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September 2026	0	1,320

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Is he trying to lose?

If we didn’t know better, the GOP’s actions on Wednesday would seem hand-crafted to ensure overwhelming defeat for Republicans in the midterms. But we know better. We know that Republicans would rather face defeat at the ballot box than suffer the wrath of Donald Trump. In other words, the most rational explanation for Wednesday’s developments is the collective cowardice and depravity of a party that once pretended to stand for something other than protecting Donald Trump’s fragile ego. While no one should be happy that our nation has been brought low by Trump’s raging narcissism and epic ignorance, those qualities are driving the GOP into a political tailspin. We cannot count on Republicans to defeat themselves, but we should recognize the openings and opportunities that Republicans are handing us. And they are handing us major opportunities to convince voters in November that democracy depends on rejecting the Party of Trump. Let’s take a look. Senate Republicans defeat another Democratic effort to pass War Powers Resolution Trump’s illegal war against Iran circumvented the Constitution’s delegation to Congress of the power to declare war. The war was a disaster from its first day, when the initial bombing campaign destroyed a girls’ school and killed 165 children. The obscene cost of the war has risen in inverse proportion to its effectiveness. Iran’s leadership has become more radical and intransigent. Its stockpile of enriched uranium remains untouched. Iran has attacked most of America’s allies in the Gulf. Worst of all, Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and holds hostage 20% of the world’s seaborne oil. For understandable reasons, a strong majority of Americans oppose the war and are angry that they are paying for the war with higher prices at the gas pump. On Wednesday, all Senate Republicans (except Rand Paul) voted against a Democratic resolution under the War Powers Act that directed the President “to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization.” See NBC News, Senate Republicans again block Democratic effort to end Trump’s Iran war. In effect, Senate Republicans approved Trump’s highly unpopular war, knowing that it had been a military disaster and a political debacle. To protect Trump, the following Senators exposed themselves to voters’ wrath in November 2026: Susan Collins (Maine), challenged by either Gov. Janet Mills or Graham Platner; John Husted (Ohio), challenged by Sherrod Brown. Dan Sullivan (Alaska), challenged by Mary Peltola. Pete Ricketts (Nebraska), challenged by Dan Osborn. The vote will also affect races where the incumbent is retiring (Thom Tillis in North Carolina and Steve Daines in Montana). Presumably, the GOP wannabe nominees will support Wednesday’s vote, creating leverage for independent Seth Bodnar in Montana and Democrat Roy Cooper in North Carolina. In fact, the Republican vote against the War Powers Resolution should be an issue in every race for US Senate. Trump’s demand for absolute loyalty will be a liability for every Republican running in November 2026. As I said, Trump’s demand for unquestioning loyalty seems hand-crafted to ensure Republican defeat in November. We should accept that opening and drive a semi-truck through it! Trump doubles down on Jesus, and Republicans support Trump against the Pope History has taught us that you cannot win an argument with a Catholic Pope. Ask Galileo, who was sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his life for publishing a book that discussed the possibility that the Earth was not the center of the universe. But I digress. Arguing with a pope touches a raw nerve with Catholics that is difficult for non-Catholics to understand. Even as Catholics bridle under the notion of papal infallibility, most popes serve for decades. Many American Catholics have lived their entire lives under a small handful of popes, a situation that breeds familial respect, if not affection. To give you a flavor of how the pope’s authority is regarded in the Catholic Church, see this statement from the American Conference of Catholic Bishops addressing JD Vance’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV: When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. So, arguing with a pope is a losing proposition from the start—kind of like arguing with Christ himself by attacking his spokesperson. But it is especially bad when the argument insults the pope, and is really, really bad when the pope is—for once—both right and expressing moral principles about peace and justice that resonate with billions of people across the globe. None of that bothers Trump and his sycophants, who are seeking to “own the pope” in the same way they try to “own the libs,” i.e., insulting the pope for the benefit of a small subculture of basement-dwelling, Twitter-addicted cultists who tie their self-esteem to winning adolescent name-calling contests against people who do not care about the manufactured controversy. On Wednesday, Republican