When career prosecutors resign in protest, ICE acts without oversight, and Trump preempts the facts, the country sees justice abandoned, accountability erased, and power protected above all else.
Already the Justice Department investigation has turned to what groups Renee Good was a member of and what she did in her personal life. There is no desire to truly investigate what happened, because they know, and cover-up is what they are about, not "Justice."
This landed hard "once you decide not to investigate, you’re not preserving justice. You’re letting power write the verdict; and justice gets buried alive." Sometimes - short & sweet is the way to get a message across.
Our society is sick. I mean really, really, really sick. Massive white male entitlement issues, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia. I had a 30 something white male in my face over my protest sign that read "Noem Lies, It was Murder." Our conversation started out friendly .... when he brought up "immigrants are stealing our taxpayer money" and I said, immigrants pay taxes and don't get the benefit of social services, he went off at me. Told me to go Fck myself and called me a fcking lesbian liberal. You can't reason with these people because they immediately go to insults and abuse. He was so irate with me that I seriously thought he was going to hit me. Anger issues, women issues, entitlement issues, and the big one "EDUCATION ISSUES." Lack of awareness and education is what's driving alot of this dystopia.
I attend relatively smaller demonstrations organized by a suburban division of Indivisible. With each demonstration, a small group of counter protesters have grown, and they do their best to bait us, and they often present themselves initially as calm and friendly. They're just looking for an opening, even if it's a calm and mild reply, in order to instantly switch their tone to loud angry ranting. As a result our organizer presents strict rules of conduct: "Do not respond. Do not engage. Stay calm. Ignore." These baiters either already have their cameras running, or have the camera app ready, because they want to record any response, out of context, that can make us look bad. I'm fine with discussing issues one on one with a random person outside of a demonstration, but in these demonstrations, I absolutely do not engage. It seems to work for us, and we have good relations with local law enforcement.
Yes. A few of the trumpers have come to the attention of the local police monitors who oversee the demonstrations, and a few of them have been told not to return. BTW this is in a suburb that trends Republican, but they haven't gone off the deep end.
Nothing surprises me ...he pardoned all the j6 insurrectionists. What depresses me is that you write that the gop's support of his immigration tactics is down to 43%. It should be 0% . No American should think that any of this is ok. I do love that people in DOJ said enough is enough .And yet I think about all the people who come to work and there bosses office is empty now. They have to carry on without guidance and an ear ,terrible. lost in america
The polling shift you mention is crucial. When 57% of Americans oppose the very policies ICE is escalating, and the administration's response is to make oversight harder, you're watching institutional legitimacy burn down in real time.
Public trust isn't something you can rebuild with press releases after you've spent years treating accountability as a political inconvenience.
The question going forward: what happens to the career prosecutors who stayed? Are they now trapped between doing their jobs and keeping their jobs? And what does it mean for the next excessive force case, or the one after that, when everyone knows that certain agencies operate in a consequence-free zone?
I'm afraid that once you normalize the idea that some law enforcement is above investigation, you've made every future abuse more likely.
Well said, Michael! The "good" people defecting is not a good thing. It opens the door for more of the same bullshit and even going to the next level of corruption and injustice.
Here is something else we need to all be concerned about.
President Donald Trump said he “should have” ordered the National Guard to seize ballot boxes during the 2020 election, raising fears he will actually do so in the upcoming midterm elections.
Trump made the comments in an interview with the New York Times that ran over the weekend. When asked if that order, which he considered giving in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, was ever a real option, Trump ignored the illegality of such an action to opine about the feasibility instead.
"I don’t know that they [the National Guard] are sophisticated enough,” Trump said. “You know, they’re good warriors. I’m not sure that they’re sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats and the way they cheat, to figure that out.”
Wow..............just wow. How stupid does this ass really think we are? He constantly accuses the Dems of being exactly the way HE is..........I guess there are no mirrors at Mar-A-Lago.
Judgement day is coming. Not just for some, but for all. Was it worth it? The answer is and will always be-NO. Their greed and complicity is loud enough for all of us to HEAR. What we will SEE will be us dominating the midterms, us standing together united as one, and us winning. WE. WILL. WIN.
"Trump’s defenders claim this is about protecting law enforcement. That’s nonsense. Shielding agencies from scrutiny doesn’t strengthen them; it corrodes them. Real law enforcement depends on public trust, and public trust depends on accountability."
This is so important and your timing in writing this substack is 100% on point! My MAGA relatives keeps saying the Honda should not have been parked perpendicular to the ICE agents and was obstructing them from doing their jobs.
