Robert Hubbell

A brilliant piece that everyone should read. Ignore the sniping in the comments about who showed up first / was right all along. Buckle is right: Millions of Americans raised the alarm and were dismissed and ignored. No more. Stop fighting old battles and confront the one that matters: Trump.

What’s Behind the Centrists’ Resistance to the “Resistance Liberals”? They’re acknowledging now that the people who called Trump a “fascist” were right. But somehow we’re still not to be trusted.

if centrists admit resit libs were right, they should stop dismissing & disparaging us

my latest for @newrepublic.com

newrepublic.com/article/2060...

I hope that Anderson Cooper will explain why he really left CBS--which appears to be for the right reasons. But slinking out "to spend more time with my kids" fails to meet the moment. Otherwise, he will be remembered as the Susan Collins of Journalism. All of the concern, none of the conviction.

Don’t be Anderson Cooper. Don’t make up excuses for doing the right thing. Like Anderson Cooper, we are being called to choose where we stand in the defense of American democracy. Be proud to tell your children how you came to the defense of your country. That requires us to speak the truth.

Anderson Cooper quit CBS’s 60 Minutes with a gracious note explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his kids—when we all know he quit because he could not abide the editorial control over 60 Minutes by Trump's financial backers and Bari Weiss.

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President’s Day 2026: An inflection point for democracy. February 16, 2026

On President’s Day 2026, we have every reason to be hopeful, but no reason to be complacent. Trump is weak and unpopular. Pro-democracy forces are winning more than they are losing. That formula spells inevitable defeat for Trump and his MAGA agenda.

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Social media companies notified users that if they don’t seek a court order, the companies will turn over personal identifying information to Homeland Security about users who have done nothing more than exercise their First Amendment Right to criticize ICE.

Homeland Security asks social media companies to identify users that criticize ICE. February 14, 2026

The administration took the next logical step in the stunning capitulation of social media giants to Trump. It has convinced them to rat on Americans who criticize ICE.

Without a peep, major tech companies have complied.

See NYTimes, www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t... (Gift link)

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The people of Minneapolis show us the way. February 13, 2026

Against Trump's onslaught, the people of Minneapolis showed us the path forward: Show up, stand out, make your voice heard, do not surrender, and care for your neighbor.

In that simple, powerful, beautiful mix of everyday actions, the people of Minneapolis forced Trump to retreat.

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Attorney General Bondi shames the Department of Justice—forever. February 12, 2026

Pam Bondi gave a performance for the ages. And not in a good way. She was partisan when she is called to be impartial. She was vulgar when she is called to be professional. She was callous when asked to show empathy for victims. She placed Trump's interests above all else . . .

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This point, standing alone, justifies the steadfast refusal to fund DHS. To do otherwise would amount to amending the Constitution by fiat. In that sense, the fight over funding DHS is a defense of the Constitution, as to which there can be no compromise.

Democrats must stand firm on this point. Compliance with a protection present at the birth of our republic should be “non-negotiable.” If complying with the Constitution is intolerable, ICE must be abolished and replaced with an agency that views the Constitution as its charter, not an obstacle.

On Tuesday, Stephen Miller rejected as a “non-starter” a demand by Democrats that ICE obtain judicial warrants based upon probable cause. Got that? Complying with the Constitution’s foundational procedural protection is a “non-starter.”

The requirement of a warrant based on probable cause to enter a person’s home is a touchstone of the Bill of Rights. According to John Adams, the British practice of issuing “general writs” authorizing unbounded searches of homes led to the “first Act of opposition” in the Revolution.
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Auspicious Omens and Excellent Insubordination I started this out as a letter to a friend who's feeling down about where we as a nation are at in this moment, and I am still learning how this newsletter thing works so thought I could use the newsl...

You owe it to yourself to read Rebecca Solnit's latest essay from Meditations in an Emergency--a prodigious piece that chronicles the many ways we are defeating Trump. It is comprehensive, but worth every word. As always, it is a pleasure to read the work of such a gifted writer.

