Individualism Before Nationalism

Individualism Before Nationalism appears in white Manrope type on a black card above a centered three-period mark and the subtitle Donald Trump Targets Republican Dissenters.

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I voted for Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, for the first time during the 2024 election cycle. My previous three presidential votes had gone to Libertarian Party candidates, but Chase Oliver, the party’s 2024 nominee, couldn’t earn my vote because his politics are nutty.1 I knew the risks of my Donald Trump vote, and I wouldn’t change it today.

I put “individual first” ahead of “America first”. My right-libertarian principles make socialism and communism anathema. I judge politicians by their respect for individual freedom.

Trump courted libertarians at the party’s convention in Washington, D.C., on May 25th, 2024, seeking its endorsement or, at least, our votes. Donald promised, “I will put a libertarian in my cabinet and also libertarians in senior posts”, spoke against endless regime-change wars, and promised to free Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.2 President Donald Trump pardoned Ulbricht on January 21st, 2025.3

I was never going to vote for President Joseph “Joe” Biden, Jr., an awful president. I saw a Democratic Party stooge being run by someone other than, well, Joe, with cognitive decline obvious to me before the 2020 election. Biden seemed to have stuck his wet thumb up in the wind as his guiding “principle” throughout his political career.

The Democratic Party held no primary to choose Biden’s replacement after he withdrew. The delegates to the Democratic National Convention chose Vice President Kamala Harris in an electronic roll call; she was the only candidate who qualified for the ballot.4 I don’t consider that to be a democratic process.

The Broken Bargain

I never believed in Donald Trump himself; my belief was in a vision for America bigger than the man. I was wrong. I give Trump credit for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative and the cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); those were big wins, even if they now feel like they happened in another universe.5 The deduction for qualifying tips is a small win, but it’s window dressing.6 My support for those changes doesn’t buy Trump a pass on the rest of his presidency.

I support legal immigration and border control. I support deporting illegal aliens, especially those convicted of crimes, and Trump deserves credit for those efforts.7 My objection to asylum as a workaround concerns abuse such as that committed by the fake immigration lawyer whose hundreds of fraudulent applications led to a federal prison sentence.8

The people on Main Street need gas prices and utility prices to remain stable. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that gasoline prices were 34.2% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, with electricity up 4.4% and piped utility natural gas up 5.0%.9 Wall Street got bit by the tariffs, too; a Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco study records an 11% fall in the S&P 500 between April 2nd and April 4th, 2025, following the tariff announcement.10

Trump spent nearly twenty minutes showing reporters his ballroom construction before addressing the election losses on November 4th, 2026.11 I see that retreat into a monument to himself as a narcissist’s defense mechanism. The ballroom has nothing to do with paying Main Street’s bills or the huge losses that the Republican Party took at the polls the day prior.

Trump praised rapper Nicki Minaj’s ass at his October 25th, 2026, rally in Port Huron, Michigan.12 I’m glad he likes her fake ass, but that’s not policy and it’s definitely not “presidential”. My vote was for a president, not a celebrity fixation.

I always knew Trump’s narcissism was his Achilles heel. I can judge the severity of my own narcissism and recognize its traits in other people. My own experience with malignant narcissism boils down to my base level of low self-esteem and the impossible wish to be loved by every person. I’ve watched Trump try to keep his malignancy in check, then lash out on Twitter and later Truth Social when things didn’t go his way. Donald wrote on November 5th, 2026, “The Stock Market crashed today because the Dumocrats had a big Tuesday — So sad to see, you only have yourselves to blame!”13 and, twelve minutes later, “I JUST WASN’T ON THE BALLOT. IF I WERE, WE WOULD HAVE WON IN A LANDSLIDE!”14 I hoped he’d contain his malignancy just enough to do a good job for the people of the United States, but that has proven to be a pipe dream. A rational human being knows that universal adoration is impossible, but a narcissist can be too self-involved to look further than the nose on their own face.

Trump ran as an “America first” candidate, but he morphed into an “Israel first” president during his second term. My judgment rests on the Iran war and the conduct of a president who courted voters opposed to regime-change wars. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel (Israel) on December 6th, 2017; the Iran war is a different order of commitment.15

The Israel Question

Vice President J. D. Vance wrote about President Donald Trump on November 4th, 2026, “The reason we lost is the war”. Vance cited an unnamed pollster who’d asked Trump voters planning to vote for Democrats about the changes needed to win back their votes; their leading answers concerned ending the war, the cost of living, America First, and the relationship with the State of Israel (Israel).16 Trump’s own vice president was saying the war had cost the party votes. My judgment as a veteran is that submission to another country’s will is a mind-boggling betrayal. I see a president who broke his word to voters who believed his America First promise.

Reason journalist Matthew Petti reported that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and financier Jeffrey Epstein invested in Reporty Homeland Security, later named Carbyne, in 2015.17 Jacobin journalist Branko Marcetic interpreted an Epstein message about Trump as possible leverage, placing it in the context of Barak’s 2019 return to Israeli politics.18 Ahron Bregman, a lecturer at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera, “It is unlikely that Epstein was not approached by the Mossad”.19 TRT World reported a confidential source’s claim that Epstein had been “trained as a spy”, citing a Federal Bureau of Investigation report in its February 7th, 2026, X post.20 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied an Israeli intelligence connection in a February 6th, 2026, X post.21

Barak served as Minister of Defense in Netanyahu’s government.22 Barak returned to politics in 2019 to campaign against Netanyahu.23 Republican presidential candidate Patrick “Pat” Buchanan told journalist Jim Lehrer in a December 13th, 1991, interview that “the Congress of the United States is Israeli-occupied territory”. Buchanan explained that he meant pro-Israel lobbying over congressional votes on aid.24 My concern reaches beyond Barak and Netanyahu to the State of Israel’s influence on American policy.

