302 Comments
User's avatar
Ron Texera's avatar

Please take care of yourself Aaron. Best reporter out there.

Expand full comment
Clarissa Sr, American Grandma's avatar

🧵 SUBSTACK POST 🧵

📢 Grandparents, We Must Sound the Alarm: Our Tax Dollars Are Funding a Police State

Dear Beloved Grandparents,

It’s time we speak plainly.

As we sit around our kitchen tables, our children and grandchildren are being forced to grow up in a country that is sliding closer and closer to authoritarian rule — and we are being made to fund it.

⚠️ The Senate’s version of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Reconciliation Bill” includes massive ICE funding — funneling billions of our tax dollars into:

Masked federal agents in unmarked vans

Coordinated, abusive raids in communities across the country

The kidnapping of long-time residents — including legal immigrants — under vague suspicions

A growing federal police force operating with no transparency or civil rights oversight

This is not border security. This is state-sponsored terror, paid for by working Americans like you and me.

And it gets worse.

During a recent visit with El Salvador’s president, Trump boasted about plans to deport “homegrown” people — a chilling phrase that should strike fear in any true patriot. It implies citizens — born and raised here — could be targeted for political reasons, ethnicity, activism, or simple dissent.

Let us be clear: this is the language of fascism.

We’ve read about this in history books. Hitler’s party didn’t start with death camps. It started by vilifying immigrants, imprisoning critics, and passing laws that funded paramilitary forces while silencing opposition — all under the guise of “order.”

That is the road we are now on.

🛑 But we can still turn around — if we act now.

✅ Call your U.S. Senators and Representatives. Demand they vote no on this ICE expansion buried in Trump’s reconciliation bill.

✅ Support independent media — they are uncovering what corporate outlets are ignoring. Share, subscribe, and spread the truth.

✅ Educate your family and neighbors — especially young voters and those raised on right-wing news.

✅ Remind your communities: We’ve seen this before. We must never be silent again.

📣 Grandparents — we are the protectors of memory and the guardians of democracy.

Let us honor that duty now.

🇺🇸 Peaceful resistance. Public truth. People before power.

In Solidarity,

Clarissa Sr, an American Grandma

#GrandparentsForDemocracy #IndependentMediaMatters #DefundICE #StopThePoliceState #GoodTrouble #ProtectOurFuture

Expand full comment
adt's avatar

FINALLY! A Republican tells the truth!

Expand full comment
SG's avatar

Only when they are not running anymore.

Expand full comment
adt's avatar

True. More of them should grow a conscience and quit.

Expand full comment
Alice K.'s avatar

Actually, it bothers me that the ones who show even a shred of a conscience quit. We need them staying in and fighting. So what if he makes sure they are primaried? His picks don’t always get nominated or voted in. This is a good battle to pick, since the provisions of this bill are so unpopular.

Expand full comment
SasSyPAntsJeNn's avatar

Mark Green from Tennessee and unfortunately my rep voted in support for the but ugly bill and is going private sector after his time is done. I hate that man

Expand full comment
Brittany Anderson's avatar

It's really a slap in the face, knowing the the representative or senator that is supposed to work for ALL of their district, completely ignores phone calls, emails, townhall discussions. My representative, Michael Baumgartner is the same. Absolute pile of shit, voted to cut Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP. So you know what our community did? We rallied funds to purchase an entire billboard with this face on it by Indivisible.org that says in big bold letters that he is for cutting Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP and giving the 1% massive tax cuts. Now everyone can see what a piece of shit he is. 😁

Expand full comment
Karen Kauder's avatar

could be worse. you could have both Cruz and Cornyn as your senators. When they do reply to my emails beseeching them to stand up for average people, they claim trump is saving us all and they support him. omg

Expand full comment
Betty Taylor's avatar

Please see an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist! NOT Primary care.

Expand full comment
Brittany Anderson's avatar

Funny how that works. Their mask falls off when they owe nobody anything.

Expand full comment
Inquiring Minds's avatar

I think he should run again. More MAGAs are waking up to the Big Lies the Tramp told and is still telling.

