306 Comments
User's avatar
Nancy Burgland's avatar

Can someone else swear in the new Rep-elect Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (Ariz.)? Thanks

Gin's avatar

Additionally, how can she not be sworn in? Isn't that somehow against the law?

Kathy S's avatar

Ikr? If he is refusing to do the job, one would think someone else could do it.

Lisa H Maher's avatar

Think about Merrick Garland. They just refused.

Lisa Ferreira's avatar

Yeah, and the Dems should’ve had a huge fit about it. We might not be in this mess if they wouldn’t have just let that pass and Merrick Garland ended up being a no-nothing don’t rock the boat official- not even worth fighting for after all

Lesley Turner's avatar

And is this something that will happen after 2026 election and prevent any hope of a blue wave? This is really very frightening that an elected official can be prevented from being seated. I mean, what if the stakes are not just the Epstein files but impeachment of the President, the VP and all the others?

If constituents are not represented, can they stop paying federal taxes? No taxation without representation, right? Isn’t that the reason for the Boston Tea Party and the revolution in the first place?

Lisa Ferreira's avatar

Really good question

Emkaykay's avatar

Additionally, how long can they drag this out?

Adam Kinzinger's avatar

Only until they’re back in session

Adam Kinzinger's avatar

Nope unfortunately

Nancy Burgland's avatar

Thanks.... disappointed but I will continue to push back and fight for our country and democracy✌🏼✊🏼

Janie bower's avatar

I would

Like to know the same thing !!!!

scampani's avatar

Thanks Adam! I think they're getting worried about the 18th. I hope it's huge!

It's Come To This's avatar

I am trying to remember what Adam said about Trump and MAGA thriving on chaos, on disorder, on fear and pessimism. They know we find it exhausting just to keep up. So I am trying to fight my own desire to tune out, and hope others remember too. They want us to give up. I'm not good walking or standing for lengths of time anymore, but I hope to go out October 18 with my handwritten sign:

Not With My Consent / Not Through Me / Not on My Goddamn Watch

I wish others well.

Joan Donaldson's avatar

In Holland Michigan some of the older folk ride by the protestors with encouraging signs. I love the ones sitting on their walkers, holding signs.

Charles221's avatar

I find it exhausting to put up with what they throw at me just about every day too.

Patriot Watch Capt's avatar

My wife & I will be marching

Cindy Christensen's avatar

Why can so many in this administration break the law with no consequences?

Gigi's avatar
Oct 7Edited

If the Dems win the House and Senate 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻, can they impeach Supreme Court justices or add to the court? Thank you for your work!

Rhetta Standifer's avatar

Hi Adam

What happens if there is a ruling by a judge that Trump can't send troops into a city like Chicago and he sends them anyway, ignoring the ruling? What's the next step?

Another question: Do you think Trump is really calling the shots or is it Steve Miller and Russ Vought?

Thank you for being a voice of calm and reason when all around us is lunacy.

Cynthia "Cindy"  Cohen's avatar

They found their almost ideal puppet in idiot boy.

Rhetta Standifer's avatar

Sorry - I meant to add for the first question - would he really invoke the Insurrection Act? Does he really have the gall after Jan 6?!!

CB Murray's avatar

Oh, I assure you - he has the gall. Mindblowing - I feel like we slid into an alternate plane of existence as of 1/20.

Judy Kenneally Miller's avatar

He has a goal to do anything don’t ever underestimate him!!! And besides, I don’t think he even gets it that he refused to use the insurrection act when his people were trying to take over the capital!!!

He’s a clueless, dumb shit!!!

CB Murray's avatar

Oh - his folks were just on a leisurely tour 🙄

Stephen Sirkin's avatar

I was curious to learn if you are generating all your material yourself or have you developed a team to assist? I can't tell you how impressed I am with the quality of information you share.

Adam Kinzinger's avatar

Mostly me! My YouTube videos get help with production after i record them. Thanks!

Lisa Ferreira's avatar

How can we stop ICE from the dehumanizing & cruel behavior, especially with children? It’s breaking my heart.

Joan Donaldson's avatar

Me, too. I have written my MAGA rep and said those actions are child abuse

Anne J.'s avatar

Well come on. They’re apparently okay with sexually assaulting children. You think a little roughing up is going to bother them?

Camille Wilson's avatar

Hi Adam! Just wondering if you have stayed

in contact with any of your Republican friends from Congress? Have you been in touch with Liz Cheney since you both left office?

lynn sargent's avatar

Hi Adam......Can the Military arrest the Monster for Treason??? Thank you...

Didi Mack's avatar

What are the possibilities of legal action against Bondi, Patel, Miller etc after Rump is gone? Either by death or leaving office?

Robert Braden's avatar

What do we do when martial law/insurrection act is enacted?

