Fridays in Trumpland: 6.6.2025
LET. THEM. FIGHT.
Ok, well, that was fast.
It was just a week ago that Trump and Elon Musk held a press conference in the Oval Office to praise one another as a part of Musk’s putative exit from government.
By yesterday afternoon, what was once a tenuous connection between two billionaire narcissists had devolved into a full blown war.
Elon attacked Trump’s budget bill. Trump took away Tesla’s electric vehicle mandate. Elon accused Trump of being in the Epstein files. Trump threatened Elon’s government contracts. Elon claimed Trump won the election because of him, and then huffed that he was terminating Space X’s projects. Steve Bannon called for Elon’s deportation and an investigation into his drug use. Elon called for Trump’s impeachment.
And then Kanye waded in.
All the while, all those of us who care about America’s democracy sat back and laughed until we cried.
Make no mistake about it: contrary to what a few lone commentators claim, this is funny. Hilarious even. It’s ok to laugh about it. It’s ok to enjoy it.
And it is NOT a distraction from something else. They’re not that smart. And every single thing they do to destroy each other is a good thing.
Trump will emerge from this weakened at best. Elon’s pride and joy, Tesla, lost $152 billion in market cap yesterday as its stock fell off a cliff. Trump’s memecoin lost 10% of its value. And Trump may end up firing all remaining DOGE staffers and throwing DOGE under the bus.
Both Trump and Musk are narcissists, and as anyone who has ever left a narcissist can tell you, the discard phase is the one where they try to annihilate their perceived betrayer. There is no end to how low this could go.
No one wins in this game– except, of course, we the American people.
Because the more the billionaires are debilitated, the more their core principles are attacked from within, the more their dirt is exposed and their drama played out on the public stage, the more room we all have, as activists and organizers, to maneuver.
It is petty. It is insane. These men are absolutely unfit to lead. Trump is still pushing a bill that will literally kill people who are thrown off life-saving health insurance. Elon has already killed hundreds of thousands in the global south through the destruction of USAID.
Messaging this is easy. They are weak, they are feeble, they are stupid. They bicker like middle school girls while your family suffers and people you love are detained and die.
Remove them, and let actual leaders rise.
In other words: Let. Them. Fight.
There were some very big court victories this week.
Judge Boasberg issued an order certifying a class that includes everyone sent to CECOT, and gave the government a week to tell him how they would provide due process to every single person sent there. A Columbia student protestor who has been in hiding since ICE tried to unlawfully detain her months ago won a sweeping court order preventing her arrest and detention. A mother who had been snatched up by ICE was ordered released. Harvard got a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration mere hours after Trump threatened to stop all foreign students from studying there.
It’s vitally important that we don’t miss these victories.
Simultaneous pushback from the courts, in the streets, and in our own communities as the oligarchs destroy themselves makes their grip on power ever more tenuous.
Speaking of which, make sure you’re planning to attend your local No Kings rally a week from tomorrow. Get all the information you need right here.
This is a moment to remind everyone that laughter is medicine.
As I scrolled through the absolutely hilarious few hours of Bluesky jokes last night, the schadenfreude was thick, and I loved it.
The more we are able to laugh at them, the less power they have over us.
And there is resistance in joy, and vice versa.
Let’s enjoy the ride, and most importantly, keep doing the work.
I’ll see you all next week.
Last week, our video on Stealth Activism went viral on YouTube.
So we’re doubling down.
Coming at you on Monday June 16th at 1 pm ET, we’re offering a free webinar called Stealth Activism: How to Shift Power Strategically Without Losing Focus.
We’ll be teaching you everything you need to know about how to use stealth activism to build real power under the radar, organize for the long game—even when backlash is loud, navigate visibility, risk, and safety without losing momentum, and lead with purpose in places where being “too out loud” is dangerous or isn’t an option.
This isn’t appeasement, it’s strategy, and it’s working everywhere.
Sign up for the free webinar here. A recording will be provided to everyone who registers.
See you then!
Brilliant as usual! And as they become destabilized their power over congress weakens. Remember, Kinzinger and Chaney had voted inline with 45 almost 100% until they thought he’d ‘finally crossed a line.’ Their awakening reminds me of constantly moving the line when I was drinking as to what was unacceptable behavior…well, I’ll never do that and still drink again….pushes line farther down…Well, I’ll never do that again and still drink again. Any sane person saw the real line was crossed years before. Maybe these folks will finally wake up. Hell, I did almost 43 years ago so I have hope for the nation. Keep up the good fight- you inspire.
Agree, yesterday was fantastic. I felt sooooo happy and laughed so much. I am in a group chat of women I met in a support group for wives with narcissist spouses. We have all divorced the narcissists. Yesterday we were all predicting the blows between the two malignant narcissists to a T. Except, I thought it would last longer. I thought I would wake up this morning to 2am punches and more threats. Do you think we can expect more?