Dear Friends,

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM:

(01:46) Are MAGA voters being played?, with Mark Clipsham;
(20:37) Have you had enough yet?
(34:47) Don’t support politicians who take funds from AIPAC;
(53:23) Des Moines approves urban orchard, with Kathy Byrnes.

You need to listen to me when I warn (and I’m certainly not the only one) that America is sliding toward fascism. Why? Because I’m usually right about political matters.

That might sound arrogant, but as a long-time observer of Iowa and national politics, while I don’t always get it right, I’m right often enough that when I tell you fascism is knocking at America’s door you oughta take me seriously.

Everyone who sees where things are heading has a role to play in pushing back against it. Here’s my call-to-action for all Americans, wherever you fall on the political spectrum:

1. DEMOCRATS. If you’re frightened by where things are heading, yeah, you should be. But don’t let it scare you into silence. Don’t give up and assume nothing can be done. Don’t run away to another country. We need you here.

Take heart at the incredible turnout at last week’s “Hands Off!” rallies and marches, which drew an estimated 3-5 million participants in 1,400 events across the country.

Take heart at Harvard University’s refusal to comply with Trump’s discriminatory directives — a stand for justice that cost Harvard $2 billion.

If you’re not involved, get involved. If you’re involved, get more involved, if possible. There are so many ways to make a difference and push back against the march toward fascism. Pick one thing you can do to make a difference and dig into it with all your might.

2. NO-PARTY AND THIRD-PARTY VOTERS. If you aren’t a Democrat or a Republican, I get it. Much of the leadership of both parties is bought-and-paid-for by corporate interests. But while the Democratic Party is milquetoast, the Republican Party is insane.

A complacent Republican Congress is on track to deliver the full-blown fascism Trump and his cronies lust after. (In a rare moment of congressional backbone, I want to thank Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley for offering legislation to assure that Congress has a voice in determining tariffs.)

So suck it up next year and send a Democrat to Congress, even one you aren’t particularly excited about. The only remaining check on Trump’s authoritarianism is the courts. We need a second check, and a Democratic-controlled House is our best hope.

3. NON VOTERS. About 90 million eligible voters didn’t turnout for the 2024 general election. That’s more than the number of people who voted for Donald Trump! I’ve heard all kinds of reasons (excuses, mostly) as to why people choose not to vote. In 2024, only 64% of eligible voters cast a ballot for president. Bump that up to 80% and the 2026 election will see a markedly different outcome.

4. TRUMP VOTERS. Some Democrats don’t like it when I say this, but there are all kinds of reasons why good people might vote for Donald Trump. I’ve previously, and repeatedly, discussed these reasons in my blog and on my talk show, so I won’t go into them here.

If you voted for Trump, I’m sure you’re pleased with some of what he’s done. Heck, even I can think of a few Trump actions I support.

Small stuff, like phasing out the penny.

Bigger stuff, like pausing the ban on Tik-Tok.

Really big stuff, like: “There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many. You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and [Russia and China are] building nuclear weapons (Trump to reporters at the White House on February 13, 2025).” We’ll see if he follows through, though I’m not holding my breath.

But agreeing with elements of Trump’s agenda doesn’t negate the fact that he’s rapidly moving the US toward fascism. His disdain for the Constitution is the most obvious indicator. For example, the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident sent to the mega-prison in El Salvador in what the Trump administration admits was an “administrative error.”

So, you make an error, you fix it, right? Not Trump. Despite that admission, and despite a unanimous US Supreme Court ruling ordering Garcia to be returned to the US, Trump refuses. Even today’s Fox News story leaves no room to question the illegality and anti-Constitutionality of Trump’s refusal.

That’s just one of many, many examples of how President Trump, in just three months, has shown his contempt for the Constitution, for the First Amendment, for habeas corpus, and for the very foundations on which our democracy are built and sustained.

Again, to my Trump-voter friends and acquaintances: is this enough for you to admit that Trump is a fascist? If not, how much more anti-Constitutional behavior are you willing to tolerate?

Please don’t wait too long, or it’ll be too late.

Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action. — Ed Fallon

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