A poignant and pointed sign spotted at the No Kings protest in Los Angeles
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Again, congratulations to everyone who participated in a No Kings protest this weekend! What a day! I’m unbelievably proud of all of us. We had almost 3,000 events around the country (and the world) with between 7-8 million people participating! As far as I’ve heard every single event was a resounding success. We came together peacefully, brought brilliant signs, wore fantastic costumes, and showed the world what America thinks of this regime.
The only violence we saw, of course, was from MAGA agitators in isolated incidents—all handled quickly and effectively by local police. No one, to my knowledge, was hurt (except for the now infamous “faceplant man,” and that was on him). I have not heard of a single disruption involving a No Kings protestor. Not. One.
Considering how hard Trump and his people worked to portray these as hateful rallies this is something really worth highlighting. Please make sure you do!
As for Trump’s Saturday AI video showing him dumping feces on No Kings marchers from an airplane? I won’t dignify it with attention. He’s an embarrassment who despises his own citizens. He should be impeached and removed immediately.
Failing that, however, we will have to beat him through more gradual means, so let’s move on to that. I suggest you, too, give his puerile and pathetic behavior as little oxygen as possible, unless it’s to show an on-the-fence American just how unfit he is.
Now on to practicalities.
Mike Johnson has indicated he will not bring House Republicans back to DC this week, so we’re looking at seven more days of stalled progress. Meanwhile, ACA premium increases are set to be sent out soon, and 23 million Americans are waiting with bated breath to see if they’ll be able to afford their healthcare.
Adelita Grijalva, moreover, still hasn’t been sworn in.
One bill is set to be introduced in the Senate this week, though, and I’m told we should keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t pass. It’s a piece of Trojan horse legislation, introduced by Senator Ron Johnson, called the Shutdown Fairness Act; it purports to be about paying the troops, but what it actually does is give Russel Vought vast new power to send money where he wants during the shutdown, while denying funding to programs and departments he opposes. It’s incredibly dangerous, and Democrats are mostly already opposing it.
There is, however, concern that some moderate Dem Senators could cave on it, so we’re being asked to put massive pressure on them not to. The ones we’re supposed to watch most closely, from what I was told this morning, are Shaheen, Peters, King, Kelly, Rosen, Slotkin, and Hassan. We will, however, call all of our Senators and tell them why this bill must not be passed. There’s a script below.
Finally, for those of you concerned about the Supreme Court, I’ve got a guest on my Live today whom you won’t want to miss: Josh Orton, the new president of court reform organization Demand Justice.
Josh was just profiled in The New York Times and appeared on MSNBC recently, where he spoke about Democrats’ need to step up in opposing Trump’s judicial nominees and the broader corruption of our legal system. He’s a former advisor to Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Harry Reid, served as policy director for the Sanders 2020 campaign and later as a senior advisor in the Vice President’s office, and is now leading Demand Justice with a clear mandate to push Democrats to fight harder against Trump’s takeover of the courts.
Josh will break down the current Supreme Court term in plain terms — what to watch for, how Trump’s judges are reshaping everyday life, and what Democrats need to do differently He’s direct, strategic, and not afraid to say what a lot of people in Washington won’t. He’ll be a great guest!
Hop on to the Substack app at 4PM PT / 7PM ET if you want to watch! I think you can also watch on your computer, but I don’t know how. If someone does maybe they can drop it in the comments.
OK, all. Lots to do so let’s get to it!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling in strong opposition to Senator Johnson’s Shutdown Fairness Act. While I very much want our servicemembers to be paid, this bill is not the way to go about it. It gives way too much power to Russel Vought to disburse funds where he wants during the shutdown and cut off departments and services with which he disagrees. It’s a formula for partisan punitiveness. Congress needs to get back to negotiations to reopen the government on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. And we want those ACA premium tax credits extended!
[If GOP add:] Does the Senator realize that without those extensions a family of four making $126,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $8,358? A 60-year-old couple making $82,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $18,361 to hit $25,331 annually. That is absolutely insane. We are running out of time. Extend the ACA tax credits now and reopen the government! Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
[If Republican:]
I am absolutely furious that Speaker Johnson is keeping House Republicans on vacation—paid, I might add!—for another week while our healthcare premiums are about to explode and Adelita Grijalva still hasn’t been sworn in. This is not governance. It’s an absolute abdication of responsibility. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the presidency. They need to come back to work, sit down with Democrats, and hammer out an agreement to permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits and reopen the government. This shutdown is highlighting how incompetent Republicans are and how little they care about people like me. It’s not a good look.
