which incriminates him and many of his wealthy male colleagues.

The Iran war combined with the Epstein files are giving Trump big political problems. Some of his loyal MAGA supporters are feeling betrayed by Trump’s failure to keep his America First promise. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former fervent supporter of the president, recently resigned from Congress, citing her strong objection to Trump’s failing to release all of the Epstein files as well as his prioritizing foreign military ventures over pressing domestic concerns.[7]

Tucker Carlson, once one of Trump’s most prominent fans, called the attacks on Iran “absolutely disgusting and evil.” He predicted, “This is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way.” Curt Mills, the executive director of The American Conservative magazine, said Trump’s “core appeal” in the 2024 campaign was an “anti-globalist, anti-imperial” message…The administration serves rich people and does wars for foreign countries. It plays so ruthlessly into the Democrats’ oligarchy messaging… and it’s weirdly associated with the administration’s potential corruption.”[8]

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is not doing a very good job of opposing Trump. Critics of the Party’s Congressional leaders, Sen. Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, described their response to Trump’s unconstitutional attack on Iran as “tepid (and) equivocal.” They have not “offered a full-throated condemnation of a military assault that has killed hundreds so far, including dozens of children, and hurled the Middle East into chaos.”[9] Some are  even demanding Schumer and Jeffries step down from their leadership positions.[10]

In fact, the party is divided over how lawmakers should oppose Trump. Senator Bernie Sanders denounced the assault on Iran as “an illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war…while Senator Chris Van Hollen warned it amounted to a “regime-change war” that would leave the US less secure…Others, however, were more qualified. Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat,…wrote on X: “I agree with the President’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities…And not all Democrats are lining up behind a war powers rebuke.”[11]

Given the divisions in both parties, we, the people have a vital role to play in determining which direction our nation takes. With a clear majority of Americans wanting to prevent Trump from fulfilling his authoritarian dreams, we must make our voices heard. Call or write your Congressional representatives, both Republican and Democratic. Urge your friends and neighbors to do the same. Write letters to the editor. Join the upcoming March 28^th No Kings Day protest in your town.

In no uncertain terms, we must demand that Congress rein in Trump and his regime. Join the calls for his impeachment for violating the Constitutional provision that Congress, not the president, shall have the right to declare war, as well as for a multitude of other corrupt and illegal acts.[12] Make it very clear that any Congressperson who fails to protect our country from Trump’s lawless regime will be voted out of office this coming November.

Because No One is Above the Law.

Bruce Berlin, JD

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. (See bruceberlinauthor.com) He is 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 bruceberlin45@gmail.com. Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/07/from-peace-president-to-operation-epic-fury-donald-trumps-road-to-war

[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-campaign-endless-wars-iran-no-end-date-rcna261323

[3] https://newrepublic.com/post/207384/white-house-karoline-leavitt-trump-bombed-iran-feeling

[4] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/01/29/confidence-in-trump-dips-and-fewer-now-say-they-support-his-policies-and-plans/

[5] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trumps-iran-strikes-are-unconstitutional

[6]  https://prri.org/spotlight/trump-favorability-declines-among-republicans-some-religious-groups/

[7] https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-resignation-last-day-congress-trump-fight/

[8] https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/maga-reaction-donald-trump-iran-attack-war

[9] https://www.commondreams.org/news/schumer-jeffries-iran-war

[10] https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/coalition-of-antiwar-groups-launches-national-campaign-calling-for-jeffries-and-schumer-to-step-aside-from-leadership

[11] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/democrats-divided-iran-trump

[12]  https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-faces-impeachment-calls-iran-war-11605228

Anyone who watched the video of the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7th in Minneapolis could only conclude that the officer was not justified in using deadly force against Ms. Good. The victim, a 37-year–old mother of three, was fleeing the scene. When he fired the shots at point blank range into her vehicle, the officer was just outside the driver’s side window, not in front of her vehicle where he could have been struck by her vehicle. The officer’s life was not in danger. If he believed the driver had committed a crime and was trying to escape, the officer could have easily shot her front tire, which would have prevented her from driving away without killing her.

An objective observer could not state that the officer was acting in self-defense, the only legal basis for using deadly force in that situation. Yet, that is what the Trump administration wants the American people to believe.

            In fact, no matter what the circumstances, we are only permitted to consider what Trump wants us to believe. That’s how autocrats operate. The truth is whatever the dictator says is true. Trump affirmed as much when he recently told reporters from the NY Times: “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”[1] So far, Trump has been able to get away with that charade, whether it’s the Epstein conspiracy to commit the sex trafficking of minors, or the alleged drug smuggling by fishing boats off the coast of Venezuela.