leaders, including JD Vance, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Johnson, took Trump’s side in the dispute and all suggested (with varying degrees of firmness) that the pope stick to religion and let Trump determine foreign policy. JD Vance and Mike Johnson both suggested that the pope was wrong on the theology of waging war. See, e.g., NBC News, Vance warns the pope should ‘be careful’ when talking about theology. To be blunt, amplifying the fight between Trump and Pope Leo is insane. But in Trump’s “I can never be wrong” world, Trump takes losing positions to the maximum point of pain (for him) and then moves on to another fight. Trump has been stung by criticism over portraying himself as Jesus Christ, so he resorted to a “Jesus Christ adjacent” meme. See The Rolling Stone, Trump Does Another Weird Jesus Post, Keeps Attacking Pope Leo XIV. The image is reproduced in this ABC News article. The cringeworthy AI image of Christ comforting a swooning Donald Trump is creepy and pathetic. But it continues in the same clueless, blasphemous vein as his first AI image. The fact that Trump cannot understand why the second image, much less the first, is offensive to Catholics and Christians proves that the man has no interior spiritual life and an understanding of Christianity that starts and stops with Charlton Heston’s portrayal of Moses in The Ten Commandments. Okay, the above covers a lot of ground, and I haven’t even touched the question of why JD Vance and Mike Johnson are wrong on the theological question of a “Just War.” Let’s pause to consider how Trump’s feud with Pope Leo will help Republicans in the midterms. Time’s up! The answer is, “Not at all; it will hurt Trump and Republicans by alienating an important part of his 2024 coalition.” The good news is that we can use Pope Leo’s moral arguments to help convince voters on the political question. Many of those voters will be receptive to Leo’s moral arguments because they align with voters’ sense of morality. Other issues that will continue to drive voters from Trump and the GOP. Trump’s DOJ has filed a motion asking that seditious conspiracy convictions against The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers be dismissed “in the interests of justice.” If Trump thinks he will convince voters that exonerating The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers will generate goodwill with voters, he should go back to creating AI images of himself with Jesus—that exercise will offend fewer people. See NPR, DOJ to toss seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. In a related move (in Trump’s fevered mind), Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent criminal referrals to the DOJ targeting the whistleblower whose complaint helped trigger the first impeachment of President Trump, as well as the former intelligence community inspector general who notified Congress of the allegations. The whistleblower complaint culminated in Trump’s impeachment in 2019 for pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fabricate “dirt” on Joe Biden for use in the 2020 election. See MSNOW, DNI Gabbard targets whistleblower, ex-inspector general in criminal referral. By show of hands, how many people think that re-litigating Trump’s 2019 impeachment will help the GOP’s election prospects in 2026? Re-litigating the issue will only serve to remind people that Trump tried to extort the newly elected Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, by threatening to withhold military aid appropriated by Congress. The Trump administration is also proposing a budget that will simultaneously raise the Defense Department appropriation by 42% while doubling down on the Big Ugly Bill’s provisions that will leave 15 million Americans without health coverage. See The House Committee Democrats on the Budget, Trump’s 2027 Budget Puts America Last. Finally, Republicans have been slow walking the investigation of sexual misconduct against a GOP Representative from Florida. And, out of nowhere, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida posted a comment on Twitter saying that there were “very disturbing” allegations of misconduct by a Senator and that Majority Leader John Thune should investigate. See Raw Story, ‘Very disturbing’: MAGA lawmaker suggests senator is hiding serious misconduct. So, as Democrats cleaned house in less than a week with Eric Swalwell, Republicans are dragging their feet on one member of the GOP House caucus as a GOP member of the Senate is (allegedly) sitting on serious allegations of misconduct. Democrats have their own problems, but they do not begin to approach the dumpster fire that is today’s Republican Party. Concluding Thoughts When Jill and I drove down the Mississippi to meet with newsletter readers in deep red states, we met Ty Pinkins in Mississippi. Ty was the sole Democratic candidate in the US Senate race to challenge Roger Wicker in 2024. Ty impressed us for many reasons, including his selfless decision to run as the Democratic nominee to ensure that Democrats had a challenger in the race; if Ty had not run, there would have been no Democratic