QUICK HITS! Project 2025, VP Picks, Trump's an Anti-Semite, White People for Harris, and Lord of the Rings Lego

Each day seems like a week, and each week seems like a year, and the firehose of chaos is relentless and merciless. In moments like these, we need to unleash some quick hits to deal with all the news!

1. TRUMP’S PROJECT 2025 IS GOING NOWHERE

The Trump Campaign released a statement today announcing the demise of Project 2025 which is totally a normal thing to do for a 900+ page blueprint for a future Trump Administration that is allegedly in no way, shape, or form associated with Donald Trump even though his name is mentioned in it numerous times and 140 people who worked with him are involved in its creation, including his previous chief of staff Mark Meadows and advisor Stephen Miller, and he has spoken at the Heritage Foundation think tank that published the document and the President of that think tank, Kevin Roberts, has a book coming out in which the foreward is written by his current VP pick J.D. Vance, who is simultaneously obliterating his campaign with his misogynist comments and allegedly “interesting” sexual fetishes, and his former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who is currently in jail, went on TV and openly discussed the extremist policies in Project 2025 as part and parcel of his next Trump Administration.

But rest assured, America, Project 2025 has nothing to do with Trump, and it’s, like, totally gone and stuff. We know this because Project 2025 director Paul Dans, a former top advisor in the Trump Administration, stepped down after receiving pressure from the Trump campaign. Which, again, is a totally normal thing that happens when you have nothing to do with Project 2025. Also, when you threaten people with “it will not end well for you” for connecting you to Project 2025 that is a perfectly healthy sign of a serene, pensive and changed Donald Trump who is seeking unity and healing…and definitely not associated with Project 2025. 

Project 2025 has Trump’s small, greasy, greedy fingerprints all over it and no matter how hard he tries he can’t escape its stench. Thank you, actress Taraji P. Henson for bringing this to our national attention when you urged Americans to look it up during the BET Awards. 

2. THE GREAT VP-OFF

Who will win the VP-off? 

There is a deep bench of Democratic contenders who have their respective strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I’ll roll with Kamala Harris even if she chose a coconut tree as her running mate. It’s still a more qualified and safer option than the Trump-Vance ticket for MAGA dictatorship. However, the coconut tree’s political ambitions will have to wait. The field seems to be narrowing down to 4 individuals: 

• Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro

• Minnesota Governor Tim “These guys are weird” Walz

• Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear

• Arizona Senator Mark “I’m an astronaut” Kelly.

I think all of them are fine and can help VP Kamala Harris defeat Trump. However, I am leaning towards Walz and Beshear. 

First, Tim Walz has made a grand entrance on the national stage with his extremely effective messaging during his numerous press appearances. His Midwestern Nice way of attacking Trump and MAGA as “weird” has taken off. He’s a former teacher, former U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, a football coach, a gun owner, and he never apologizes for his progressive track record or Democratic policies. A good VP helps complement the President, amplify the message for the chorus and add to the chorus. Walz has momentum and energy, and that’s what’s needed to galvanize a multicultural base for the next few months. Now, the George Floyd protests and a failure to stop fraud committed during COVID-19 through a program meant to feed kids would be dings, but I think he can overcome them easily.

Top progressive Democrats nationwide also support Beshear, who is the youngest candidate, and is a popular Democratic governor of a very red state. Beshear, like Walz, has been extremely effective making the case for Harris on media, and he is the perfect foil for JD Vance, who is seen as an elitist fraud and not an authentic country boy like Beshear. Some pro-choice advocates say Beshear isn’t progressive enough on the issue, but the counter to that claim is that he openly ran on abortion rights in Kentucky.

Although Shapiro and Kelly are popular, broad consensus picks, both of them have problematic stances that will alienate and disappoint progressive voters. Shapiro has been pro vouchers, which has earned him the ire of public school teachers, and he’s been on the right when it comes to supporting Israel’s unpopular war in Gaza. Specifically, he compared the pro-ceasefire protestors to the KKK and backed the state’s anti-BDS law. Senator Kelly recently attended Benjamin Netanyahu’s gross speech at the US Capitol and gave him a standing ovation. He also has a spotty track record with unions because he was slow to back the PRO Act, although he just came around last week.

For all these reasons, I hope she goes with Walz and Beshear, but honestly, any pick is better than Trump and Vance. 

3. TRUMP IS ANTISEMITIC

Folks, just stay with me for a second. I know Trump has Jewish grandchildren and a Jewish son-in-law. I also know he has a daughter. But none of this has stopped him from being anti-semitic or misogynistic. This is a feature, not a bug. In a radio interview today, Trump said, “if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you are a fool. An absolute fool.” Well, he just insulted around 70% of American Jews. He also said that Harris doesn’t like Jewish people, even though she is married to Doug Emhoff, a Jewish man, and step-mother to his two Jewish children. Speaking of Doug, Trump referred to him as a “crappy Jew” and a “horrible Jew.”

Meanwhile, Trump loves Jews. I mean the evidence is overwhelming. He has dined with white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and refused to condemn him to this day. He has promoted the antisemitic dual loyalty trope against Jewish Americans. He has repeated the anti-semitic white replacement theory which has radicalized terrorists to commit violence against Jews. He has quoted Hitler’s language against immigrants and allegedly praised the genocidal dictator as doing “some good things” according to his former DHS Secretary John Kelly. His VP pick, JD Vance, has also promoted the white replacement theory, and the entire GOP now talks about the “deep state” being funded by George Soros and powerful Jews.

Maybe he’s had some flare-ups and slip-ups.

Or, maybe Trump is just an antisemite? I’ll let you decide. (He is.)

4. WELL DONE, WHITE PEOPLE FOR HARRIS!

This is just a quick shout out to white people for doing good. I know I can be hard on some white folks for their embrace of white supremacy and using “economic anxiety” as an excuse to support Trumpism and its wholesale attack on the rights of marginalized communities. But, White Women for Harris and White Dudes for Harris were fantastic, grassroots initiatives that raised millions of dollars and really mobilized a base with intelligent, substantive talking points and speakers. White folks, do I dare hope and dream that you’ll be rallying your white friends to join this multicultural coalition against Trump, MAGA weirdness, white supremacy and hate?

I do.

5. LEGO

I spent a month building this epic Lord of the Rings Barad-dur set which has the Eye of Sauron. I am proud of it. I think it’s cool. I feel we should embrace its awesomeness. 

Thank you.