Expand full comment
Solemna's avatar

True, but there’s so much S… T going on. I’ll take the win

Expand full comment
Suzanne's avatar
2dEdited

I called and thanked him. I’ve begged him to oppose. Figured thanks were in order. They are talking about running Lara Trump for his seat already. Hopefully, I’ll be voting for Roy Cooper.

Expand full comment
adt's avatar

Boo to Laura, but yayyy! For calling him and thanking him!

Expand full comment
Mary Cullen's avatar

Did she even live there? Want she hung to run in FL? Kind of like Scott Brown. I'll just keep moving to different states.

Expand full comment
Suzanne's avatar

They talked about her running when Budd ran.

Expand full comment
Mel's avatar

Her Wiki says she was born here in NC but I didn't think she actually lived here. Will probably buy a house just to say she does but never actually be here any 🙄😒

Expand full comment
Denise Palesch's avatar

Classy move, Suzanne. Nice work.

Expand full comment
Sharleen Bielman's avatar

What pisses me off about this is that he is only telling the truth because he was threatened with being primaried from Trump, so he chose to not run again. If he chose to run again then there would be more weight behind him telling the truth.

Expand full comment
Bren M's avatar

To be fair, he voted against the bill preceding and that's why 4547 threatened him

Expand full comment
Gia jean's avatar

He is not a spineless like the others

Expand full comment
Sharleen Bielman's avatar

Yes, he is. He chose to not run again, he chose to not run against whoever Trump backed in the next election, rather than fight it out in order to go against the dear leader. I never said he was spineless, because he had to have a spine to do that, but, that spine is extremely weak. If he actually had taken calls from his constituents I am sure he would have found a lot would have backed him in the no vote. Although, maybe he was taking calls and found that this 1 vote wasn’t going to allow him to keep his job as a Republican. But he still only grew that weak spine AFTER he said he was quoting.

Expand full comment
James Seever's avatar

I wish GOP could repatriate with their souls BEFORE they decide to run for the exits.

Expand full comment
Sharleen Bielman's avatar

Yes he voted against this bill and that’s great. But that is not the point I was making. Trump threatened to back whoever ran against him as a GOP in his upcoming election instead of fighting it out later, he quit. He said he wasn’t running again, and, then voted no. He was only brave enough to go against Trump AFYER he chose to quit at the end of his te.

Expand full comment
Jahlove's avatar

Can we stop calling Alligator Alcatraz a detention center and call it what it is a death camp?

Expand full comment
Alice K.'s avatar

Is it mean for me to hope he falls in the swamp while attending the opening, maybe providing a happy meal for a nearby alligator.

Expand full comment
Jahlove's avatar

Don't forget to follow the money. The camp is opening at the same time Haitians are losing TPS. Little Haiti in Miami sits on the highest land in Miami which is less susceptible to flooding. Developers who control Florida politics want this land, but where to put the Haitians? There is a lawsuit to keep them from being sent back to Haiti because that would be too dangerous. DeSantis who is owned by developers has solved that problem. The Haitians will be gone and developers will swoop in. Everything in Florida politics is transactional. Always follow the money.

Expand full comment
Janice zdarling's avatar

Good but heartbreaking sleuthing…. What did the Haitians ever do to deserveTWO monster hurricanes snd being abandoned by the civilized world. No wonder it is now run by gangs.

Expand full comment
Disguy Ovahea's avatar

They’ll let them all drown in a large hurricane, just like the prisoners during Katrina. https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/0ca5c6e5-492b-4110-a22b-5e0c1ef83eba?utm_source=share

Expand full comment
Pamela Usrey's avatar

That is sacred native American land. But nothing is sacred to these people except their hate and greed

Expand full comment
Wendymae's avatar

Yes! I saw someone call it American Auschwitz yesterday and I'm urging others to call it what it is. And FWIW I tried to find out the official name of the camp and couldn't find it, so I'm wondering if they are going to make that their name official. They are so drunk on their cruelty and degeneracy that it wouldn't surprise me. Our gov is also going to turn the NG training center into another camp.