I look at Trump’s second term and see a president trying to keep his associations with Jeffrey Epstein under wraps. My gut tells me that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the State of Israel are blackmailing Trump, and that the war with Iran served his masters in Israel. I believe Epstein was a spy for that country — a man seeking influence and approval, rather than necessarily an employee of its government. My suspicion is bolstered by a sordid honeypot operation, with unsuspecting guests filmed at all of Epstein’s homes, including his Manhattan residence, next door to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick25, whose brother died in the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11th.26 I suspect Epstein blackmailed businessman Leslie “Les” Wexner into paying oodles of money that started Epstein’s roll through a life of blackmail.27

I judge Jewish people as individuals. My criticism is aimed at Netanyahu and the State of Israel. I can separate a state from a religion, and America’s failures to uphold the separation of church and state keep the hypocrisy in my own backyard.28 In fact, I’ve praised “the Jewish way of life” in a piece called “We Hate the Jews, Right?”.29 I lived in Sharon, Massachusetts, on and off from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. The United States Census Bureau counted 17,408 residents in Sharon in 2000.30 The Jewish Advocate later reported an estimated Jewish share of 46%, citing the 2005 Boston Jewish Community Study.31

United States Representative Jamie Raskin opened an investigation into Epstein’s possible work for foreign powers in July 2026, citing the advisory relationship with Barak and Epstein’s claims of leverage over Trump.32 United States Representative Ro Khanna submitted questions about possible Russian and Israeli intelligence relationships for Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s deposition in February 2026.33 My questions about foreign influence have company in the United States Congress (Congress).

Epstein’s July 6th, 2019, arrest at Teterboro Airport put the case back in national headlines during Trump’s first term, his death on August 10th was officially ruled suicide, and a later inspector general’s report documented failures in his custody.34 United States Representative Thomas Massie asked on February 2nd, 2026, “Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself?”35 My questions about that death read like a spy book adapted for Hollywood. I don’t know the truth about Epstein’s possible murder or removal from that prison. I’m not sure that the answer changes this story.

The Loyalty Test

My favorite member of the United States Congress (Congress) is Thomas Massie. Former United States Representative Ron Paul was my favorite before Massie. United States Senator Rand Paul is also an important voice in my politics. I think of Ron Paul’s warnings about “blowback” when looking at the November 3rd election results.36 I read those results as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term, and the marks show how badly he’s broken his word.

Massie lost the May 19th, 2026, Republican primary to Trump’s handpicked candidate, Ed Gallrein.37 I still can’t believe the people of Kentucky’s fourth congressional district ousted Massie in such a dramatic fashion. My expectation of a closer vote ran straight into the power Trump wielded a few months before the November election.

United States Representative Lauren Boebert campaigned for Massie before that primary. Trump threatened on May 16th to support a primary challenger against her and withdraw his endorsement, if an alternative emerged.38 Donald endorsed Lauren again before the general election and repeated his support on November 3rd, 2026.39

Miriam Adelson, the publisher of Israel Hayom and a Republican donor, contributed at least $100 million to Preserve America PAC in 2024.40 MAGA KY reported receiving $750,000 from Preserve America PAC on June 27th, 2025, and committing more than $400,000 to television advertising opposing Massie that day.41 Louisville Public Media reported that the ad attacked Massie’s opposition to Trump’s tax bill and the 2025 strikes on Iran.42

Trump introduced Adelson at the White House’s December 16th, 2025, Hanukkah reception by saying she’d given his campaign $250 million in direct and indirect support. Donald said, “When somebody can give you $250 million, I think that we should give her the opportunity to say hello”. Donald also recalled visits from her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, to advocate for Israel and said Miriam usually accompanied her husband.43

The Dissenting Voices

Rand Paul campaigned with Massie in September 2025. United States Representative Thomas Massie described his race as a referendum on the ability to “be independent within the Republican Party”.44 Thomas also joined United States Representative James “Jim” McGovern of Massachusetts and other lawmakers in proposing an amendment to strike Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.45 The United States House of Representatives (House) passed the bill on July 22nd, 2026, and its Section 219 would expand bilateral defense technology cooperation with Israel through joint development, joint testing, and joint production.46 I judge President Donald Trump’s treatment of dissent by that same individual-first standard.

I’m not the biggest supporter of former United States Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, but she’s been a consistent voice against the Iran war and for releasing the Epstein files.47 Trump withdrew his endorsement on November 14th, 2025, and offered to support a primary challenger.48 Greene voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18th, then announced her resignation on November 21st and left Congress on January 5th, 2026.49 Greene blamed Trump for her resignation and Massie’s primary defeat in her November 4th, 2026, post, saying their Republican colleagues had stayed silent.50 I see Marjorie as a victim of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and find her surprisingly libertarian on war and disclosure.

I admire former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard announced her resignation on May 22nd, 2026, citing her husband’s cancer and initially planning to leave on June 30th. Reuters reported on May 22nd that an unnamed source said the White House had forced her out.51 Hawaii News Now reported on June 19th that she’d left earlier than planned after a conversation with Trump.52 I find the circumstances of her departure murky.

Joe Kent resigned as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center on March 17th, 2026, because he opposed the Iran war; he wrote, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran”.53 Greene defended Joe that day, warning, “They are going to lie about Joe Kent and try to discredit him”.54 Joe, who’d served as Gabbard’s chief of staff while awaiting confirmation by the United States Senate (Senate), told host Megyn Kelly on March 20th that he’d discussed his resignation with Gabbard beforehand, saying, “I didn’t want her to be blindsided”.55 Joe’s resignation came two months before Tulsi announced her resignation. I suspect their departures are tightly connected, given their working relationship and the timing.

Tucker Carlson, a political commentator, criticized the Iran war, and Trump told ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl on March 5th, 2026, that Carlson was “not MAGA”.56 Carlson said in a June 18th interview that he would no longer support the Republican Party.57 Tucker released “The Great Betrayal” on November 5th, 2026, a compilation placing Trump’s promises beside his later words and actions.58 Trump had promised in his November 6th, 2024, victory speech, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars”.59 I see a snake oil salesman when Trump courts libertarian voters, then attacks similar-minded people for dissent.

The State Intrudes

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14387 on February 18th, 2026, invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 to secure domestic production of glyphosate-based herbicides.60 The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) activists who opposed glyphosate told Reuters they saw the order as a broken promise.61 The guy betrays everybody who takes him at his word.

Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator, was one of Tenet Media’s contributors when the United States Department of Justice accused two employees of RT, a broadcaster funded by the Russian government, of covertly funding and directing a Tennessee company in 2024. The Associated Press identified the company as Tenet Media and described the influencers as unwitting.62 Johnson described himself as a victim.63 Benny was a talking head for hire. The arrangement reeks of post-communist Russian propaganda. Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, the chief executive of X Strategies, told conservative commentator Laura Loomer on November 5th, 2026, “I’ve paid you for tweets before”, while saying he hadn’t done so for at least a year.64 Loomer announced a hiatus from “Loomer Unleashed” later that night, citing exhaustion and her personal life while affirming her continued support for Trump.65

President Ronald Reagan linked freedom of speech with economic freedom in his May 30th, 1988, address to Soviet dissidents, calling the individual “the source of economic creativity”.66 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher described government’s task as providing “a framework within which everyone is free to pursue a better life” in a March 21st, 1987, speech.67 I apply the same individual-first test to government propaganda and government ownership.