choice in 2024 for US Senate in Mississippi. He was also transparent in saying that by running in 2024, he felt he could build name recognition for a 2026 run against Cindy Hyde-Smith. As expected, Ty lost his bid in deep-red Mississippi in 2024 and geared up to run against Cindy Hyde-Smith in 2026. He was then told that the Democratic Party would back a different candidate in the primary. Undaunted, Ty decided to run as an independent, which he is doing as we speak. Ty publishes on Substack. His latest entry is a moving, reflective essay about where the Democratic Party is in its efforts to attract independent voters. See Ty Pinkins (Substack), How a Sweetgum Tree Reminded Me Who the Public Square Belongs To. The essay is worthwhile both because it raises important questions about how the Democratic Party markets itself (or not) to independents, but also because it is an uplifting and poignant story about how we should be open to new possibilities and new voices. Check it out; you will be a better person for having done so. But the essay made me reflect on my call yesterday for the “vote splitters” in the California governor’s race to drop out. I received some pushback from readers who were supporting candidates polling at 3%; the readers were nonetheless passionate about their preferred candidate’s case for being governor. I do not want to dissuade anyone from supporting qualified candidates. See Ty Pinkins’ essay. On the other hand, given California’s “jungle primary system,” the proliferation of candidates drives a cruel mathematical reality: With ten candidates in the race, the two weak Republican candidates can draw anemic numbers in the primary—10 to 15%--and still lock out Democrats from the general election. That outcome would make no sense because it would elevate the collective interests of the Democratic field above the voters they seek to represent. Moreover, I want to clarify my personal voting strategy, which I believe is a good strategy for everyone. Whatever happens in the primary with Democrats will unfold in the fullness of time—until a week before the election. At that point, we must resort to game theory to coalesce around the leading Democratic candidate without fail. Otherwise, Democrats may be locked out of the general election in a state where we have a 20-point registration advantage over Republicans. That would be a self-inflicted injustice and dangerous outcome. We must have Democratic leadership in California to protect the 2028 election. In 2026, we must take back the House and the Senate, if at all possible. We must be pragmatic and realistic. We must be open to supporting independent candidates in red states and accept that those candidates are not “wink-a-nod” Democrats in disguise but true independents who won’t caucus with either party—because the alternative is the election of a Trump minion. For too long, Democrats have watched as Republicans outplayed them by using the levers of power and rules of process to their advantage. We must do likewise, within the bounds of the law, as several states have done by changing congressional districts for the 2026 and 2028 elections only. I know this is exhausting and disappointing, as I heard from some readers by email today. But we have no other choice. We must rise to the moment by stepping outside of our comfort zones to dare mighty things. If we do not, we will limit ourselves and our imaginations to the stale conventional wisdom that has placed us in the jeopardy we face. Be strong, everyone. We are up to the task. We have climbed back from the defeat in 2024 to put Trump on his back foot. We are on offense; he is on defense. That is the way it must stay, forever. Talk to you tomorrow! Pro-democracy protest photos Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state! __________________________ When Indivisible San Jose (CA) learned that the DHS was trying to rent more space in neighboring city Morgan Hill we quickly changed today's message to No New ICE Offices in Morgan Hill. __________________________ War tax demo on tax day if front of the IRS New York, NY __________________________ Today (4/15/26) over I-5 in Los Angeles __________________________ Photos from No Kings Day 3.0. The first two are from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The group on the stage is the Justice Choir of Northeast Ohio. __________________________ This is week 52 of a two-hour protest called Bearing Witness to illegal deportations and detentions at this facility, which is meant for hearings. __________________________ Signs of Fascism on the Cushman Street Bridge, Fairbanks, Alaska, April 14, 2026. __________________________ NoKings 3 Signs and Tee ShirtNoKings 3 Signs and Tee Shirt NoKings 3 Signs, HANOVER NH __________________________ Wednesdays Banner Action/Rochester NY __________________________ 52nd consecutive Wednesday morning Ice Detention Center protest in Burlington, Ma. __________________________ Bethlehem NY Indivisible STAND UP SPEAK OUT in Delmar NY. __________________________ Tax Day in Newton, MA. Lots of support for taxing billionaires! __________________________ Englewood FL