            But, in the murder of Renee Good, we are able to see what actually happened with our own eyes. And it’s clear that the Trump administration is doing whatever it can to cover that up. Why else would all the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee vote to block an investigation of what happened?[2] Why else would Trump’s FBI block Minnesota officials from accessing evidence.[3] Why else would Trump immediately claim that Ms. Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense,”[4] when the video clearly shows she was driving away, and not trying to run the officer over. And, why else would Secretary of Homeland Security Noem immediately determine that Ms. Good was a “domestic terrorist” intentionally attempting to kill the ICE officer prior to any investigation.[5]

            In the wake of Ms. Good’s killing, NY Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote: “All of us, citizens and immigrants alike, are being ruled by people who think life is a privilege bestowed by authority, and death is a fair penalty for disobedience.”[6] It’s time all Americans – left, right, and center – stand up for our rights to self-governance and justice for all. We must come together and take back our government from Trump’s corrupt, lawless administration. We must do it now before it’s too late.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. (See bruceberlinauthor.com) He is 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/

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/08/us/trump-nyt-interview

[2] https://www.commondreams.org/news/ice-shoot-woman

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/minnesota-ice-shooting-news.html

[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-baselessly-claims-ice-shooting-222722975.html

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/kristi-noem-calls-for-doj-to-prosecute-dead-ice-shooting-victim-as-domestic-terrorist/ar-AA1TMfKD?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/opinion/renee-good-minnesota-shooting-ice.html

The great majority of Americans support democratic government. Clearly, Donald Trump does not. He is doing whatever he can to consolidate power and create an authoritarian state under his control. If all the people who believe in democracy come together, we can stop him from destroying our country and establishing an autocracy. But we must act now before it’s too late.

Too many Americans are sitting at home in fear and hopelessness. That is exactly what Trump wants. The more people his presidency can immobilize, the stronger Trump becomes. Anyone who is not actively resisting Trump’s autocratic regime is, in effect, helping him to succeed.

Fortunately, a country-wide resistance is being launched this week to stop Trump. One Million Rising is a national effort that Indivisible is organizing in all fifty states to train a million people in the tools and tactics to fight authoritarianism. This may very well be our best chance to stop Trump. But it will take all of us to beat him. I urge you to join in.

The first of three training sessions is this Wednesday, July 16, at 6 pm Mountain Time, 8 pm Eastern. To sign up for the training, go to https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/. Together, we will save our country and build a better democracy.

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.

The Save Our Democracy Campaign, a project of Indivisible Santa Fe, is calling on New Mexican Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D) to establish a bipartisan caucus to save our democracy. We are urging him to reach out to Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski (R) and offer to co-chair this caucus. Indivisible members in Alaska have already approached Sen. Murkowski with this proposal.

President Trump is clearly attempting to destroy America’s democracy and create an autocracy with himself in total control of our country. We must stop him now, before it’s too late. A bipartisan senate caucus would work to prevent this from happening. The more Americans, especially New Mexicans, who lobby Sen. Lujan to join our campaign, the more likely he will get on board. You can help by writing him at https://www.lujan.senate.gov/contact/ with a message like this:

Dear Senator Lujan,

It is quite clear that President Trump is working to destroy American democracy and establish himself as an autocrat in total control of our nation. Indivisible Santa Fe has initiated a Save Our Democracy (SOD) campaign to stop him. I am writing to urge you to join in this effort.

As an independently minded Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski has demonstrated her willingness to oppose Pres. Trump’s corrupt, unlawful policies. Many Americans from around the country are calling on her to form a bipartisan caucus to block those policies and save our democracy. Most importantly, this effort is catching on with her Alaskan constituents.

I am writing to urge you to reach out to Sen. Murkowski in support of establishing this caucus and offering to co-chair it with her. The caucus would ideally have an equal number of members from both parties and deal with issues that clearly threaten our democracy, like Pres. Trump’s ignoring Supreme Court rulings or an attempt to suspend the right of habeas corpus.

Time is running out to stop President Trump and his MAGA cohorts from overthrowing our democracy and creating an autocracy. I believe that a bipartisan SOD caucus could be a very effective tool for preventing that from happening. I hope you agree and will move quickly to create this caucus to save our democracy. I guarantee that the vast majority of New Mexicans, as well as Americans across the country, will have your back and want to work with you.

Respectfully yours,

(Your name)

Help Save Our Democracy Now, Before It’s Too Late! Ask your friends, family, and others to contact Sen. Lujan as well.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Chair, Save Our Democracy Campaign

We are entering the home stretch of the 2024 campaign with only 78 days left until Election Day. As the Democrats open their convention in Chicago today, the wind is at their backs. They now have a 3 to 6-point lead in national polls.[1] The big question is: Can they channel that momentum into a winning Blue Wave come November 5^th?

The convention is the first step in that effort. All the Party’s factions are coming together to ensure Democratic wins up and down the ticket. The future of our democracy is riding on that outcome.

But a full-blown Blue Wave carrying the Democrats to victory depends on all of us getting out and doing our part. The more time and energy we the people devote to this epic cause, the greater the likelihood of success as well as preventing serious setbacks down the road.

While Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will lead the charge, the tough work of getting out the vote will be up to us. Whether it’s making phone calls, knocking on doors, sending postcards, and more; hundreds of thousands of Americans dedicated to democracy will be needed to generate a Blue Wave and guarantee victory. Sitting on the sidelines and rooting for a Democratic win is not an option.