Reagan declared in his January 20th, 1981, inaugural address, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem”.68 Thatcher advocated wider private ownership and “freeing people from municipal socialism” in a May 21st, 1987, speech.69 Thatcher warned in her September 20th, 1988, speech to the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium against rolling back state power in the United Kingdom only to reimpose it at a European level.70 The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 after communist governments fell across Eastern Europe.71 The United States Department of the Treasury took a majority stake in General Motors Company through its 2009 restructuring — a move that reeks of Benito Mussolini-style fascism72 — then sold the last shares in December 2013.73

The government of the United Kingdom is returning contracted passenger train operations to public ownership74, while the Great British Energy Act 2025 requires a company designated under it to be wholly Crown-owned and comply with ministerial directions.75 The French state completed its purchase of the remaining shares in Électricité de France (EDF) on June 8th, 2023, becoming its sole shareholder.76 I see the slippery slope from socialism toward communism and fascism in this return to collective ownership.

The Individual Loses

United States Senator Rand Paul asked about Intel Corporation (Intel) on August 20th, 2025, “wouldn’t the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism?”; his verdict was “Terrible idea”.77 Intel’s August 22nd agreement called for a 9.9% passive federal stake with no board representation.78 My individual-first test applies when a Republican administration buys into private enterprise.79

President Donald Trump first considered a $5,000 Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dividend in February 2025, an idea tied to projected savings and eligible taxpaying households.80 Trump announced a different “Trump Dividend” on September 9th, 2026, promising $5,000 to every adult American citizen, if Republicans won both chambers of the United States Congress (Congress).81 Former United States Representative Bob Good called the later proposal a “socialist vote-buying scheme”.82 I find the $5,000 promises abhorrent. My objection to government handouts survives a Republican label83 when our country’s debt is at record levels.84

Rand Paul described liberty on October 24th, 2026, as “trusting you to make your own choices and keep the rewards”.85 Former United States Representative Justin Amash had criticized government efforts to “centralize power and snuff out individualism” in his January 18th, 2024, Senate exploratory announcement.86 Justin has blocked me on X, but his point about individualism survives his block.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced plans on May 26th, 2026, to transfer chronically neglected buildings to community land trusts, nonprofits, or tenants.87 The New York City Council passed the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) on October 22nd, 2026, and sent it to the mayor.88 COPA would give city-certified nonprofits and joint ventures that meet its criteria for nonprofit control first-offer rights on specified apartment buildings and matching rights in defined cases, with a requirement that an owner “shall proceed to sell” after the eligible entity matches an offer the owner intends to accept; the proposed law would take effect one year after enactment.89

I see the city’s compulsory buyer preferences as a seizure of private property under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.90 My objection begins with the owner’s right to choose a buyer. The city doesn’t need its name on the deed to take control away from the owner.

My Massachusetts concern starts with United States Senator Edward “Ed” Markey, who described himself as a progressive in his 2026 Progressive Massachusetts questionnaire.91 Ed and United States Representative Ayanna Pressley proposed $5 billion a year in grants for fare-free transit through the Freedom to Move Act, with support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and a stated aim of closing the “transit equity gap”.92 I see “equity” and “progressivism” as packaging for communism, and Markey has been drinking the communist Kool-Aid.93

Massachusetts State Representative Mike Connolly, who represents parts of Cambridge and Somerville, proposed a 0.25% tax on business gross receipts above the first $50 million through “An Act financing housing first programs and housing for all in Massachusetts” (H.1480), with funding for public housing, social housing, and programs supporting “the decommodification of housing”.94 The bill was sent to a study order in April 2026.95 I see private commerce being taxed to expand collective control over housing.96

The Socialist Advance

The River Valley chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) identifies Amherst Town Councilor Jillian “Jill” Brevik and Agawam City Councilor Thomas “Tom” Hendrickson as members and democratic socialists elected in 2025.97 People’s World identified Luke Rotello as Western Massachusetts Communist Party USA (CPUSA) club co-chair during his unsuccessful 2025 Northampton council campaign.98 My concern reaches beyond Boston and Cambridge to municipal politics across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America announced its endorsement of Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign on October 23rd, 2024.99 Will Neville, an organizer with the Eastern Washington Club of the Communist Party USA, reported in People’s World that his club hosted an October 5th, 2025, town hall with the Spokane chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and other groups, featuring Spokane City Council candidate Sarah Dixit.100 Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson received support from the University of Washington’s Young Democratic Socialists of America during the 2025 election.101

Workers Deserve More, published on the DSA’s website, demands “public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries” as a means of democratic control and public accountability.102 The Road to Socialism USA, the CPUSA’s program, describes bringing “progressive forces together in united action” as part of its strategy for socialism.103 My fear of communism grows from these demands and strategies: more public ownership and less private control.104

CPUSA co-chair Joe Sims welcomed DSA primary victories in his July 11th, 2026, address to the CPUSA National Committee. Sims said President Donald Trump’s “red-baiting” might help the socialist resurgence: “In fact, it might help facilitate it”.105 I worry that Trump is helping the movement he attacks.

The DSA celebrated five nationally endorsed congressional winners in its November 4th, 2026, statement, promising to “fight Donald Trump’s fascism with our socialism”.106 The CPUSA’s November 5th statement described its coalition’s victory as “using the Democratic Party vehicle” and called for socialism.107 I read those statements as a warning about the DSA’s and CPUSA’s ambitions for the new majority.

The Coming Reckoning

I don’t think any election should be a referendum on a sitting president, but President Donald Trump is an especially polarizing figure. My bet is that some good Republican Party candidates lost on November 3rd because Trump’s light blinded fence-sitting voters. Trump’s veto power looks likely to survive the blue wave, though some angry Republicans could join Democratic Party members to thwart some of his vetoes over the last two years of his presidency.