Apr 16, 202612 votes

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

Americans who seek to preserve democracy received encouraging news over the last 24 hours as a leading “predictor” of electoral outcomes shifted four US Senate races in favor of Democrats. See The Hill, Democrats gain ground in four Senate races, Cook Political Report says. There are many qualifiers that attach to the above headline, but let’s pause for a moment to recognize the import of the headline: Democrats have seized the momentum. Six months ago, the “conventional wisdom” was that Democrats would retake the House by a small margin but had no chance of breaking the GOP control in the Senate. Today, the chance of Democrats controlling the Senate is a possibility moving toward a probability. The changes in the Cook Political Report validate the conviction of those in the trenches of the fight to preserve democracy that we are winning and will win in November. But . . . the Cook Political Report highlights the challenge we face. Even with the favorable changes in the predicted outcomes, the Cook Political Report still predicts the GOP will retain control in the Senate—as of today. But the dramatic events of the last four days show that the political firmament is rapidly shifting. The Hill quotes Jessica Taylor of The Cook Political Report as follows: With an increasingly sour national environment for Republicans, the Senate battlefield is shifting in Democrats’ favor. But due to the difficulty of the map, winning back a majority still remains a tall order. The GOP remain the narrowing favorites to retain the upper chamber. However, that outlook could change in the coming months. The Cook Political Report shifted two races from Toss Up to Lean Democratic—Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Jon Ossoff in Georgia. It shifted Sherrod Brown’s attempt to unseat John Husted in Ohio from Lean Republican to Toss Up and shifted independent Dan Osborn’s race to unseat Oklahoma’s Pete Ricketts from Solid Republican to Lean Republican. The editor of the Cook Political Report notes that the changes are tied to Trump’s declining poll ratings but suggests that a favorable outcome to the Iran war soon or a “summertime appointment to the Supreme Court” could rally Trump’s base. Uh, okay. I suppose the editor is trying to be fair to Trump, but the damage from the Iran war will persist for years, even if it were to end tomorrow on terms as favorable as those negotiated by President Obama in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015—which is highly doubtful. And the rating changes do not account for Trump’s unholy war with Pope Leo, his representation of himself as Jesus Christ, and his pathetic lie that he was portraying himself as a doctor. The economy will continue to strain under the ridiculous “blockade of the blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz for many months, at best, and for a year or more at worst. The International Monetary Fund warned of a possible global recession, see Yahoo Finance, and that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could cause an energy crisis on an unprecedented scale, see Middle East Eye. And farmers are paying higher prices for fertilizers for spring planting, which will affect produce prices in the summer and fall. Trump is scrambling to prevent additional shocks to the economy and is now claiming that peace negotiations with Iran will resume in the next two days. See CNN. While everyone is hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution, the sad truth is that Trump’s war has materially worsened the prospects for peace. The war has given Iran leverage over the Strait of Hormuz that it did not have before February 28, 2026, and Trump’s “regime change” has resulted in new Iranian leaders who are more “hardline” than the leaders killed on the first day of the war. I highly recommend the following Wall Street Journal analysis (gift article, accessible to all) for a clear-eyed look at the new leadership in Iran that Trump’s ill-conceived war elevated to power: WSJ, Iran’s Regime Has Changed—for the Worse | The U.S.