[If Dem:]
I’m calling to thank the Democrats for continuing to fight for affordable healthcare for their constituents. Please keep it up. We see what you’re doing and we’re grateful for it. Every single American who showed up at No Kings this weekend—plus tens of millions more—wants them to stay in this fight. Thank you! We’ve got your backs!
Extra Credit ✅ / Win Races! 🗳
After the incredible energy of No Kings lots of folks will be asking “what now?”
The answer? Winning the November 4 elections EVERYWHERE by huge margins. It is the next top priority, and we must all work towards it.
I wanted to make that really easy for people, so I spent some time yesterday creating a google doc containing short texts we can send to friends and family in places with important elections this November—and there are so many of them!
We know that “relational organizing” like this is more effective than any other form of GOTV. People trust friends and family more than strangers. They will listen to them while ignoring someone they don’t know.
These texts, which I am asking you to send TODAY, can be sent via iMessage, Instagram DMs, email, or any way you prefer. Each includes a sentence about what the elections are in a given state or city, a sentence about why they matter, a line describing whom or what to vote for, and where folks there can find their polling place.
I’ve done separate texts for VA, NJ, CA, PA, NYC, GA, MN, MS, ME, Douglas County Colorado (where there are hugely important school board races), other counties in CO, and Cincinnati, OH. I will be adding Texas and other parts of Ohio soon—in fact if anyone in Ohio can write and tell me what all is on the ballot there statewide that would be great.
Please USE this document. With the number of subscribers this newsletter has we could literally flip seats simply by all participating. I’ve made it as easy as I can, but it won’t do any good unless folks actually send the texts.
Here’s the document. Use it well! The short link for it, by the way, is https://tinyurl.com/electionDMs. If you think I’ve missed something important let me know and I’ll add it in! And please share it everywhere! No credit necessary!
Get Smart! 📚
I will be joining Arizona-based Civic Engagement Beyond Voting on Tuesday, October 21 at 6:00 pm MST/PST for one of their popular virtual “In Conversation” events with newsmakers and thought leaders. We’ll discuss current news–both local and national–through the lens of progressive activism and rallying everyday Americans to resist the MAGA agenda, in the wake of the history-making nationwide No Kings protests.
These wide-ranging conversations are sure to motivate, inspire and galvanize you in preparation for the political battles ahead. Open to all, register here.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
The Fairfax Democrats National Affairs Committee held a virtual policy forum called HOW WE WIN THE INFORMATION WAR last week. It was long but really good. It featured experts from across media fields who explored strategies to tackle and overcome the left’s media deficit and urgently build media ecosystems, infrastructure, and capacity that fight mis- and disinformation and support democracy.
SPEAKERS:
Milo Vassallo, Executive Director, The Media and Democracy Project (
Kevin Dreyfuss, Managing Director & Executive at Courier Newsroom/National
Mackenzie Warren, Interim Executive Director, Local News Initiative, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Liz Kelly Nelson, Founder, Project C | Creator-model Journalism & Media Consumption
The recording is here, and really worth a watch.
Get in the Streets! 🪧
Indivisible is holding a “No Kings, What’s Next?” call TOMORROW to discuss where we go from here. It’s from 8-9 ET and you can RSVP here. It should be great! I hope as many of us as possible attend!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PUOKYE to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
On Friday, Donald Trump commuted the sentence of disgraced former Representative George Santos, freeing him less than three months into a seven-year prison term for wire fraud and identity theft.
Within hours, Santos walked out of a New Jersey prison, his release the result of a coordinated effort by Trump’s loyalists in Congress — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Matt Gaetz. In his announcement, Trump praised Santos because he “ALWAYS VOTED REPUBLICAN,” and the commutation reportedly erased not only his sentence but also the restitution and forfeiture owed to his victims.
That is not justice — it is fealty. The pardon and commutation powers exist to correct miscarriages of justice, not to reward loyalty or protect those who pledge obedience to a president.
[Read the rest of the letter here.]
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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