The Guardian, using calls from The Associated Press, reported 253 Democratic seats in the United States House of Representatives (House) with 21 races uncalled and a Democratic-aligned bloc of 54 in the United States Senate (Senate), including two independents, with two races uncalled in its provisional tally accessed on November 6th, 2026.108 A veto override requires two-thirds of those voting in each chamber, with a quorum present; a full vote means 290 of 435 Representatives and 67 of 100 Senators.109 A sweep of the uncalled races in that snapshot would leave Democrats at 274 House seats and their Senate bloc at 56, still 16 votes short in the House and 11 in the Senate. The United States Congress (Congress) could override a particular veto with Republican support, and absences or abstentions could lower the required vote total. The incoming Congress’s term begins on January 3rd, 2027.110

I expect impeachment efforts against Trump and Secretary of Defense Peter “Pete” Hegseth to intensify under the incoming Congress. United States Representatives Yassamin Ansari and Steve Cohen introduced articles against Hegseth and Trump, respectively, before the election.111 The House can impeach by a simple majority, or 218 votes, if all 435 members vote yea or nay on the articles. The Senate needs two-thirds of senators present to convict and remove, or 67 with all 100 attending.112 The dated election snapshot gives Democrats enough House seats to impeach, if they vote together, while even their 56-seat Senate ceiling remains 11 short of a full-attendance conviction.

My overarching issue is communism and fascism, which both abuse individual-first principles. I see a current that has been flowing toward both since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, with Trump’s mistakes quickening its pace. My fear is the tidal wave growing offshore of cities like Boston, New York City, and Seattle.

It’s not about me anymore.… I’ve learned to contain the malignancy of my own narcissism by thinking about the plights of other people in the context of local politics, state politics, and national politics, in that order. I’m worried about my three daughters who may have to face dictatorial rule in America, nay, worldwide because of Donald Trump’s mistakes…