-Israeli attack fast-tracked the ascent of hard-liners and apocalyptic religious followers, raising doubts about a lasting peace. The WSJ article suggests that peace negotiations with Iran’s new, harder-line leadership will be difficult. Meanwhile, the so-called US blockade has been a confusing mess that undermines the perceived strength and competence of the US military. Although the US claims that it has “turned back” two ships, tracking data from the BBC “showed four Iran-linked ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz after the blockade began.” And Chinese ships are transiting the Straits unchallenged by the US. See The Sun, China DEFIES Trump’s blockade of Strait of Hormuz as US-sanctioned tanker brazenly sails through waterway unchallenged. Technically, the US “blockade” did not apply to the Chinese ship because it did not originate from an Iranian port. Whatever the reason for allowing China free passage while US ships are blocked, we are in an upside-down world in which a US blockade effectively disadvantages the US but not our chief competitive global power. Trump and Hegseth did not think through the “blockade of the blockade” at all. Only five ships have transited the Strait in the last 24 hours, which is continuing bad news for the economy. Strait of Hormuz Live Tracker — Real-Time Shipping & Oil Crisis Monitor. It is not surprising, therefore, that support for Trump’s illegal war on Iran continues to decrease. See Ipsos Iran Poll Topline 4.13.2026. Only 24% of Americans believe the “war has been worth the cost,” and 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s attacks on Iran. All of this as MAGA stalwarts are finally turning on Trump for his blasphemous portrayal of himself as Jesus Christ. Even Speaker Mike Johnson was unable to muster the chutzpah to tell his usual lie, “I haven’t seen the president’s post.” Instead, Johnson advised Trump to take down the post, ASAP, saying that Trump did not believe the post was “sacrilegious.” See HuffPost, Mike Johnson Refuses To Say Whether Trump’s AI Jesus Post Was Blasphemy. JD Vance once again proved there is no situation he cannot make worse by saying of Trump’s post that “a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor.” See HuffPost, above. Vance’s claim that Trump was being “humorous” contradicted Trump’s lie that “I thought I was portraying myself as a doctor.” Moreover, if Trump thought that portraying himself as Jesus Christ was a joke, that is the very definition of blasphemy. As Bob Dylan wrote, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” and in this case, the gale-force winds are blowing against the Republican Party. We can take nothing for granted, but if the Cook Political Report is betting on Trump turning things around over the summer, we should gladly take the other side of that wager. The Democratic House caucus does the right thing in forcing Eric Swalwell to resign. The reports of Eric Swalwell’s predatory sexual assaults on multiple women are beyond shocking. Although this story has significant political ramifications, our thoughts should first be with the women who were assaulted and then intimidated into remaining silent. It is reprehensible that men in positions of power abuse that power to assault and silence women. Equally shocking is that “rumors” of Swalwell’s activities were widespread enough that his support evaporated the moment the first woman came forward to report Swalwell’s assault. It appears that many who knew Swalwell were bracing for the revelations and were primed to abandon him as soon as the reports emerged. It also appears that many who trusted Swalwell were completely blindsided and betrayed. News reports suggest that the Democratic leadership in the House, including Nancy Pelosi, told Swalwell to resign or face expulsion. That was the only correct choice in this situation, but Democrats acted with integrity and concern for the public in moving with dispatch. Republicans, on the other hand, have defended and re-elected a president who has been civilly adjudicated to have perpetrated sexual assault, who bragged to a television producer about assaulting women, and who paid off an adult film actress to keep quiet about his infidelity to Melania Trump. Moreover, Speaker Mike Johnson dragged his feet on several Republicans credibly accused of conduct as reprehensible as Eric Swalwell’s. In an apparent deal between Republicans and Democrats in the House, Swalwell and GOP Rep. Gonzales resigned simultaneously. Many readers were asking me who I supported in the California governor’s race before the Swalwell disclosures. Given the crowded primary, the opportunity to anger multiple groups of readers was manifest, so I deferred making any comment. But Swalwell’s resignation has changed my mind about sharing my views. First, I am upset that the eight major Democratic candidates were putting their own interests before those of the people of California. Because of California’s “jungle primary,” the top two finishers advance to the general election. The proliferation of Democratic candidates raised the real possibility that two Republicans would advance to the general election, ensuring that Democrats would be locked out of the governor’s race in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly 20 percentage points — with 45 percent of registered voters identifying as Democrats compared to just 25 percent as Republicans. The right thing for those eight candidates to do would have been to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether their personal ambitions