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But there is no situation that Trump cannot make worse. He is about to do so with the cover-up of his involvement in Epstein’s child rape and sex trafficking criminal enterprise.

Trump considers a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell after calling her “evil.” Febuary 10, 2026

Trump is aiming for a trifecta never achieved in American political history: Converting his campaign’s top three winning issues into political liabilities of epic proportions. He has already done the heavy lifting, alienating voters on the economy, immigration, and the Epstein files.
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“If you want this fight . . . let’s have it . . . in public.” February 6, 2026

Democrats spend too much time worrying about threats by Trump & GOP, and not enough time on offense. Hillary Clinton is demonstrating the type of pushback Democrats should use every day. On Thursday, Hillary effectively told GOP Rep. James Comer, “Put up or shut up.”

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How we get there is a legitimate question, and abolition is a reasonable path. It may be out of reach at the moment, but let's not surrender before we have the conversation. And, yes, people are angry and upset. That is the appropriate human response to seeing citizens murdered in the streets.

People calling to abolish ICE constitute the majority of Americans. It isn't helpful to call them a circular firing squad. They want to eliminate roving paramilitary bands executing citizens in public--a laudable goal.

The reconciliation bill (Big Ugly Bill) funded ICE through 2029, thereby removing congressional oversight through the appropriations process and the filibuster. Dems should clawback that money as a condition of funding DHS. That would return ICE to the usual funding process — a huge win.

Democrats gave away most of their leverage by allowing the five appropriations bills to pass without a fight. They told us they would extract concessions when the DHS bill is put to a vote. It is the moment of truth for congressional Democrats. Don’t tell us who you are or what you believe. Show us

Congressional Democrats: Steel yourselves. We will either live in a society with a roving paramilitary that is executing citizens on the streets or not. It is up to you. For once in your lives, do the right thing—something that will be hard, possibly unpopular, and may affect your fundraising.

The moment of truth for congressional Democrats. February 4, 2026

This is the moment of truth for congressional Democrats. They must finally show courage and principle. Our nation is in a moment of crisis. We have no need of politicians. We need patriots and heroes, men and women of their word who will defend the Constitution, as they promised.
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Marking our progress since Feb 1, 2025: We should be proud. February 1, 2026

Feb 1, 2025, was the day Americans realized Trump was serious about implementing the full horror of “Project 2025” . . . . In less than a year, we have gone from shell-shocked to battle-tested, from leaderless to self-reliant, and from anxious and afraid to anxious and courageous.
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It is time for the mainstream media to join the resistance. Better late than never. January 31, 2026

The press has bowed before Trump for eight years. He learned from their subservience and took the next logical step. It is time for the media to become part of the resistance. Better late than never. We should welcome them with open arms!

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People are dying. Senate Democrats are making deals. We deserve better. January 30, 2026

As the people and Trump engage in an exhausting hand-to-hand contest of wills, Senate Democrats are “making deals” to keep the government open so they can kick the can of ICE reform down the road—when Democrats will have less leverage than they do today.

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The people have put their lives on the line to resist ICE; Senate Democrats must now do their part to reform ICE from the ground up. January 29, 2026

The American people have put their lives on the line to resist ICE. Literally. ICE is a broken agency that does not deserve to exist. The necessary reforms must come very close to shutting down ICE and rebuilding it from the ground up.
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Pressing our advantage and stiffening the spines of Senate Democrats! January 28, 2026

Trump and Republicans are on the ropes. We must press our advantage to make up as much ground as quickly as possible. The time for half-measures and accommodation has passed. We must act with boldness and courage to honor the memories of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

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A victory by the people of Minnesota and a tactical retreat by Trump. Do not relent! January 27, 2026

Our protests worked. Although Trump’s retreat is a limited and temporary victory, it is nonetheless significant because it teaches us that when the people rise in unison, they are an unstoppable force. The madness will stop when enough of us say “No.”
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