Expand full comment
Terry's avatar

trump is going. Can someone please push, or not tell him when he's walking in the wrong direction.

Please and thank you

Expand full comment
Melissa's avatar

A post in here -- another of yours? (somewhere: can't find) expressed the possibility of @#$%%&'s losing his footing & falling prey to an alligator. Actually I'd prefer a python: victim stays alive and (possibly) cognizent longer.

Expand full comment
Terry's avatar

No. That's my comment above.

Expand full comment
Melissa's avatar

Yes. That doesn't mean you couldn't have commented more than once.

Expand full comment
Terry's avatar

Not what you're claiming, no. I did not.

Expand full comment
Melissa's avatar

Cancel “huh”. I didn't “claim” anything.

Expand full comment
Melissa's avatar

Huh?

Expand full comment
Laverne's avatar

Oh! Is that the new White House, we now have to do our job, Wealthy or not, dumb or dumber, they can still be locked up, bring them to light, corruption is corruption even in the corporate, religious, political, judicial world against the American people. The Congress republicans who just throw their election voters into Project 2025 Agenda, are not working for you, they just let the puppet master, push his hand so much further up their ass, are also scared, you can see it in their faces, especially Mike Johnson. This shit is not what their voters voted for. Stand up you fucking Clowns and Vote, this bill down. It’s Corruption and you all are getting ready to sign your fucking representation against your constituents out of FEAR. Trumps promise to Heads of Project 2025 or whatever they call themselves Promise made, promise kept. $$$$$, time for Asshole to get paid, he’s Always been corrupted and Greedy, for financial gain, power , attention.

Expand full comment
Melissa's avatar

He isn't the puppet master (tho he thinks he is); he's the puppet.

Expand full comment
mary kelly's avatar

Do you actually know what a death camp is? I get your point but overly dramatic statements will get you nowhere. Unless you want to become a politician. Like DJT. 😉

Expand full comment
Jahlove's avatar

I am a medical professional and have spent summers in the South Florida heat. Heat strike kills sometimes within minutes. The nearest hospital from the camp is in Naples, a 1 hour ambulance to the camp and a 1 hour return if an ambulance is even called. It's not survivable. No AC. No medical facilities. Overwhelming heat and humidity. I have camped in South Florida in a tent. It is like a heat dome during the day. There will be constant mosquitos surrounding them. People have died at the Krome detention center in Miami for lack of medical care, food and inhumane overcrowding. This will be so much worse. I just got the fuck out of South Florida. I know what I am talking about. The old and sick, mothers and children will be crowded in. It is a death camp

Expand full comment
Brittany Anderson's avatar

This is fucking awful. Absolutely horrendous. Desantis and the people who bought him are the lowest of the low subhumans in Florida. They have NO conscience, no empathy and no soul.

Expand full comment
mary kelly's avatar

Wow, that's awful. I hope that the situation improves. ASAP. I'm a die hard Constitutionalist. We have a voice. Let's get to our Council people and begin the end of death camps in America. Sending healing energy...🙏🏼🙂

Expand full comment
mary kelly's avatar

Even better, can we take people into our homes to stop them from being taken to these horrific camps? What's to stop us? I take homeless people in until they can get to a safe community center/ help they need. And I'm dirt poor. It doesn't matter to me where you were born. The conditions described at this detention center are inhumane. Take people into our homes. We live in America. Abundance over the earth ( except maybe Switzerland) with endless possibilities. Even if only 1 person was saved from the death camps of Nazi Germany it would have been enough. Enough for us to learn and take action. We can. We can help these people and shut down the government's "arrangements" for detainees.

This is America. This is democracy. This is the will of the people. Help those poor souls because we can. We can. And get the law changed or the facility shut down or required to treat people with dignity....no matter their "crime" aka where they were born, how they came to be in America. Take away the power of these death camps. If we won't let people end up there what would be the point in keeping it up and running? Take action. Help others.

Because we can. I do. I have faith that you can too. Take care and blessings to you...