outweigh the interests of the largest voting bloc in California. Every one of the major candidates should have done that—Eric Swalwell, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Betty Yee, and Tony Thurmond. It is not too late for the “vote splitters” to drop out. They should do so this week. Next, candidly, I am not happy with either of the “presumed” Democratic front-runners. Tom Steyer is another billionaire who believes that making money in the private industry qualifies him to serve as a political leader. Running for president and governor as his first two attempts at public office suggests entitlement that should be disqualifying. He should try serving as a state representative or mayor of a small city before telling us that he is qualified to run the country or the world’s fourth-largest economy. Katie Porter had a distinguished career in the House, then ruined it by running a negative campaign against Adam Schiff for US Senate. After finishing a distant third in the primary, Porter claimed that billionaires had helped “rig the election” and then never really conceded to Adam Schiff, who graciously covered Porter’s lapse by saying that she privately called him, which he viewed as a concession on her part. Given Trump’s ever-present claim of “rigged” elections, Katie Porter’s choice of words harmed voter confidence in the integrity of elections. That was unnecessary and suggests a thin skin not compatible with serving as governor. But here is where I come out: It is mission-critical to have a Democratic governor in California, especially as we prepare for the 2028 presidential election. I am going to vote for whichever Democratic candidate is ahead in the polls the week before the primary to ensure that a Democrat makes it to the general election. If need be, I will vote for Tom Steyer or Katie Porter. I am not happy about feeling that I must vote based on “strategy” rather than candidate quality, but that choice has been forced upon California voters by candidates with no realistic prospects for success remaining in the race. I wish it were otherwise, but here we are. It is time for the Democratic field to clear itself in California. Candidates with a realistic chance of making it to the top two in the primary should remain in the race in good faith. Otherwise, get out, now—please! And if any of those candidates are sitting on time bombs like the one concealed by Eric Swalwell, a moment of deep self-reflection is in order. The truth will out—at the worst time possible. Please don’t pull an Eric Swalwell on the people of California. We deserve better. Concluding Thoughts The fact that we are still underdogs in the Senate should not discourage us. The Senate reelection map in 2026 should have resulted in a Republican romp. But we have them on the run and have a reasonable shot at taking control of the Senate, especially given the trendlines of the last few days. Trump can’t undo the ill-fated decision to attack Iran, and he will never live down representing himself as Jesus Christ. And perhaps Eric Swalwell’s resignation will remind people how politicians should act when the public learns that their private behavior disqualifies them from serving in public office. Today, once again, we have every reason to be hopeful, but no reason to be complacent. Talk to you tomorrow! Pro-democracy protest photos. Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Please indicate city and state. Visibility Brigade in Lexington, MA, over Route 95/128 on April 14 2026 __________________________________________ Two 90-somethings at the third No Kings Rally in Hingham, MA. __________________________________________ Raleigh Bridge Brigade in Raleigh, NC __________________________________________ Minnesota __________________________________________ Chandler Gilbert Indivisible - Chandler, AZ Tuesday morning Bridge Brigade __________________________________________ Concord, CA 4-4 Immigration Court Indivisible __________________________________________ We are on an overpass over the 210 freeway in La Verne, CA. Lots of honks from the commuters going into LA this morning. __________________________________________ Greenville, South Carolina - No Kings 3 on March 28: 6,000+ people (a low estimate). __________________________________________ Pasadena, CA, over the 210 freeway __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Monday, April 14, Asheville, NC __________________________________________ Someone complained to my little city about this flag on my back fence which faces a bike/walking trail. (Hand lettered was the problem according to the officer who brought the ordinance by). So, that flag is now my front window "curtain" __________________________________________ Naples Fl 3/28 __________________________________________ Key Biscayne, FL No Kings Hanover, New Hampshire 3/28/26

