Happy Saturday! Overtime is for everyone. If you’re a Bulwark+ member: thank you. If you’re not, there’s no better time to subscribe to Bulwark+ than today. If you like today’s issue, you can share this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
Still Radical, Still American
AS AMERICA APPROACHES ITS SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL, the country is in a profound, self-doubting mood. A recent Reuters poll found that 40 percent of respondents are uncertain the United States will even exist in another 250 years, while two-thirds believe that even if the country itself endures, American democracy as an organizing political and social framework is in danger of failing.
Trump’s Affront to the Founding
DONALD TRUMP IS PUTTING ON a celebration of something he doesn’t believe in. “America 250” is supposedly about the Declaration of Independence, the anniversary of which we celebrate on every July Fourth. But through his words and actions, Trump has turned his back on the principles enshrined in the Declaration.
📖Bulwark Book Club: Making the Presidency
Next week, Mona Charen will interview Lindsay Chervinsky to discuss her book: “Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic”.
Be sure to pick up or take out a copy from the library if you haven’t, and make sure to leave a question if you’d like them to consider answering it on the show!
🎇OVERTIME🎆
Happy Saturday! Remember, there’s still time for you to join the Overtime World Cup Soccer Knockout Challenge! There will be prizes.
Staff for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, others knew… a company she vilified on social media in 2023 was ‘wrongly accused’ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Fireflies and the July 4th / Inflation Sale… Our friend and former colleague Matt Labash offers his annual subscription sale and a classic July 4th essay of his on fireflies. Moments of beauty, even the small ones, help us survive in a time of constantly bad news.1
The most successful watch… ever made. Teddy Baldassarre does a deep dive on the Casio F-91W.
What Gave Me Hope in Springfield
On the eve of my holiday travel, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Mullin v. Doe. To be honest, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Packing would have to wait.
Springfield and its Haitian community have become part of my beat… not just because I’m a born-again Ohioan and it’s not far from Cincinnati, but because I wanted them to be. I already had more than enough material to write Friday’s Morning Shots from that morning’s press conference alone. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted to be there. I needed to be there.
While I joke that talking with our members in the meat space “puts the wind in my sails,” there’s something uniquely encouraging about an organic, good-natured civic demonstration. It reminds you that people still care enough to show up. After Thursday’s ruling, I needed that.
Especially as I’m heading into the Capital region, where it’ll be hot, muggy, offensively partisan, and with an elevated chance of being hassled by law enforcement for “loitering” on the Mall.
What gave me hope in that rally? A lot. The visceral emotion and energy of the community. The inspiring nature of their focus: being clear-eyed and prepared for the bad things to come… in the immediacy of tragic news. This bit of a prayer2 from the end, which was offered in a mixture of French and Haitian Creole:
Lord, we believe you can move hearts and bring decisions that favor the Haitian community. We cannot change this ourselves, but you can. In the name of Jesus, we ask you to act on behalf of the Haitian people.
In the last day, I’ve thought a lot about it.
And I’ve thought a lot about this photo I took and the people in it, especially since I’d read Thursday’s Triad.
Some people obviously want (gestures broadly) this. The cruelty. The fear. The misery.
But on Thursday night in Springfield, there were hundreds of people who came to join with their neighbors to share in their sadness, there were only six or seven who came to make sure everyone knew they approved of what had happened. Take a guess at which group was happier?
I thought about including them in my Morning Shots item, but there wasn’t room / it didn’t fit.
The Trumpers stood there while their neighbors grieved beneath the city’s motto, “Forward Together.” I’m under no illusion that those half-dozen people represented only themselves. Plenty of others share their views. They just didn’t want to attach their faces to them.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice how small, and frankly dispirited, they seemed. Desperate, even, for engagement. They had just gotten exactly what they wanted, and yet there wasn’t much triumph to be found.
Oddly enough, that gives me hope. Perhaps it might for you, too. Hope is important, wherever we can find it. Be it fireflies or miserable MAGA voters.
Bulwark members’ reflections on America at 250 🇺🇸
In our Bulwark chat space, my colleague Ali Pannoni put together a members’ discussion about how our community is experiencing this historic moment. It was popular!3 Here are some of my favorite reactions:
“I’m celebrating this country I love full out because I’m not going to let Trump and his butt kissers take what I know is the truth, when he is gone we will go back to being a great nation of influence and admiration around the world. We will come back better. This I will celebrate because I still believe in our greatness as a democracy.” – Leslie Weatherill
“I’m going to be writing through my feelings and trying to think of a constructive vision for where America can go in the next 250. I don’t have the privilege of bemoaning the loss of our international status and reputation, I’m 31 and I got a son to leave a better country with. The work has to continue.” — Christian Thrailkill
"Trump is trying to hijack what should be a wonderful shared experience for all Americans. I plan to reread the Declaration of Independence... and prepare to do all I can to help restore American democracy." — Juliann McCarthy
“Grilling and 🧨 sparklers! It’s still our country. It does feel like having to go to a family members birthday I can’t stand. But sometimes it turns out to be fun! 🥂 “ — Victoria
Have a great 4th and be safe.
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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
More on this below, in my extra thoughts about my trip to Springfield.
Seigneur, nous croyez que vous pouvez prendre décision en faveur de notre communauté haïtienne. Nous-même, nous ne pouvons pas faire, nous ne pouvons pas changer, mais vous-même, vous pouvez prendre décision. Au nom de Jésus, prends décision pour la communauté haïtienne.
If you haven’t left a comment yet, please do!
I live near Springfield and this situation is so sad. The area will never be the same- it’s already changed since last winter.
So much vitality, prosperity and jobs are being lost for no reason except to placate malice and grievance- it’s hard to wrap my head around. Let’s all agree never to forget what happened here.
Jim, thank you for your observations of what's happening in springfield. Had the opportunity to drive through there on my way to Cleveland last month. Its an amazing community... and we made sure we visited a local Haitian restaurant and made sure we tip them very well! It's a shame what our country has done to them now. Please keep covering this!