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Dems Have Come Out Of The Box Strong, Spanberger Up 12, Trump Disappears (Again), New Conversations W/Gavin Newsom, Rep. Adam Smith, Randi Weingarten, And More......

We've had a good week. Let's make next week even better.....

Simon Rosenberg

Oct 4

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Morning all. This was another intense week, and I think it was a good one, an important one for us……

Leaders Schumer and Jeffries made the decision to challenge Trump on his budget, and based on what we’ve seen this week it was the right call. Polls show Dems winning the early big arguments on the shutdown and on the need to restore the cuts to health care and mitigate the damage Republicans are doing to our health care system. It is clear now that Republicans did not anticipate Dems challenging them, were not prepared for the fight we are now in, and have been all over the place this week. Trump’s public remarks and postings this week have been without question the most unhinged and untethered of his 2nd term. Mike Johnson has responded to the crisis they’ve created with panicky cowardice in sending his Members home (again). Senate Leader Thune is refusing to even meet with Senator Schumer for their insane (early, wobbly, unsustainable) stance is that they will not negotiate with Democrats at all. The fanatic Russell Vought impulsively, recklessly took actions that did clear damage to Republican candidates running in New Jersey and Virginia this fall. Here is what every Republican political operative in DC saw on the front page of the Washington Post yesterday……it is as ugly as it gets:

4 days into shutdown it is clear Republicans were not ready for the fight, and now have to go into a sustained battle with us with a very unpopular, unstable and ailing leader; defending an incredibly unpopular and frankly indefensible agenda; with extraordinary internal divisions in their own coalition; and an opposition that is unified with a strong narrative and galvanizing sense of purpose.

It also must be noted that at moment of crisis both for the county and his own party Trump disappeared from public view these last three days, without explanation. This is now the second time this has happened in the last six weeks.

To get a sense of how ready Democrats are for this fight dive into…..

My new must-watch interview with Gavin Newsom, one of our most important and inspirational leaders right now. So pleased Gavin was able to spend so much time with us this week
A new, fiery interview with Rep. Adam Smith, one of the top Democrats in the House
A compelling and powerful discussion with AFT President Randi Weingarten, another one of our most important pro-democracy leaders right now
An uplifting conversation about the wins and success of Democratic state AGs with Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts
A first day of shutdown check in with Reps. Greg Landsman and Marc Veasey
The many interviews with our top candidates and party leaders, below
My new talk and comprehensive written analysis - Dems Are Forcing Trump To Take Responsibility For The Harm He’s Doing To The Country

Remember you can find all of our interviews and podcasts on the Hopium site under Podcast and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify too!

For this morning, from where I sit, we are in fight with Trump and MAGA that all of us have wanted to have. We are coming out of the box strong, and united. Trump and the Republicans have been disorganized, unprepared, unsteady, unhinged, and have, through their spirited defense of the savaging of our health care and their imperial and authoritarian response to Democrats just wanting to sit and talk, confirmed our core narrative - that they are on the side of oligarchs, not the American people; and are betraying the American project through their escalating embrace of authoritarianism and illiberalism.

Let us close out today with these powerful words from Dr. Timothy Snyder:

Do not obey in advance.
Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy. Perhaps rulers did not initially know that citizens were willing to compromise this value or that principle. Perhaps a new regime did not at first have the direct means of influencing citizens one way or another. After the German elections of 1932, which brought Nazis into government, or the Czechoslovak elections of 1946, where communists were victorious, the next crucial step was anticipatory obedience. Because enough people in both cases voluntarily extended their services to the new leaders, Nazis and communists alike realized that they could move quickly toward a full regime change. The first heedless acts of conformity could not then be reversed.

This fight we are now in is a righteous one, a patriotic one, a necessary one and one we must now dedicate ourselves to winning, together……..

Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to thank everyone who has given in recent days. We saw a big uptick in giving before the critical q3 filing deadline. Note that we’ve hit $200,000 raised now for our 7 House incumbents and Abigail Spanberger, and our Audacious Expansion Fund is off to a great start. Thank you all!

Winning The Fall - Support Our November, 2025 Candidates and Yes On 50

Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $99k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my new interview with Rep. Sherrill | Read my new post about Sherrill’s sturdy polling lead | Sherrill leads by 8 in new Fox poll
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $204k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger
Yes on 50 (CA) - $50,000 goal - Donate | Learn more, volunteer | Sign Up For CA Dem Party Daily Phonebanks | Watch my new interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom

Hopium members in CA/NJ/PA/VA - please vote on Day 1, or as early as you can, either by mail or in-person. When you vote early your names comes off the campaign GOTV rolls allowing them to move on to lower propensity voters, which increases D turnout and makes it more likely we win. Voting early = another way to help us win.

Please vote early and encourage everyone you know to join you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates

Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $41,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $78k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $212k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents

Expanding The Map - Support Our Audacious Expansion Fund (2026-2032)

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $46,000 raised - Join our new campaign to invest in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas | Donate To All Five State Parties | Watch my interviews with Alaska Chair Eric Croft, Florida Chair Nikki Fried, Iowa Chair Rita Hart and Texas Chair Kendall Scudder

Our updated fundraising goals are now for the end of the year, December 31st, except for the 2025 races, which are now for Election Day, 2025.

Defending America, Winning The Big Argument With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:

1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our our emerging four part agenda. Demand that your Senators and House Member work to keep the government open and

Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
Defend our democracy, rule of law and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restore due process to our immigration system, defend the 1st Amendment, and end the use of the military on our streets and the occupations of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China

2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston, and offer advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.

Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 85 (!!!!) resolution projects in 23 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the fall election?

Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Great to see!