On Easter Sunday morning, Trump posted the following message on his social media platform:
Following his Easter morning social media post, Trump gave a number of interviews that repeated and extended the threat. He told ABC News that a peace deal was near, but that if it didn’t happen soon, there would be “very little” that was off-limits if a deal was not in place soon.
Trump said,
If it happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, we’re blowing up the whole country.
Trump told the Wall Street Journal,
If they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing,
Individually and collectively, these comments demonstrate that Trump is unfit for office. He should be removed ASAP.
The only reasonable interpretation of Trump’s comments is that he is threatening to wage war against civilian populations and infrastructure, actions that constitute war crimes under international law. A threat to “blow up the whole country” has no military objective and should reasonably be interpreted as a threat against the Iranian people.
Moreover, Trump mocked Islam by punctuating his threat to commit war crimes with a blasphemous invocation of Islam’s core expression of gratitude to God, “Praise be to Allah.”
Finally, Trump’s use of the obscenity in “fuckin’ Strait of Hormuz” illustrates a lack of self-regulation that is incompatible with holding the office of President of the United States.
In a healthy democracy, Trump would be impeached by the House and convicted and removed by the Senate, or replaced under the procedures of the 25th Amendment.
Will either remedy happen? Not likely, but that does not mean we should refrain from stating the obvious: No other president would remain in office for a week after issuing such lunatic, reckless statements.
The initial reporting of the American newspaper of record, the New York Times—like other major media outlets—did not publish Trump’s social media statement in full, even though the statement itself was news. Failing to quote Trump’s statement was a serious error of judgment borne of . . . what? Lack of confidence in the ability of their readers to handle the truth? A double standard that applies uniquely to Trump? The normalization of Trump? The failure to appreciate the significance of a threat to commit war crimes, combined with an obscenity-laced mockery of Muslims?
Answer: All of the above.
[In mitigation, the NYTimes recovered its journalistic instincts by Sunday evening with a news analysis article on the front page that not only quoted the statement in full but identified the statement as threatening possible war crimes and put the statement in context of similar statements. See NYTimes, Trump Revels in Threats to Commit War Crimes in Iran.]
But major newspapers were not alone in failing to call out the precise words and dire nature of Trump’s theat. The response (so far) from congressional leadership has ranged from non-existent to milquetoast. Republican leadership has ignored the statement, while Senator Chuck Schumer issued the strongest condemnation (as of Sunday evening), which stated:
Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media. He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better.
While it is true that our country deserves better, that is not the same as declaring Trump unfit to remain in office and demanding his removal.
I understand that it is unlikely that Trump will be removed, but just as Trump has normalized threats of war crimes through repetition, we should normalize the proposition that Trump can and should be removed as president. The day may soon come when we must invoke the Constitution to remove or replace Trump. When that day arrives, it should not be the first time that the major media outlets and congressional leaders introduce that notion to the American public.
In the moment, it can sometimes be difficult to see obvious answers. Imagine, twenty years hence, when your children or grandchildren ask you how you reacted to Trump’s call to commit warm crimes against the Iranian people. Unacceptable answers include, “Nothing,” “I don’t recall,” and “I criticized his statement to anyone who would listen.” Compare, “I called for his immediate removal as president and did everything I could to make that happen.”
Trump is unfit to hold the office of president, dangerously so. We should say so, preferably in words of one syllable. No artifice, no euphemisms, no double standards, no defeatism, no learned helplessness. If we don’t call for his removal, what will our elected leaders think? We got a fair view of what they are (or are not) thinking on Sunday.
In fairness, Trump made his comment on a weekend that saw the overlap of three major religious observances. Let’s hope that Monday brings greater moral clarity. Trump has said he will destroy all bridges and power plants in Iran by Tuesday evening. There is time on Monday for members of Congress to make clear that such actions will result in his impeachment and removal from office.
Coda
I confess that I am confused about the state of affairs regarding peace negotiations. Major outlets are reporting that the Trump administration believes a peace agreement could be announced in the next day or so. The source for those reports is almost always Trump. See, e.g., The Guardian, Trump warns Iran to reopen strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face ‘hell’ | US-Israel war on Iran. (Trump separately suggested that there is a “good chance” of an agreement with Iran on Monday, telling Fox News that negotiations were taking place. “If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil,” he said.”)