The Source Notes

  1. The Libertarian Party, “Libertarian Delegates Select Chase Oliver as Presidential Nominee at the Libertarian National Convention”, 2024; the party identifies Oliver as its nominee, while the voting history and political judgment come from the author. ↩︎
  2. Donald Trump, Remarks to the Libertarian National Convention, May 25th, 2024, especially 03:58–04:25 for the antiwar remarks and 14:26–15:33 for the appointment promise and vote request; the transcript records the appointment promise, request for votes, and opposition to regime-change wars. ↩︎
  3. The United States Department of Justice, Ulbricht Pardon Warrant, January 21st, 2025, and Creator and Owner Identification, February 4th, 2015. ↩︎
  4. The Democratic National Committee and convention chairs, Petition Process Announcement, July 30th, 2024, and Roll Call Closing Announcement, August 5th, 2024; the records describe the delegate process and Kamala Harris’s sole qualification for its ballot. ↩︎
  5. The United States Government Accountability Office, DOGE Receipts Report, GAO-26-108615, August 6th, 2026, and Foreign Assistance Report, GAO-26-108607, September 30th, 2026; the reports document changes and oversight deficiencies, rather than certify the author’s favorable judgment or an audited aggregate saving. ↩︎
  6. The Internal Revenue Service, What the ‘No Tax on Tips’ Deduction Means for You, March 5th, 2026; the deduction covers eligible qualified tips for 2025–2028, with a $25,000 annual limit and income phaseouts. ↩︎
  7. Donald Trump, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”, January 20th, 2025; the order states enforcement and removal policies, while the credit in the essay is the author’s assessment. ↩︎
  8. The United States Department of Justice, Phony Immigration Attorney Who Filed Hundreds of Fraudulent Asylum Applications Sentenced, April 12th, 2021; the case concerns a fraudulent preparer, and the department says applicants were not told about the fabrications. ↩︎
  9. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index — September 2026, October 14th, 2026, Table A; the quoted percentages compare national indexes with September 2025, rather than describe every household’s bill. ↩︎
  10. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, “Market Reactions to Tariff Announcements”, Economic Letter 2025-23, October 6th, 2025, page one; the study addresses the April announcement shock and also records subsequent rebounds. ↩︎
  11. The Associated Press, Report from the White House Ballroom Site, November 4th, 2026; the report documents the appearance and its sequence, while the psychological reading is the author’s. ↩︎
  12. Donald Trump, Port Huron Rally Transcript, October 25th, 2026, 48:40–49:24; the transcript names Nicki Minaj, and the “fake” characterization is the author’s joke. ↩︎
  13. Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), “The Stock…”, Truth Social, November 5th, 2026; the post attributes a claimed market crash to Democratic election gains and directs blame at readers. ↩︎
  14. Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), “I JUST WASN’T ON THE BALLOT. IF…”, Truth Social, November 5th, 2026; the displayed 7:14 p.m. time follows the market post’s 7:02 p.m. time by twelve minutes, and the post claims a landslide with Trump on the ballot. ↩︎
  15. Donald Trump, “Statement by President Trump on Jerusalem”, December 6th, 2017; the statement records recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the embassy-relocation decision during his first term. ↩︎
  16. JD Vance, “One of the things the data analysts on our side…”, November 4th, 2026; the post attributes findings to an unnamed pollster without supplying the survey, sample, or methods. ↩︎
  17. Matthew Petti, “Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Spy Industry Connections”, Reason, August 27th, 2025. The investigation describes the 2015 investment involving financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, using leaked correspondence and previously reported business ties; the report identifies corroborating unpublished material but notes the absence of technical metadata and cryptographic signatures; it does not establish blackmail directed by Benjamin Netanyahu. ↩︎
  18. Branko Marcetic, “Jeffrey Epstein Claimed to Have Meddled in Israel’s Elections”, Jacobin, November 19th, 2025, publicly accessible introduction, and “NEW: You probably know the Epstein quote…”, X, the same date. Marcetic identifies former White House strategist Steve Bannon as the recipient and places the message in a discussion of Barak’s 2019 political return. The Released iMessage Transcript, June 28th, 2019, reproduced by CQ Roll Call, records that sequence at Bates identifiers HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_027827 through HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_027829. The Associated Press Report on the Epstein–Bannon Exchange, in the section A steady stream of texts between Epstein and Steve Bannon, identifies Bannon and says the context was not discernible from the exchange; the messages record Epstein’s claim about Trump’s reaction; Marcetic’s leverage interpretation does not establish an actual blackmail demand. ↩︎
  19. Simon Speakman Cordall, “What were Jeffrey Epstein’s links to Israel?”, Al Jazeera, February 9th, 2026. Ahron Bregman, identified as a King’s College London lecturer, offers an assessment of likely intelligence interest in Epstein, rather than a finding that he worked for Mossad; the report also records denials and competing intelligence theories. ↩︎
  20. TRT World, “A 2020 FBI report in the Epstein files cites a confidential…”, February 7th, 2026. The post attributes the spy claim to a confidential source cited in a 2020 Federal Bureau of Investigation report, identifies the allegations as unverified, and records Netanyahu’s denial. ↩︎
  21. Benjamin Netanyahu, “Jeffrey Epstein’s unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak…”, February 6th, 2026. The post rejects an Israeli intelligence role and attacks Barak as a political opponent; the statement is Netanyahu’s denial, rather than an independent finding about Epstein. ↩︎
  22. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, “PM Netanyahu Convenes Discussion on the Issue of Illegal Work Infiltrators”, July 8th, 2012; the contemporaneous statement identifies Netanyahu as Prime Minister and Barak as Minister of Defense in the 32nd Government; the meeting concerned immigration policy and supplies evidence of their government service, with no Epstein-related claim. ↩︎
  23. Jeffrey Heller, Reuters, Former Israeli Leader Barak Joins with Left-Wing in Election Run, July 25th, 2019, republished by Euronews; the report describes Barak’s electoral alliance and effort to unseat Netanyahu. ↩︎
  24. Pat Buchanan, interview with Jim Lehrer, The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, December 13th, 1991, preserved by the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Buchanan repeats the congressional phrase and explains it through lobbying and aid votes; the interview records his political assessment; it does not establish Israeli control of the federal government or an Epstein connection. ↩︎
  25. Howard Lutnick, Transcribed Interview, United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, May 6th, 2026, page 39, lines 11–23; Lutnick identifies the adjoining residences at 11 and 9 East 71st Street and confirms that they share a wall. ↩︎
  26. The United States Department of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, official biography, undated; the agency records his brother among the Cantor Fitzgerald employees killed in the September 11th, 2001, World Trade Center attacks. ↩︎
  27. The blackmail and honeypot claims are the author’s interpretations of Epstein, Netanyahu, Les Wexner, and Trump; the cited records do not establish Netanyahu-directed blackmail, Epstein’s alleged coercion of Wexner, recordings at every property, or a cause of the Iran war. The United States Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility Report, November 2020, printed pages 45–46, reproduced by The Washington Post, records prosecutor Marie Villafaña’s account concerning hidden-camera recordings in New York. The Wexner Foundation’s Biographical Page supplies the established name, without documenting the alleged payments or coercion. ↩︎
  28. The National Archives and Records Administration, The Bill of Rights, Amendment I; the text contains the establishment and free-exercise clauses; the assessment of American practice is the author’s judgment. ↩︎
  29. Jonathan Bowen, We Hate the Jews, Right?, reproduced by teapawt from @BostonByBirth. The reproduction displays January 18th without a year and supplies the title and author, while the description of the earlier essay remains the author’s recollection. ↩︎
