Michael Meeropol

Everyone who had the misfortune to see Trump’s various speeches on inauguration day got to see him explain that the word “tariff’ was the most beautiful word in the dictionary, only to catch himself and say, well, actually “God, religion and love” need to come first. – THEN would come tariff.

My question for today is --- “How does a Republican Congressman sell a cut in Medicaid as NO CUTS TO MEDICAID?” Answer --- by hiding it in a big number without specification. In a first and very revealing vote, every Republican but one in the House, (including eleven who are the most vulnerable to a Democratic challenge in 2026), voted to move a budget “blueprint” forward.

This commentary was recorded the afternoon of February 19. That very day, there was an important hearing held before a federal judge in New York City. The issue was the decision of the Trump Justice Department to order the dropping of all charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Violating an explicit law and getting away with it is how autocrats kill democracies. This commentary presents one important example. When the Secretary of the Treasury gave Elon Musk and a few of his young “whiz kids” access to the Treasury Payments System and Musk immediately targeted the Lutheran Family Services, he was breaking the law. Let me explain.

Despite overwhelming evidence and the strong support of Representative Jim McGovern, my brother’s Congressman, President Biden left office without acting on our request that he issue a formal apology for the wrongful conviction and execution of my mother, Ethel Rosenberg.

So TIME Magazine has named Trump “Person of the year.” Their reason:“For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world."

In the weeks since the election I have been very bothered by what appear to be efforts by Democratic politicians to treat Trump’s victory like any Presidential transition --- respect the will of the voters, provide for an orderly peaceful transition (maybe make a big deal about how RESPONSIBLE the Democrats are), blah blah blah.

I have to admit, I spent the last year arguing that Trump is a fascist and no matter what, it was essential to defeat his bid for re-election. Come to find out, the majority of Americans did not think that the reason to vote for Kamala Harris was that she was not Trump.

When Donald Trump first ran for President in 2015, I said “I think he’s a fascist.” Thus began years of study and reflection about whether my instinct was correct or if it was hyperbole.

I have just returned from a trip to North Carolina where I spoke at the University in Chapel Hill. I arrived on the evening of September 29 and left the morning of October 2. While there, I gave four separate presentations --- all either directly or indirectly related to my desire to warn people of the dangers of authoritarianism posed by Trump and Trumpism. But my trip to North Carolina coincided with the terrible toll taken by Hurricane Helene in the western portion of the state. And that was the source of lots of my conversations.