As usual, the election will be decided in six or seven battleground states. They are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. That is where your help is most needed. And you don’t even have to leave your home to pitch in. Go to https://democrats.org/take-action/ or https://swingleft.org/ to learn how to get involved.

We are experiencing the biggest challenge to American democracy since the Civil War. The future of our country is in our hands. 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/.

[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/18/harris-trump-polls-dnc-00174532

With less than five months until likely the most consequential election in American history, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do to help save our democracy.

For a while, I considered going to a swing state like Pennsylvania or Arizona and working on the Biden re-election campaign. In which case, I would probably be making phone calls to prospective Democratic voters or going door-to-door. Neither of those motivated me. Nor did I believe my doing them would have any significant impact on the election.

Of course, I could send donations to the Biden campaign and other important races. And I am doing that. But again, I realized that my rather small donations would hardly make any meaningful difference.

That’s not to say that any of the above wouldn’t assist Biden and the Democrats. Every little bit helps advance their campaign toward victory.

Then, the other day I asked myself: what do I like doing that could potentially have some influence on the election? The answer that immediately came to me was working on policy. But what policy?

That same day I read Thomas Friedman’s piece in the NYT, American Leaders Should Stop Debasing Themselves on Israel. Friedman advocated:

“This is ultimatum time. Biden should be telling Israel that it should accept Hamas’s key demand: Totally end the war now and withdraw from Gaza in exchange for the return of all Israeli hostages. Israel cannot think straight while Hamas holds its people.”[1]

Having spent considerable time and energy on U.S. policy toward Israel, I felt Friedman’s article was calling to me. If Biden could get Israel to end the war, it would be a big boost to his re-election prospects.

While I have no illusions that I alone could affect U.S. policy in any area, here was something I believed was worth my time and that I would feel good doing. I have already attended two meetings of a local American Friends of Combatants for Peace committee (AFCFP) which is focused on influencing U.S. policy in the Middle East. One effort proposed at the last meeting was meeting with NM Sens. Heinrich and Lujan and encouraging them to urge the Administration to forcefully push for a permanent ceasefire. Though I had thought I would rather work on the elections than continue participating with this group, suddenly I saw it was my path to making a meaningful contribution to Biden’s re-election as well as to saving our democracy.

AFCFP raises awareness, builds community, and acts to advance the joint efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working for a just peace in Israel and Palestine.[2] If you are interested in joining this effort, email AFCFP at office@afcfp.org, or write to greggmanoff@yahoo.com in Santa Fe. And, if this project does not motivate you, with less than five months until the election, find something that does and start working now to save our democracy before it’s too late.

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/.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/opinion/netanyahu-gaza-congress.html

[2] https://www.afcfp.org/ourmovement

I recently turned 79. Yes, it’s hard for me to believe, but it’s gradually sinking in. For example, I’ve noticed I’m definitely slowing down. As a result, I don’t always get my blog done every week. So, if you don’t get my blog some weeks, you’ll know I’ve slowed down again.

And that brings me to the larger issue of living life in balance. It’s a matter that confronts many of us at different times in our lives. For instance, we may spend too much time on the Internet at the expense of time with our friends and loved ones. Or we work too much and don’t leave enough time for relaxing and enjoying life.

It’s easy to do. We get caught up in one aspect of our lives causing us to ignore another interest or pay less attention to a valued relationship. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we’ve done. Once we do gain awareness, it may take us additional time to get back up to speed with a particular pursuit or to revive a neglected relationship.

Of course, there are many ways we may feel our lives are out of balance. Eating too much, sleeping too little, not getting enough exercise, watching too much TV, not reading enough, or not enough intimacy, to name just a few.

Personally, I feel the need for more time and space for my writing. In addition to my blog, the memoir I’ve been working on for over three years now requires more of my time if I’m ever going to finish it. I also want more time to deepen my relationship with my loving partner. To achieve these goals and get my life in greater balance, I have to figure out what to let go of or at least give less attention to. And that may not be so easy to do. But I’m working on it.

What about you? What do you want to re-balance in your life?

For my male readers, here’s something to help them in this re-balancing effort. A few friends and I are organizing a summer retreat with the theme, Living a Life in Balance. A New Mexican Men’s Wellness gathering, the retreat, with apologies to my female readers, is just for men. It will be held at Story Ranch in Mineral Hill, New Mexico, on the weekend of July 12 to 14. During the event, men will have the opportunity to explore where their lives are in and/or out of balance. It will be a time to step back and take a look at what is and what is not working for them.

In small groups, we will examine how we might get more of what we want in our lives to create greater balance and ease, while reducing or eliminating what we feel burdened by in our lives. You may have a good balance of fun, play, interpersonal connections, joy, quiet time, or whatever. On the other hand, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by too much work, a lack of connection, not enough time with your mate or family, busyness, alone time, or something else.

If you are a man thinking this is an issue worth exploring in your life, we hope you will join us next month. And please encourage other men you know to join us as well. We feel it will be a valuable experience for all. For details and registration, go to https://bit.ly/3yGKaEn.

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/.