  30. The U.S. Census Bureau, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Massachusetts: 2000, PHC-3-23, issued June 2003, Table 7a, printed page 31, reports 17,408 residents in Sharon town in 2000 and 15,517 in 1990. These counts cover the town, rather than the smaller census-designated place. The United States Census Bureau’s FAQs for Faith-Based Communities states that the census does not collect religious affiliation; the town totals supply no Jewish population count or share. ↩︎
  31. Elise Kigner, Touring the State’s Most Jewish Town, The Jewish Advocate, April 30th, 2010, Volume 201, Number 18, pages 1 and 6, reproduced in a complete issue PDF. Kigner attributes the 46% estimate for Sharon to the 2005 Boston Jewish Community Study. This is a dated newspaper attribution, rather than a Census Bureau religious count or a demonstrated historical maximum. The study’s published preliminary report, Table 2.2, uses Greater Sharon for the combined Canton, Sharon, and Stoughton region; its regional totals cannot be substituted for Sharon town alone. ↩︎
  32. Jamie Raskin, Letter to the Department of Justice and Other Officials, July 20th, 2026; the letter investigates foreign influence and claimed leverage, including Epstein’s work for Ehud Barak, whose political position differed from Netanyahu’s. Raskin’s Investigation Announcement, July 21st, 2026, also describes the Barak advisory relationship and Epstein’s portrayal of leverage over Trump. The statement announces an inquiry rather than an adjudicated finding. ↩︎
  33. Ro Khanna, Proposed Questions for Ghislaine Maxwell, February 8th, 2026; the document records investigative questions rather than their answers. ↩︎
  34. Geoffrey S. Berman, Prepared Remarks on Epstein’s Arrest, July 8th, 2019, page one, and the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Report 23-085, June 27th, 2023; the official findings remain suicide and no criminality pertaining to the death, alongside documented custodial failures. ↩︎
  35. Thomas Massie, “Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself?”, February 2nd, 2026; the post asks a question rather than states a conclusion, and its online poll does not measure representative public opinion. ↩︎
  36. Ron Paul, “Lessons from Paris”, January 13th, 2015; Paul discusses foreign-policy blowback, while its application to the election is the author’s analogy. ↩︎
  37. The Kentucky Secretary of State, “Official 2026 Primary Election Results”, May 19th, 2026, Fourth Congressional District Republican primary. Jesse Bedayn and Dylan Lovan, The Associated Press, “US Rep. Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Ed Gallrein in another victory for Trump”, updated May 19th, 2026; the report describes Trump’s selection and endorsement of Gallrein. ↩︎
  38. Donald Trump, “Is anyone interested in running…”, corroborated by Reuters’s Contemporaneous Report; the statement threatens a challenge rather than records a removal. ↩︎
  39. Donald Trump, October 22nd, 2026, Statements, and “Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is an America First…”; the later endorsements qualify the earlier political rupture. ↩︎
  40. Preserve America PAC, Federal Election Commission Filing, October 15th, 2024, Schedule A, printed pages six–seven; the filing records an aggregate $100 million from Miriam Adelson, identified as publisher by Israel Hayom in Miriam Adelson’s Author Biography, through September 17th, rather than a final election-cycle total. ↩︎
  41. MAGA KY, Federal Election Commission Filing, July 31st, 2025, Schedule A, page seven, and Schedule E, page eight; the entries record $750,000 from Preserve America PAC and $416,730 for television placement, without identifying an Adelson earmark; Theodore Schleifer and Matt Zdun, “Trump’s Push to Defeat Massie Is the Most Expensive House Primary in Recent Years.”, The New York Times, May 19th, 2026, licensed text through Gale, also identify MAGA KY backing from Paul Singer and a super PAC heavily funded by Miriam Adelson. ↩︎
  42. Joe Sonka, Trump-Backed PAC Airs Ads Blasting Massie over Policy Disagreements, Louisville Public Media, June 27th, 2025. ↩︎
  43. Donald Trump, “Remarks at a Hanukkah Reception”, December 16th, 2025, printed pages four–five; the $250 million figure is Trump’s attributed statement, rather than a reconciled campaign-finance total. ↩︎
  44. Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press, Trump-Targeted GOP Congressman Massie Tours His Kentucky District with Support from Sen. Paul, updated September 25th, 2025; the report covers the September 24th–25th tour, Senator Rand Paul’s endorsement, and Massie’s independence argument; Massie also praised Trump in the account, distinguishing disagreement from total repudiation. ↩︎
  45. The United States House Committee on Rules, Amendments to H.R.8800, amendment 2, version 3, revised; Thomas Massie, Jim McGovern, and other sponsors propose striking Section 219 concerning the United States–Israel defense technology partnership; the amendment listing establishes the proposal and its sponsors, without establishing that the amendment received a separate floor vote or was adopted. ↩︎
  46. The United States Congress, H.R.8800, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. The bill passed the United States House of Representatives (House) 216–212 on July 22nd, 2026. Section 219 of the House-passed text directs coordination of defense research, testing, development, procurement integration, and production with Israel, without establishing a joint military command or an automatic mutual-defense obligation. As accessed November 6th, 2026, the action history ends with receipt in the United States Senate (Senate) on September 14th; the House provision has not become law. ↩︎
  47. Marjorie Taylor Greene, “. @JDVance and @TulsiGabbard you both need to speak out…”, X, March 1st, 2026; the post urges Vance and Tulsi Gabbard to oppose the Iran war and invokes their prior antiwar promises. ↩︎
  48. Donald Trump, “I am withdrawing my support…”, November 14th, 2025. ↩︎
  49. The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, November 18th, 2025, Roll Call, and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation Letters Entered in the Congressional Record, January 3rd, 2026; the letters give November 21st as her notice date and January 5th at 11:59 p.m. EST as the effective resignation. ↩︎
  50. Marjorie Taylor Greene, “Tonight was a total referendum…”, November 4th, 2026; the post records her explanation of political pressure, while resignation and primary defeat remain different events. ↩︎
  51. Tulsi Gabbard, “Today, with great humility…”, May 22nd, 2026, and Jonathan Landay and Erin Banco, Reuters Report, May 22nd, 2026; the report attributes the forced-out account to an unnamed source and separately records the family-health explanation. ↩︎
  52. Hawaii News Now, Tulsi Gabbard Exits Role as Director of National Intelligence, June 19th, 2026, 3:01 p.m. HST; the report describes an earlier departure after a conversation with Trump, while Gabbard’s “Today, on my final day…” displayed June 18th in Eastern time. ↩︎
  53. Joe Kent, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign…”, March 17th, 2026; the caption announces a resignation effective that day and states his opposition to the war. ↩︎
  54. Marjorie Taylor Greene, “They are going to lie about Joe Kent…”, March 17th, 2026. ↩︎
  55. Joe Kent, interview with Megyn Kelly, Joe Kent on Vance, Gabbard, and Trump’s Iran Policy, March 20th, 2026, exchange concerning advance consultation with Gabbard; his account concerns his own resignation, with the RealClearPolitics Transcript recording Kent confirming that he served as Gabbard’s chief of staff while awaiting confirmation and that she was his day-to-day boss. ↩︎
  56. Jonathan Karl, “In a lengthy conversation just now, President Trump hit back…”, March 5th, 2026; the post reports Trump’s words rather than supplies a released recording. ↩︎
  57. The Associated Press, Report on Tucker Carlson’s Withdrawal of Support, June 22nd, 2026, and Transcription of the June 18th Interview; the statement concerns political support rather than a government firing or formal party expulsion. ↩︎
  58. Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson), The Great Betrayal, X, November 5th, 2026, at 5:13 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 15 minutes and 23 seconds; also released through Tucker Carlson Network. The compilation juxtaposes earlier promises with later statements about the Iran war, costs, and the Epstein files, as described by Stephanie Kaloi in The Great Betrayal: Tucker Carlson Drops 15-Minute Clip Package Showing Trump Going Back on Various Promises, Mediaite, November 5th, 2026. ↩︎