Meg Metcalf's avatar

I'd like some guidance on this as well. Thanks Adam!

SHERI HUNTER's avatar

I definitely like the answer to that question. It worries me every day.

Sue Tarakemeh's avatar

Why are Republicans so afraid of Trump? Is it really only because they are concerned about their primary?

Cathy R's avatar

I know they like the power of being in Congress but life must be hell as a GOP Congress person right now, who would want to keep that job?

Austen Musil's avatar

I've thought the same thing considering, at least from what I hear, their constituents don't even like them.

Jess Piper (not sure if you've heard of her but she's from my state of Missouri & is a political activist) wrote up a piece recently about her Congressman (who is Ruby Red in her Ruby Red district) recently showing up to the football game & looking up into the stands for a friendly face to sit next to & no one waved him up or even acknowledged him.

It doesn't make sense to me, how can people continue to vote for someone they don't even like. This isn't the only example but probably one of the more notable sources to confirm my assessment. I would think it would be hard to work in a profession where the people you depend on to keep your job don't actually like you.

Democrats are so different. We like our representatives & we like to like our representatives. I guess there's a saying, "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line". I heard that somewhere, I don't remember where now but.. it tracks based on my perception.

Cathy R's avatar

Yes I discovered Jess Piper on Substack a few months ago. I often wondered how these extreme republicans keep their job but Jess opened my eyes to the fact that usually no Dems are running against them and probably in some cases no other Republicans running against them.

Actually I think many of us don't like who we vote for but the Dem seems the least of 2 evils. I have rarely liked who I voted for for president. I asked my dad and uncle who were staunch republicans if they have ever been really enthusiastic about who they voted for for president. I think maybe they said Reagan, not sure if I am remembering correctly.

Austen Musil's avatar

Seems like a decent guess, Reagan won 49 out of 50 states when he got reelected. He was really popular.

See, that's where I differ from the average person I think (though I know there are others like me). I need to actually like who I'm voting for. I think people were really excited to vote for Obama when he got elected. The people of Kentucky really seem to love their governor. The people of Connecticut love Chris Murphy. AOC's constituents absolutely adore her. Same with Jasmine Crockett's voters. Jamie Raskin is very popular. James Talarico, if I ever have a chance to vote for him for a national race, I would be very excited to vote for him.

Alissa Slotkin, Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, Governor Pritzker, Wes Moore, the governor of Utah, Tim Waltz, Josh Shapiro, Mark Kelly, John McCain when he was alive, Bush Jr, etc I feel like are/were all candidates that people felt excited to vote for. Those who are still currently in office are very much adored by their voters.

Maybe there are more Republicans who I'm unfamiliar with who are really loved by their voters. Maybe Greg Abbott? Ron Desantis? Of course there's Trump 🙄. Here in Missouri though, the people just don't like politicians. Which seems crazy to me when we're the ones who pick them!

I guess openly disliking & complaining about the government is about as American as apple pie but.. Idk, maybe I'm the kind of person who would rather do something about it than gripe about it.

For most of my life, I parroted what I heard around me & while growing up & thought "all politicians are corrupt", "the government's corrupt" etc. It was while I was in nursing school from 2009-2012 that I started to question this mentality.

Nursing school was hard. Really hard. And I had to work my butt off to get through it. It was my desire to succeed in graduating & becoming an RN & it was my desire to be a good nurse once I got to that point. I wanted to be good at my job & I wanted to be thought of as being good at my job by my patients, my supervisors, superiors, & peers, and, of course, myself. I know there are nurses who aren't good nurses & nurses who do bad things but this is true in every single profession in existence. There have even been corrupt popes historically. No profession has a perfect record. But if everyone is going to be judged by those who are corrupt, well then every profession deserves the negative label.

So, my thinking was, for people who run for office... The ones who start at the bottom & work their way up (or wherever they start), campaigning isn't easy. Running for election isn't easy & winning isn't easy. It's hard work. For many of these people, running for office is possibly something they've wanted to do, or considered doing, for most of their lives.

So, I thought, how does it make sense to believe that every politician is corrupt when that's just not how people are. Not here anyway. Most people don't have a dream job that they have to work their butts off to achieve for the purpose of wanting to be bad at that job. People who want to go into politics, who dream of doing so, don't want to be the Nixon, or the McCarthy in the history books.

Now, does it happen to some anyway? Of course. Humans are weak, greedy, selfish, entitled, narcissistic, & infallible. Some more so than others & we frequently make choices we later regret. In my mind, no one who ran & actually got elected to office wanted or wants to be considered & remembered as a bad president/governor/senator/representative etc. No one goes into office with the intention of being corrupt, people run for office because they believe they can do a better job than the last person who held that office & they want to make a difference.