I said let the investigation reveal the truth.
" If the officer acted lawfully, an investigation would prove it. If policy was followed, evidence would confirm it. Investigations don’t presume guilt; they protect legitimacy. Only those afraid of the truth try to prevent anyone from."
Transparency denied. No justice for Renee Nicole Good. This is wrong and illegal. Where are the checks and balances in our system to bring out the truth for what caused a 37 year old mother of three to loose her life at the hands of Jonathan Ross who played jury, judge and executioner? Jonathan Ross got to go home to his family that day and Renee Nicole Good didn't. There is no transparency, no justice in keeping any case "underwater wraps."
This should not be allowed!
Thank you for this very well-written substack. People need to see what is going on here and Trump's attempt to just make this case "go away."
Trump told us he could shoot someone in broad daylight and not lose any support before his first term. He proved, via ICE, he could! Very sad what is happening to this once great country.
Michael, you are a truly gifted writer. And today, more than ever, what the world needs is trust, integrity, and accountability. Unfortunately, much of Corporate Media continues to present narratives that lack depth and clarity, and too often seem to reinforce deception rather than challenge it.
That brings me to the elephant in the room: your lack of transparency. You worked with Trump for what, twelve+ years? You were among his closest contacts, deeply connected to his family and inner circle, yet you maintain that you know nothing about Epstein. Nothing about Katie Johnson. That is very difficult to reconcile.
Emails are now being uncovered, and more will inevitably come to light. An honest conversation is long overdue.
When you asked me to do a favor, it became clear to me that you were still willing to bend the rules. That was the moment I decided to reach out to Lev Parnas. My intention was to alert him and his family. I had hoped that would prompt an apology or at least a moment of reflection from you. Instead, there was silence.
Because of this, I am ending my subscription. Still, I remain hopeful. I hope that one day you will reach a place where you can speak openly and fully, and choose truth over protection, profit or convenience.
Already the Justice Department investigation has turned to what groups Renee Good was a member of and what she did in her personal life. There is no desire to truly investigate what happened, because they know, and cover-up is what they are about, not "Justice."
This landed hard "once you decide not to investigate, you’re not preserving justice. You’re letting power write the verdict; and justice gets buried alive." Sometimes - short & sweet is the way to get a message across.
Exactly!
Renee Good was a human being, not a "fucking bitch"! That remark made by the killer should horrify everyone.
I am horrified! I'm not sure why others (MAGAts) aren't horrified? WTF?!
Our society is sick. I mean really, really, really sick. Massive white male entitlement issues, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia. I had a 30 something white male in my face over my protest sign that read "Noem Lies, It was Murder." Our conversation started out friendly .... when he brought up "immigrants are stealing our taxpayer money" and I said, immigrants pay taxes and don't get the benefit of social services, he went off at me. Told me to go Fck myself and called me a fcking lesbian liberal. You can't reason with these people because they immediately go to insults and abuse. He was so irate with me that I seriously thought he was going to hit me. Anger issues, women issues, entitlement issues, and the big one "EDUCATION ISSUES." Lack of awareness and education is what's driving alot of this dystopia.
I attend relatively smaller demonstrations organized by a suburban division of Indivisible. With each demonstration, a small group of counter protesters have grown, and they do their best to bait us, and they often present themselves initially as calm and friendly. They're just looking for an opening, even if it's a calm and mild reply, in order to instantly switch their tone to loud angry ranting. As a result our organizer presents strict rules of conduct: "Do not respond. Do not engage. Stay calm. Ignore." These baiters either already have their cameras running, or have the camera app ready, because they want to record any response, out of context, that can make us look bad. I'm fine with discussing issues one on one with a random person outside of a demonstration, but in these demonstrations, I absolutely do not engage. It seems to work for us, and we have good relations with local law enforcement.
Excellent use of restraint on the part of your group! Well done! Your protocol really works.
Yes. A few of the trumpers have come to the attention of the local police monitors who oversee the demonstrations, and a few of them have been told not to return. BTW this is in a suburb that trends Republican, but they haven't gone off the deep end.
Nothing surprises me ...he pardoned all the j6 insurrectionists. What depresses me is that you write that the gop's support of his immigration tactics is down to 43%. It should be 0% . No American should think that any of this is ok. I do love that people in DOJ said enough is enough .And yet I think about all the people who come to work and there bosses office is empty now. They have to carry on without guidance and an ear ,terrible. lost in america
“Salt of the Earth folks CAN melt ICE.