Apr 15, 202610 votes

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

Apr 15, 202620 votes

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

Apr 15, 20269 votes

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

Apr 15, 202614 votes

Hegseth's (Un)Holy War.

Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day, but God deserves all the glory. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes carried out under the protection of divine providence; a massive effort with miraculous protection. Pete Hegseth, April 8, 2026, declaring victory in Iran. The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school, in an attack that state media said killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to two sources briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation. CNN, March 11, 2026 We’re certainly investigating. But the only side that targets civilians is Iran. Pete Hegseth, March 9, 2026, commenting on Trump’s claim that Iran targeted the girls’ school. America, regardless of what so-called international institutions say, is unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history. . . . No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. Pete Hegseth, March 2, 2026, at Pentagon news conference, refusing to comment on the number of civilian deaths in the US war on Iran. At least 2,076 people have been killed by US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28 . . . 240 women and 212 children are among those killed. Over 26,500 people have been injured, including at least 4,000 women and 1,621 children. Al Jazeera, Real Time Tracker for deaths and injuries in US war on Iran. Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Pete Hegseth, Mar 25, 2026, reading a chaplain’s prayer at a Christian service at the Pentagon. Pete Hegseth claims divine guidance and protection for America’s war on Iran, giving “glory to God” for every video game explosion that snuffs out a human life created in the image and likeness of God. His embrace of Christian nationalism from the Pentagon pulpit violates the Constitution and desecrates the very Christianity he seeks to force onto the members of the US military, all Americans, and the grieving Iranian families who have lost innocents to precision-guided missiles that cannot discriminate between combatants and school girls. Despite millennia of prayers for victory by soldiers heading to battle, God does not take sides in war. Pete Hegseth’s perversion of Christianity has led to direct conflict between the Pentagon and Vatican representatives of Pope Leo XIV. See Newsweek, The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV’s Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy. Per Newsweek, a Pentagon representative told a Vatican envoy that the Church had better align itself with the US, alluding to the Avignon Papacy. For those unfamiliar with the Avignon Papacy, it refers to a 68-year period (1309–1377) during which the Catholic papacy was relocated from Rome to southern France and dominated by the French crown.1 In context, the allusion was a threat to the independence of the Catholic Church (my gloss, not stated in the Newsweek article). Pope Leo has been directly critical of statements by Trump and Hegseth. In response to Trump’s threat to “destroy” a “whole civilization,” Pope Leo said, There are certainly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the people. I would like to invite everyone to truly think in their hearts about the many innocent people, so many children, so many elderly, completely innocent, who would also become victims of this escalation. I invite everyone to pray, but also to say to their political leaders, to the authorities, we do not want war, let us work for peace. We are a people who love peace. America Magazine, Pope Leo: Trump’s threat to destroy Iran ‘truly unacceptable’. Religious leaders of every denomination should condemn Hegseth’s invocation of divine providence in an unholy war that is flouting the so-called “stupid rules of engagement” that exist to protect civilians. There are many grounds for impeaching and removing Trump and Hegseth. Among those reasons should be their blatant attempt to “establish” Christianity as the religion of the US military and their deliberate refusal to abide by the laws of war, the Geneva Convention, and the UN Charter. Opportunities for Reader Engagement Join me as I host Dan Osborn at my home and meet the independent candidate for US Senate from Nebraska. Can Dan Osborn, the union industrial mechanic fighting for working-class voters beat MAGA Senator Pete Ricketts, the child of billionaires? Last cycle, readers of this newsletter gave Nebraska Independent Senate Candidate Dan Osborn his best fundraiser in the final month of his race. This Monday I am hosting Osborn at my home for an update on the contest (polls show it’s tied) and help get him from 46.5% to winning! For background, Dan is the former president of his union, a Navy veteran, and a Nebraska National Guardsman. He’s pro-choice, pro-worker, and key to a Senate that fights for our shared values. Watch his launch video here. When: Monday, April 13, at 8:00 pm Eastern/ 5:00 pm Pacific on Zoom. Moderated by Robert Hubbell. Register for the Zoom here. No donation required, but of course welcome: Donate here. Hosted by Downtown Nasty Women,Markers For Democracy, Team Min, 31st Street Swing Left, and Senate Circle. In-person meeting with Oath co-founder in Manhattan, NYC, on April 13, at 6:30 p.m. You are invited to an in-person meeting with Brian Derrick, co-founder of the Democratic online fundraising platform Oath, about the impact of strategic, data-driven giving. Oath analyzes every general election race in the country and gives it an impact score that lets you know where your money is needed most. You can also get recommendations for where your money will go the farthest based on your personal priorities, like Flip the US House or Fight Back Against Ice. No donation is required to attend this event in downtown Manhattan on April 13th at 6:30 pm. RSVP here! Use Oath to give smart so we can WIN BIG in November! Concluding Thoughts I am sending an abbreviated. newsletter this evening because Jill and I attended the Bruce Springsteen concert in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. It was a late night, and we are boarding a flight in a few hours to visit our daughter, granddaughters, and son-in-law in Tennessee for the weekend (and I still haven’t packed!). Bruce Springsteen is a proud member of the resistance and outspoken defender of democracy. I will write more tomorrow, but for tonight, let me say that he began the concert with a prayer for the safe return of our troops, then sang War (“What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!), and followed with “Born in the USA.” A few songs into his set, he sang “The Streets of Minneapolis,” a touching and powerful ballad about the bravery and example of the people of Minneapolis. Bruce also delivered two “spoken word” sets that directly addressed the lawlessness of the Trump administration. He closed the concert with a plea for unity and a call for activism. If only only every major star would use their celebrity to speak out against Trump and urge Americans to defend the rule of law we would be further along in out effort to reclaim our democracy. There is a reason they call Bruce Springsteen “the Boss.” I will be traveling much of Friday and joining our granddaughters, daughter, and son-in-law for dinner on Friday evening, so I will send a short(ish) newsletter for Saturday morning, and I will not hold my regular Saturday livestream. Talk to you tomorrow! Pro-Democracy Protest Photos [Send to rbhubbell@gmail.com.] *************************** Today the I-90 Berkshire Visibility Brigade (West Stockbridge, MA) showed our support for the people of Ukrain Chesapeake Indivisible visibility brigade. billboard in Taos, New Mexico 1 Lexington, KY, Peaceful Bluegrass Resistance protesting down the road from Keenland racetrack trying to catch the eye of some happy racegoers. Got lots of honks! Like everything involving religion and politics, the Avignon Papacy was immensely more complicated that I have described above. Indeed, as I fact checked this newsletter, I learned that the view of the Avignon Papacy among modern scholars is changing significantly.

Apr 10, 202615 votes

Hegseth's (Un)Holy War.

Apr 10, 202625 votes

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The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

The trendlines are good, but we should not underestimate our challenges

Hegseth's (Un)Holy War.

Hegseth's (Un)Holy War.