🙏🏼🙂

Expand full comment
Sandra's avatar

Mary, I loved in south Florida for 15 years. It's a camp with tents. The temps will be over 100 degrees. It is a death camp. They won't provide enough water, food or medical services. Prisoners will start dying from the get go.

Expand full comment
Sybil Walker's avatar

Where there are mosquitoes there are encephalitis,dengue fever, etc 💔😫🥵.

Expand full comment
ren's avatar

“even my body is tired of me hearing the news” made me cackle, Aaron please get some rest 😭🫶🏽

Expand full comment
M K's avatar

They better crush this bill. This bill gives djt the authority to STOP AND DELAY ELECTIONS.

YES IT DOES!!!!

Expand full comment
mary kelly's avatar

Can you explain how this bill gives djt authority to stop and delay elections? You have my attention. Thank you. -A watchful citizen 🙂

Expand full comment
M K's avatar

I just posted the part of the bill that contains this along with the rest of horror.

Expand full comment
M K's avatar

Pull up the bill it's in there. It allows djt to do many more actions by executive orders. It actually ties Congress and the Senate from stopping him, and as we can see the Supreme Court is giving him what he wants.

I'll try to send you that part of the bill but I'm not that tech savvy.

Expand full comment
EBM's avatar

Please tell me the exact words to use to pull up the bill. Thank you.

Expand full comment
M K's avatar

H.R.1 that's the name of the bill.

Expand full comment
M K's avatar

H.R.1

Expand full comment
mary kelly's avatar

No worries. Thank you. I happen to have a childlike faith in democracy in America. It's almost impossible for me to figure out how DJT could do away with elections... pertaining to him staying in office beyond his term as POTUS. But there's always a precedent. Or a first time. Thank you for the lead and the awareness. I'll look into it now that you've given me a specific reference point. Take care. We're all human beings. We're rational creatures who do irrational things sometimes. It's good to be informed, aware and most of all willing to work with each other for the greatest good for all people on this earth. The philosophical Good. Not someone's self serving manipulative moves disguised as "good". Blessings...🙏🏼🙂

Expand full comment
Mel's avatar

He could always do away with elections the way Russia has. Make it to where no one runs against him and if they do something bad happens to them. That's what I've always heard happens there anyway. That they technically still have elections but there's no actual reason to

Expand full comment
Eowyn Dernhelme's avatar

I had read that this was debunked, but can you provide the page number or the text? I'd very much like to read it for myself and see what's correct on this.

Expand full comment
Christy Bickford's avatar

We can’t fight the fight without you Aaron, so please take care of yourself!!

Expand full comment
Cat Dad's avatar

Their goal is to kill the undesirables. They are evil incarnate.

Expand full comment
Disguy Ovahea's avatar

There are already 700 hospitals in rural areas in danger of closing. Urgent care centers are not bound by the same laws as hospitals to provide emergency care to uninsured individuals. It’s much better for corporate profits to let people die.

Expand full comment
TB's avatar

I don't believe any of these snakes!! They all know this bill is trash.

Expand full comment
Joan Bosworth's avatar

Healthcare

When Republicans strip healthcare coverage from 17,000,000 Americans, they are also stripping away healthcare jobs. Hospitals, clinics, labs, therapy groups, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, assisted living, pharmacies, etc. will CLOSE and their employees will lose their jobs.

People losing jobs, will lose their homes. The best of the healthcare professionals are being recruited by Canada and will be lost to us. We may have to leave the country (think Canada or Mexico) to get good healthcare.

This is pure evil. Americans need to protest louder and in greater numbers! The Cowards of Congress have not heard your rage.

Expand full comment
Christy Bickford's avatar

And this bill is so criminal and corrupt!! ! It’s utterly abhorrent to all Americans EXCEPT for BILLIONAIRES!!! Not considering these Billionaires supporting this even human!!