Keep those cameras UP everyone!
Peace & Courage”
Michael-
The polling shift you mention is crucial. When 57% of Americans oppose the very policies ICE is escalating, and the administration's response is to make oversight harder, you're watching institutional legitimacy burn down in real time.
Public trust isn't something you can rebuild with press releases after you've spent years treating accountability as a political inconvenience.
The question going forward: what happens to the career prosecutors who stayed? Are they now trapped between doing their jobs and keeping their jobs? And what does it mean for the next excessive force case, or the one after that, when everyone knows that certain agencies operate in a consequence-free zone?
I'm afraid that once you normalize the idea that some law enforcement is above investigation, you've made every future abuse more likely.
Mika-
When all of the decent public servants are gone the entire government will be trumpers cabinet.
As ‘they’ planned!
Well said, Michael! The "good" people defecting is not a good thing. It opens the door for more of the same bullshit and even going to the next level of corruption and injustice.
Here is something else we need to all be concerned about.
President Donald Trump said he “should have” ordered the National Guard to seize ballot boxes during the 2020 election, raising fears he will actually do so in the upcoming midterm elections.
Trump made the comments in an interview with the New York Times that ran over the weekend. When asked if that order, which he considered giving in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, was ever a real option, Trump ignored the illegality of such an action to opine about the feasibility instead.
"I don’t know that they [the National Guard] are sophisticated enough,” Trump said. “You know, they’re good warriors. I’m not sure that they’re sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats and the way they cheat, to figure that out.”
Wow..............just wow. How stupid does this ass really think we are? He constantly accuses the Dems of being exactly the way HE is..........I guess there are no mirrors at Mar-A-Lago.
He knows it would be an illegal order. Until Mark Kelly et al. put out that video, he was sure there would be no problems in that area.
Judgement day is coming. Not just for some, but for all. Was it worth it? The answer is and will always be-NO. Their greed and complicity is loud enough for all of us to HEAR. What we will SEE will be us dominating the midterms, us standing together united as one, and us winning. WE. WILL. WIN.
Not Justice but justification.
"Trump’s defenders claim this is about protecting law enforcement. That’s nonsense. Shielding agencies from scrutiny doesn’t strengthen them; it corrodes them. Real law enforcement depends on public trust, and public trust depends on accountability."
This is so important and your timing in writing this substack is 100% on point! My MAGA relatives keeps saying the Honda should not have been parked perpendicular to the ICE agents and was obstructing them from doing their jobs.
I said let the investigation reveal the truth.
" If the officer acted lawfully, an investigation would prove it. If policy was followed, evidence would confirm it. Investigations don’t presume guilt; they protect legitimacy. Only those afraid of the truth try to prevent anyone from."
Transparency denied. No justice for Renee Nicole Good. This is wrong and illegal. Where are the checks and balances in our system to bring out the truth for what caused a 37 year old mother of three to loose her life at the hands of Jonathan Ross who played jury, judge and executioner? Jonathan Ross got to go home to his family that day and Renee Nicole Good didn't. There is no transparency, no justice in keeping any case "underwater wraps."
This should not be allowed!
Thank you for this very well-written substack. People need to see what is going on here and Trump's attempt to just make this case "go away."
The name of their game is cya... That's cover you ass! The last time they want is to be held accountable for their actions!
Trump told us he could shoot someone in broad daylight and not lose any support before his first term. He proved, via ICE, he could! Very sad what is happening to this once great country.
Michael, you are a truly gifted writer. And today, more than ever, what the world needs is trust, integrity, and accountability. Unfortunately, much of Corporate Media continues to present narratives that lack depth and clarity, and too often seem to reinforce deception rather than challenge it.
That brings me to the elephant in the room: your lack of transparency. You worked with Trump for what, twelve+ years? You were among his closest contacts, deeply connected to his family and inner circle, yet you maintain that you know nothing about Epstein. Nothing about Katie Johnson. That is very difficult to reconcile.
Emails are now being uncovered, and more will inevitably come to light. An honest conversation is long overdue.
When you asked me to do a favor, it became clear to me that you were still willing to bend the rules. That was the moment I decided to reach out to Lev Parnas. My intention was to alert him and his family. I had hoped that would prompt an apology or at least a moment of reflection from you. Instead, there was silence.
Because of this, I am ending my subscription. Still, I remain hopeful. I hope that one day you will reach a place where you can speak openly and fully, and choose truth over protection, profit or convenience.
Americans deserve better.