See also, Axios, US, Iran mediators discuss potential 45-day ceasefire, sources say. Per Axios,
The U.S., Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, according to four U.S., Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.
Why it matters: The sources said the chances for reaching a partial deal over the next 48 hours are slim. But this last-ditch effort is the only chance to prevent a dramatic escalation in the war that will include massive strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure and a retaliation against energy and water facilities in the Gulf states.
If there are “behind-the-scenes” negotiations that are nearing completion, the rhetoric of the parties does not match that state of affairs. Trump’s incendiary comments are noted above. The response by the speaker of the Iranian parliament also threatened widespread destruction. Per The Guardian,
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iran parliament, responded to Trump’s latest threats in a social media post. “Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands.
Perhaps we will be surprised on Monday by the announcement of a cease-fire. Even if that happens, there is no excuse for an American president suggesting the commission of war crimes as a negotiating tactic. Indeed, bombings of civilian infrastructure began last week. See Democracy Docket, Trump Warns of “Much More to Follow” as U.S. Bombs Civilian Infrastructure in Iran.
US rescues second crew member from downed F-15
On Sunday, the US announced the rescue of the second crew member from a downed F-15. See Military Times, US special forces rescue second F-15 airman from Iran. The crew member was apparently unable to signal for help initially because he was knocked unconscious by the ejection and suffered a slight concussion. See Times of Israel.
According to the Military Times article, the US forces “encountered fierce resistance from Iranian forces.” The US lost three (?) aircraft during the rescue operation, according to varying reports. Per the Times of Israel, one US plane was unable to take off after it became stuck in the sand. Other reports describe “malfunctions” in US air equipment that resulted in their destruction by their US crews, who were then evacuated by lighter aircraft. Iran claimed that it shot down the aircraft that the US says it destroyed.
The rescue of the second US crew member is good news. The loss of four aircraft in the recovery of the two crew members provides an insight into how difficult ground warfare will be if Trump sends troops to invade Iran. The downing of the F-15 was the first loss of a US fighter jet in combat in two decades. See Military Times, US Military Aircraft Hit in Iran War are First Shot Down by Enemy Fire in Over 20 Years.
A note to annual paying subscribers
The annual renewal for many long-time subscribers will occur in mid-April. I moved this newsletter to Substack in April 2021 (from Constant Contact), and many readers followed me to this platform at that time. Some of those original Substack readers became paying subscribers in April 2021 and have supported my efforts for five years! Many others have since joined the ranks as paying subscribers.
Collectively, you serve as the backbone of this newsletter. Paying subscriptions are voluntary, but those of you who support the newsletter as paying subscribers have allowed me to devote full time to its mission since 2021. I couldn’t do it without you! Thank you!
But April is also the period when I see the biggest decline in paying subscribers. Why? Because readers’ credit card numbers change over the course of twelve months, and the auto-renewals fail. For annual subscribers who signed up in April, annual renewal notices should be arriving in your inboxes over the next two weeks. If you need to update your credit cards, follow these steps:
Using your browser, go to substack.com/settings
Scroll down to the Subscriptions section
Search for and click on Today’s Edition by Robert B. Hubbell
In the payment information section, click Edit next to the payment method.
Enter the new card details and click Save.
If you are an annual or monthly subscriber and would like to upgrade to Founding Member (to join our once-a-month interactive Zoom meetings), follow the steps above to upgrade.
Thanks to everyone who reads the newsletter for your support and for being part of the community! I take strength and comfort from each of you. Bless you and thank you!
Concluding Thoughts
Trump’s post on Easter morning was shocking, alarming, and embarrassing. Frankly, it put a damper on my Easter celebration as I ruminated about the possibilities: Is he experiencing a mental breakdown and tilting at windmills? Are his threats serious? Both? Neither? Regardless, I was upset that I was distracted by those thoughts while celebrating Easter at Mass and enjoying a meal with family and friends.