  59. Donald Trump, Remarks Accepting Election as the 47th President of the United States in Palm Beach, Florida, November 6th, 2024, transcript preserved by The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The quoted antiwar pledge comes from the post-election victory speech. ↩︎
  60. Donald Trump, Executive Order 14387, February 18th, 2026, invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 for domestic phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicide production. Section 3 incorporates 50 U.S.C. §4557, which addresses acts or omissions resulting from compliance with an order under the Defense Production Act of 1950; its text does not establish blanket immunity for every product-related claim. The later Executive Order 14414, June 25th, promotes alternatives and regenerative agriculture without repealing the February order. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services describe a Glyphosate Research Partnership in their September 23rd, 2026, announcement, updated October 22nd; the announcement anticipates an assessment in early 2027 without a predetermined outcome. ↩︎
  61. Leah Douglas, Reuters, MAHA Activists Warn Trump Could Lose Their Support over Glyphosate Order, February 20th, 2026, republished by Investing.com; the report records activists’ broken-promise criticism and warnings about political support, without measuring defections or an election effect, while Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., defended the order on supply-security grounds in his February 22nd, 2026, X post, “I will always tell the American people…”. ↩︎
  62. The United States Department of Justice, Indictment Announcement Concerning RT Employees, September 4th, 2024, and Eric Tucker, Matthew Lee, and David Klepper, the Associated Press, Reporting Identifying Tenet Media and Its Contributors; the indictment alleges covert funding and direction, while the Associated Press account describes the influencers as unwitting. ↩︎
  63. Benny Johnson, “A statement on the leaked DOJ indictment…”, September 4th, 2024, reproduced in the contemporaneous Associated Press account cited above; the victim description is Johnson’s own account. ↩︎
  64. Alex Bruesewitz (@alexbruesewitz), “No I don’t deny that…”, X, November 5th, 2026, at 3:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Bruesewitz acknowledges paying Laura Loomer for tweets in the past and says he has not done so for at least a year; his further allegation about other current payers supplies no independently established client, amount, paid post, or foreign funding. ↩︎
  65. Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer), “I’ve been going nonstop supporting President Trump…”, X, November 5th, 2026, at 9:24 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Loomer announces a break from Loomer Unleashed, discusses exhaustion, her personal life, wedding plans, and studio work, and affirms continued political work and support for Trump; the timing does not establish that the paid-post exchange caused the hiatus. ↩︎
  66. Ronald Reagan, “Remarks to Soviet Dissidents at Spaso House in Moscow”, May 30th, 1988, archived by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; the speech connects freedom of speech, the fruits of labor, institutional protection of rights, and individual economic creativity; the historical speech supplies Reagan’s standard rather than a measurement of current communist influence. ↩︎
  67. Margaret Thatcher, “Speech to Conservative Central Council”, Torquay, March 21st, 1987, archived by the Margaret Thatcher Foundation from the Thatcher papers; the concluding Conservative Vision passage links personal ownership, individual aspiration, and a government framework for freedom. ↩︎
  68. Ronald Reagan, “Inaugural Address 1981”, January 20th, 1981, Reagan Presidential Library transcript. The quotation addresses the economic crisis confronting the incoming administration, while the speech also discusses self-government and limits on government, rather than rejecting every governmental function. ↩︎
  69. Margaret Thatcher, “Speech at adoption meeting”, May 21st, 1987, Margaret Thatcher Foundation archive, Power to the People section. The archive identifies Woodhouse College in Finchley as the setting for Thatcher’s speech linking wider ownership to independence and choice and criticizing municipal socialism in housing and education. ↩︎
  70. Margaret Thatcher, “Speech to the College of Europe (‘The Bruges Speech’)”, September 20th, 1988, Margaret Thatcher Foundation archive. Thatcher argues against transferring powers from the national state to a European super-state; the speech records her warning about supranational centralization, rather than an assessment of today’s nationalization measures. ↩︎
  71. The United States Department of State Office of the Historian, “The Collapse of the Soviet Union”, Milestones: 1989–1992. The account describes the fall of communist rule in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union’s dissolution; the year-only reference distinguishes the historical event from the precise dates of Gorbachev’s resignation and the formal dissolution. ↩︎
  72. Benito Mussolini, The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism, English text reproduced by the University of Oregon, undated web transcription; the text describes the state extending its authority over economic activity and determining the individual’s permitted freedom; the comparison with the General Motors Company intervention is the author’s judgment. ↩︎
  73. The Financial Stability Oversight Board, Quarterly Report to Congress, for the quarter ending December 31st, 2009, Automotive Industry Financing Program, and the United States Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Sells Final Shares of GM Common Stock”, December 9th, 2013. The majority holding followed the reorganized company’s July 2009 emergence from bankruptcy; the final sale ended the government’s common-share holding, rather than leaving a continuing majority stake. ↩︎
  74. The United Kingdom Department for Transport, “Great British Railways and the public ownership programme”, updated September 20th, 2026. The programme records transfers through Chiltern Railways on that date under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024; the programme concerns contracted passenger operations and remains in progress, with completion expected by the end of 2027. ↩︎
  75. The United Kingdom Parliament, Great British Energy Act 2025, sections one, three, and six. The statute requires a designated company to be wholly Crown-owned, defines its energy-related objects, and requires compliance with ministerial directions; the company retains a separate legal identity; the statute does not nationalize the entire energy sector. ↩︎
  76. The French State Shareholding Agency, Rapport relatif à l’État actionnaire, annex to the 2024 budget, October 2023, printed pages five and thirty-nine. The report dates completion of full state ownership to June 8th, 2023, and records the earlier majority public stake; the transaction acquired the remaining shares in an already majority state-owned company. ↩︎
  77. Rand Paul, “If socialism is government owning the means of…”, August 20th, 2025; the socialism criticism and verdict are Paul’s. ↩︎
  78. Intel Corporation, Agreement Announcement, August 22nd, 2025; the announced terms specify a passive 9.9% stake and no board representation. ↩︎
  79. James Titcomb, Report on Intel’s Federal Stake and Market Value, The Telegraph Online, May 17th, 2026, licensed text through Gale. Titcomb records Rand Paul’s socialism criticism and quotes Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute calling politically directed investment “textbook capital misallocation”; the report also describes large gains in the stake’s market value, while Lincicome argues that an attempted sale would push the share price down. ↩︎
  80. The Associated Press, Report on Trump’s Consideration of a DOGE Dividend, PBS NewsHour wire republication, February 20th, 2025; the household proposal depended on projected savings and differed from the later per-adult promise. ↩︎
  81. The White House, “Trump Dividend: America Is Winning — and Americans Should Win With It”, September 10th, 2026; the release dates the announcement to the previous evening and makes the payment conditional on Republican control of both chambers. ↩︎
  82. Bob Good, “Will post-conservative Republicans also try to defend…”, September 10th, 2026; the quoted phrase is his criticism of the later dividend proposal. ↩︎
  83. Reid J. Epstein and Shane Goldmacher, “Republicans Have a Mixed Reaction to Trump’s $5,000 Dividend Idea.”, The New York Times, September 11th, 2026, print page A14, licensed text through Gale. The report quotes former White House legislative affairs director Marc Short describing policy changes that “blur the line between us and democratic socialists”, records fiscal objections from United States Representatives Ralph Norman and Chip Roy, and quotes Justin Amash calling the proposal a “ridiculous, unrealizable bribe”. ↩︎