Expand full comment
ZU's avatar

STREETS NOW 🇺🇸✌️

Expand full comment
Missy's avatar

Why is normal news stations never covering any real news. It is sad, they’re not like news anymore. Get well

Expand full comment
Mel's avatar

They keep getting sued or threatened and they're all cowards so they fall in line. The Daily Show, especially Mon nights with Jon Stewart, is a good place to get some news. He also has a podcast you can listen to, or you can watch it on YouTube. Tbh there are a lot of great news sources on YouTube! Reporters like Katie Phang have joined, like she has here as well, to spread awareness & real news.

Expand full comment
Missy's avatar

I have Substack medias but just makes me mad that anyone who only watches tv news are oblivious to what is going on in our government, I know that is what government is counting on just like all the other underhanded tactics to undermine fair voting.

Expand full comment
Mel's avatar

Hopefully they'll run across some international news sites while scrolling around online. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Expand full comment
Missy's avatar

And I try to steer people toward Substack for honest truthful reports

Expand full comment
Taya's avatar

Tillis is a pos. He's only saying this bc he won't be seeking re-election he is just as complicit.

Love the dictator threathening ppl when it doesn't go his way.

Expand full comment
Eowyn Dernhelme's avatar

Enemy of my enemy is my friend. At least for a short while. In other news, Elon Musk is so angry at Republicans right now regarding the BBB he's decided to put up a third party, calls it the American Party. Of course, it's really the Billionaires Keep It Coming You Peons Party. But if it splits up the Republicans, it's good by me in the short term.

Expand full comment
Toni Galloway's avatar

Finally a republican with a spine

Expand full comment
Jwrecks's avatar

Nah just one who doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected

Expand full comment
Valid Name's avatar

IMO and personal experience, the ability to decide for oneself to quit a job is far more empowering than being fired (or ground down by running against a candidate backed by someone with a personal vendetta against you). He's got another 18 months to continue thumbing his nose at dear leader and encouraging any Republican colleagues who may wish to follow his lead but are too scared right now. He could do a lot of good in the time he has left.

Expand full comment
Eowyn Dernhelme's avatar

I think the reasoning was that if Tillis ran again, he would cut into votes for a Democrat runner. If he doesn't run, Lara Trump will, and he believes many fewer Republicans would vote for her. I don't know if it would work this way though myself; I am not a North Carolinian.

Expand full comment
Mel's avatar

N.Carolinian here. Tbh with the way we are gerrymandered I'm not sure who would win. I can't find it, but I saw a chart in the last couple days that showed D & R votes vs wins, and it was staggering. The votes were nearly even but there are double, or more, R that won. The districts are insane with how they were changed just last year. D took it to court to have it stopped. Didn't work unfortunately. It was changed right before this past election 🤬 They're trying to have it reversed again on the basis that it was done in a way to split black D districts up, but I haven't seen any updates on that. (not that it wasn't already gerrymandered before but now it's far worse)

Expand full comment
Erica's avatar

It makes me so sad that it takes him not running for reelection to grow a spine. That speaks VOLUMES about yes the cowardice of Republicans, but also the gross overreach of Trump working to get what he wants.

Expand full comment
David H's avatar

"Trump threatened to cut off federal funding to New York City if mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, “doesn’t behave himself” if elected."

I mean, who cares about the will of the people who elected Mamdani based on his platform?

"Trump’s administration allegedly threatened the University of Virginia with cuts to jobs, funding, student aid, and visas unless its president, Jim Ryan, resigned, according to a U.S. senator."

They're counting on the selflessness of decent people to get their way, all the time. This is an administration of corrupt bullies.

Expand full comment
IDPROBABLYBEJANINE's avatar

Finally our NC senator Thom Tilis is stepping up!!

Expand full comment
phoenix winter's avatar

It's nice to finally see a positive headline with an NC politicians name. I can't believe he thinks he needs Trump's support to win; now that he has the support of some more NC voters, he won't re run.

Expand full comment
IDPROBABLYBEJANINE's avatar

YES he's a poser here. We need an Independent or Democratic Socialist to run for Senator!! We need to bring NC back to 💙

Expand full comment
Kristen V's avatar

Only because he is not seeking re-election.

Expand full comment
Eowyn Dernhelme's avatar

Stepping up to step down, ha ha, sorry, I couldn't resist.

Expand full comment