But I also experienced a significant sense of collective embarrassment. Trump is the President of the United States. His words matter, no matter what. His mockery of Islam is reprehensible, all the more so because he claims to be a Christian. His indiscriminate threats against the people of Iran undoubtedly caused even more distress and anxiety among men, women, and children who have nothing to do with the horrific actions of Iran’s leadership. And the crass resort to obscenity and just plain lunacy of the post reflects badly on all Americans, even if our foreign friends understand that not all Americans support Trump.
After I wrote the above, I noted that a protest photo from Wilmington, N.C. prominently features a sign that reads, “Dear World, We are so sorry. Signed, Most Americans.” So I am not the only person feeling that way!
What can we do? We must continue to show the world that most Americans oppose Trump and share the same feelings of shock and dismay that they experience when they read the latest unhinged post by Trump. We must continue to protest in every way possible. We must continue to prevail at the ballot box by overwhelming margins. We must serve as examples of the once-and-future promise of America as a force for good in the world and as a reliable ally to everyone promoting democracy across the globe.
It will take years to repair the reputational damage and pain inflicted by Trump’s hateful posts. The best time to begin that rehabilitation is now—by building a strong resistance that limits the damage and (hopefully) shortens Trump’s tenure through impeachment and conviction or replacement under the 25th Amendment.
It is difficult to endure Trump’s ugly rhetoric. The antidote is to be the best Americans and global citizens we can be, in the hope that the rest of the world sees us and knows we represent America.
Stay strong, my friends! Talk to you tomorrow!
Pro-democracy protest photos
[Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state. Please, no texts or links to Google Drive / Icloud / or other hosting services.]
**********************
Even little Tryon NC had a silent “Signs of Fascism” protest. April 4, 2026.
Indivisible San Jose (CA) - Beautiful day on the overpass with temps in the mid-to- high 80’s.
Wilmington NC No Kings Rally # 3
The weather was miserable today, but small groups of North Country Resilience volunteers displayed messages this afternoon on two I-93 overpasses in our area, Franconia Notch in Franconia, NH and West Farm Rd in Bethlehem NH.
We are horrified by all that is happening. Our messages: PEACE, NO WARS, NEXT STEP 5 1 BOYCOTT, and EPSTEIN WAR TANKS ECONOMY
Pictures Chapel Hill-Carrboro No Kings March 28
The Minneapolis Bridge Club has begun its second year—700,000 vehicles having passed beneath our signs so far. We get a lot of honks.
Visibility Brigade photos from Midlothian,Virginia. About 25 of us protesters are there Friday evening rush hour and Saturday mornings. These photos 4/4/26:
No Kings 3.0, Sarasota, FL 5,000 In Attendance
Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY Our first Freedom Friday!
We are the NYC/Westchester chapter of the Visibility Brigade. We have been told that you are collecting photos of bridge actions so we wanted to share our latest with you.
WofA (We of Action, an Indivisible group)in Arlington, VA at the Supreme Court on Wednesday
Poplar Bluff Missouri. Southeast Mo
Photos of Democracy from Paramus NJ 4.3.26
Yarmouth, Maine. Three Crows.
The Chattanooga Bridge Brigade was out on Good Friday, with our message “Honk for Peace”.
Dover, MA, a town of under 6,000 residents, finally gets into the game with a ‘No Fools’ protest on Sat Apr 4th.
Englewood FL April 4Mamaroneck, NY, and the March 28th No Kings gathering. We were on all four corners of a major intersection and extended, often in rows two deep, in each direction along the Boston Post Road.
Stuart, Florida (
Protest photo - Washington, D.C.
Protest Kansas City…
My almost 96 YO father, a Korean Vet, in Darien, CT
Small town of Bethel, ME
Flatwoods WV
Cambridge Ohio “cherry red” area of Ohio over 250+ who believe in democracy.
Portland Frog Brigade
5,000 protested in Downtown Sarasota, FL; another 5,000 in nearby Venice and 3,000 @ nearby Tesla/mall location
No Kings 3.0 - Athens, GR
From Today’s Edition Newsletter via this RSS feed
You must log in or # to comment.