  84. The United States Department of the Treasury, Debt to the Penny, November 4th, 2026, total public debt outstanding of $40,550,230,047,609.15. The October 29th record reports $40,593,637,262,883.48; the amounts are nominal dollar totals comprising debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings, rather than a measure of debt as a share of gross domestic product. ↩︎
  85. Rand Paul, “Washington has a pattern. A new program promises…”, October 24th, 2026. ↩︎
  86. Justin Amash, “I’ve been humbled in recent weeks…”, January 18th, 2024; the block detail is the author’s firsthand account, and the quoted argument predates the present election. ↩︎
  87. The City of New York, Transcript of Zohran Mamdani’s Housing Announcement, May 26th, 2026; the announcement concerns distressed-building transfers, a separate mechanism from the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA). ↩︎
  88. The New York City Council, COPA Passage Announcement, October 22nd, 2026, and Legislation History through November 4th; the record shows New York City Council passage, referral to the mayor, and a November 4th mayoral hearing, with no enactment date or law number recorded in the checked history. ↩︎
  89. The New York City Council, Intro 905-A Final Inline Text, sections 26-852–26-859 and section three; the bill covers specified Class A multifamily properties with at least four units and excludes owner-occupied buildings with five or fewer units, while qualified entities include certified nonprofits and qualifying ventures with nonprofit control, and the seizure characterization is the author’s judgment. ↩︎
  90. The Supreme Court of the United States, Soldal v. Cook County, 506 U.S. 56, December 8th, 1992, pages 62 and 71–72; the Supreme Court of the United States recognizes protection under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution for possessory property interests and distinguishes a seizure from an unreasonable seizure; the case concerns government participation in a mobile home’s physical removal and does not decide the constitutionality of COPA’s sale restrictions. ↩︎
  91. Ed Markey, Progressive Massachusetts Congressional Questionnaire, 2026, page three; the progressive self-description does not establish membership in a communist party. ↩︎
  92. The office of Ayanna Pressley, “Pressley, Markey Reintroduce Freedom to Move Act, Legislation to Enact Fare-Free Transit, Close Transit Equity Gap”, July 25th, 2025; the release records a proposed federal grant program and Michelle Wu’s support, rather than enactment of the bill. ↩︎
  93. Samuel Gelinas, Report on the Holyoke Affordability Forum, Greenfield Recorder, August 16th, 2026. Gelinas reports Markey’s remarks at an August 15th affordability forum at Holyoke Community College, where his examples included public funding for community college and clean-energy subsidies; the article quotes Markey saying “Give us more of that socialism” and “Capitalism will start to work again for everybody”. ↩︎
  94. The Massachusetts General Court, H.1480 Bill Text, 194th General Court, sections one–two; the introduced text specifies 0.25%, although the committee summary gives 0.23%. ↩︎
  95. The Massachusetts General Court, H.1480 History, April 13th, 2026; the study-order action does not enact the proposed tax. ↩︎
  96. Abundant Housing Massachusetts, Endorsement Announcement for Mike Connolly, Will Mbah, and Ben Ewen-Campen, The Somerville Times, July 7th, 2026. The housing-advocacy organization’s announcement quotes Connolly supporting social housing, more multifamily housing, an end to exclusionary zoning, and stronger tenant protections. ↩︎
  97. River Valley DSA, Campaign Records, and the Town of Amherst, January 2026 Council Record; the chapter supplies the membership and socialist descriptions, with the elections dating to November 2025. ↩︎
  98. C. J. Atkins, People’s World, Communist Party Members Run for Office, Strengthening Communities and Building Coalitions, November 6th, 2025; the report identifies Luke Rotello’s campaign-period role and unsuccessful candidacy, rather than an elected communist officeholder. ↩︎
  99. The New York City Democratic Socialists of America, “🚨A DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST IS RUNNING FOR NYC…”, October 23rd, 2024; the announcement concerns Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign. ↩︎
  100. Will Neville, Progressive Sarah Dixit Battles Red-Baiting in Spokane City Council Race, People’s World, November 3rd, 2025; the participant’s report describes local cooperation at the October 5th town hall. ↩︎
  101. The University of Washington Young Democratic Socialists of America, “UW for Katie” campaign, 2025 campaign context; the campus group’s support is distinct from an endorsement by the Seattle chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. ↩︎
  102. The Democratic Socialists of America, Workers Deserve More, 2026, public-ownership demand and authors’ note; the authors date drafting to April–June 2026 and describe submitting the text to the National Political Committee for approval. The program also proposes replacing the presidency and Supreme Court of the United States with institutions selected by and subordinate to the United States Congress, and abolishing the Senate while expanding the House and introducing proportional representation. The same text presents its intended political system as multiparty and democratic. ↩︎
  103. The Communist Party USA, The Road to Socialism USA, edition published July 24th, 2025, following National Committee approval on July 13th; the program identifies progressive coalition work as part of its socialist strategy. The program describes current reform struggles as steps “toward socialism and then communism”. The same passage describes its intended communist society as classless and without coercive machinery. ↩︎
  104. Shane Goldmacher, “Some Top Democratic Centrists Prepare for ‘War’ Against a Rising Left.”, The New York Times, August 7th, 2026, licensed text through Gale. The report quotes Third Way president Jonathan Cowan describing the Democratic Socialists of America as a “mortal danger” for Democrats and outlines a planned $15 million campaign against democratic socialism through 2028; the article concerns a pre-election dispute over democratic socialism and electoral strategy. ↩︎
  105. Joe Sims, The People’s Front and the Return of the Socialist Moment, keynote delivered July 11th, 2026, published July 14th; his conditional assessment concerns Trump’s red-baiting and a socialist resurgence. ↩︎
  106. The Democratic Socialists of America, “2026 Midterms — DSA Makes History”, November 4th, 2026. The statement celebrates five nationally endorsed congressional candidates and expressly casts their success as a socialist response to Trump; the organization’s claims about a national socialist mandate remain its electoral interpretation. ↩︎
  107. The Communist Party USA, “Midterm victories: keep the pressure on!”, November 5th, 2026. The statement describes a left-center coalition operating through the Democratic Party and calls for socialism; the party’s account does not establish that every Democratic winner endorses its programme or that the party controls the new majority. ↩︎
  108. Antonio Voce, Seán Clarke, Ed Gargan, Anna Leach, and Ashley Kirk, 2026 Midterm Results Using Associated Press Calls, The Guardian, displayed update November 5th, 2026, at 3:33 a.m. Eastern Standard Time; accessed November 6th. The provisional overview records 253 Democratic and 161 Republican House seats, leaving 21 of 435 uncalled, and 54 Democratic-aligned and 44 Republican Senate seats, leaving two of 100 uncalled. The Senate bloc includes two independents. The ceilings and shortfalls in the essay are calculations from this dated snapshot, rather than final or certified results. ↩︎
  109. The Congressional Research Service, “Veto Override Procedure in the House and Senate,” RS22654, updated January 5th, 2026; the denominator is members voting, with a quorum present, and the essay’s ceilings assume every uncalled race goes to the Democratic-aligned side. ↩︎
  110. The National Archives, Twentieth Amendment, section one; congressional terms begin at noon on January 3rd. ↩︎
  111. Yassamin Ansari, H.Res. 1177, introduced April 15th, 2026, and Steve Cohen, Announcement of Trump Articles, September 24th, 2026; these records establish introductions, rather than House adoption or Senate conviction. ↩︎
  112. The National Archives, United States Constitution, Article I, sections two–three, and Article II, section four, with the government’s Impeachment Explanation; Senate conviction uses senators present, a different denominator from veto overrides. ↩︎

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