Or, at least, that's what I believed until Trump. He's challenged all of my beliefs about this now. Actually this time period has challenged all my beliefs about many professions. It was also my belief that people who went into journalism who cover current events did so because they want to expose the truth. They want to be the eyes & ears of the people. Political journalism, I believed, existed to keep the government accountable & it was unthinkable to me that any of them would be in that profession who didn't take that position seriously. To me, it seemed that a profession where success is based entirely on credibility, how would it be possible for the top sources for information to ever become untrustworthy? Of course, that was based on the assumption that people across the board valued the truth above all else.

I could go down several rabbit holes. I was talking to an elderly neighbor back in 2019. We sat on my porch & talked for hours one day. He brought up Trump & I made a face. He said, "Oh? I take it you're not a fan?" I was hesitant because I didn't want the conversation to turn sour & I'm a classic Southern Midwesterner who believes it would be rude to debate with someone twice my age. But he did ask... "No" I said, "not at all". He asked why I felt this way. I said that he is not a good person. He doesn't even try to be a good person. I said that I didn't think he even wanted to make the country better for everyone.

I said, "Why can't we have the kind of presidents today that we read about in our history books? Roosevelt (both of them), Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, etc. why can't we have presidents like those anymore?". He said, "Well, that's the thing, many of those presidents weren't nearly as popular when they were alive & in office as they are now today"

I had never thought of that before. That presidents typically have to be out of office & often no longer alive before they're thought of positively. Which just seems really sad to me because I don't think anyone who dreamed of being president was fully prepared for that. Which is really sad.

It makes me wonder if people changed how they voted, would it change the kind of people we have in office? I've wondered if the downfall of the Republican party partially came from the fact that they know their voters don't like politicians. They'll vote for Republicans but those elected know that they're not expected to be likeable. So many of them are not. I don't know. Just my brainstorming thoughts.

CB Murray's avatar

Schiff gave a great summary re: questions Bondi refused to answer, stating at the end "this is supposed to be an oversight hearing". Please help me understand what are the repercussions she could be subject to (in theory, anyway) and/or what levers exist to compel her (again, at least in theory).

Charlie's avatar

I'd like your evaluation of the "federal agents" terrorizing us Chicago and trying for Portland.

ICE, mostly? CBP too?

They are obviously not trained. They obviously have permission/ encouragement to use excessive and indiscriminate force. I imagine they're ProudBoys and all sorts of other sociopaths.

I am fairly certain there will be a massacre soon, because Trump, Vance, Hegseth, Miller, Bondi are hate- and rage-filled mediocrities. Your take?

CB Murray's avatar

Right? Seems like ICE is scooping up all these folks who couldn't get hired in legit LEO roles due to failing psych tests or perhaps were discharged from service on disciplinary issues. Or maybe (like Putin fills his military) they're pulling violent criminals from prisons and throwing them in the streets. I put nothing past this insecure and evil administration.

Phgladko's avatar

Yeah, Bondi basically said FU to Schiff with her deflecting.

Diane1's avatar

Bondi basically said FU to all the Dem senators. and no Repub stepped up to call out her personal attacks.

Meg Metcalf's avatar

But they sure were loud in support of her "behavior." Is there anyone willing to muzzle Lindsay "The Liar" Graham??

Lisa Ferreira's avatar

Do you think the No Kings protest is actually going to have any effect being that mainstream media does not cover any of this stuff anymore?

Kate White's avatar

I thought the first one got good coverage. The Washington Post is my local paper though. It could be different elsewhere

DAVID GIBSON's avatar

My paper here on Cape Cod covered the No Kings Day in June.

Shelli Strand's avatar

Hey Adam, thanks for the great content. I watched nearly every minute of the George and Esmeralda Doilez harassment, and some of your interview with them. They are doing hard work in coming out against a cult, and I applaud their strength. Though I feel I need to call you to task a bit. When George threw out that Trump was 'no worse' than "cat Kamala", you chuckled, and missed an opportunity to push him on that sleight. I feel that kind of off hand comment helps normalize Trump and further close open conversations to others. Why didn't you ask George to say more about that comment? Is it really ok to equalize Trump's violent, racist and bully campaign v Kamala's at the least decent and respectful? You may not agree with her, but calling Trump equal to her is like Trump saying there's good people on both sides. All this is aside the fact that name calling does not help bring people together. There's more learning here that we are missing. Does he indeed think they are of equal character? Or does he feel gaslighted and sleighted himself? (I'm thinking the latter) I don't expect George and Esmeralda to be perfect communicators - they are citizens. Rather my guess is there's something more informative around why he feels like reducing a fully qualified, dignified candidate to 'the same or no better' than one that openly ran as a fascist. I'd love your take on this.

Eileen Henderson's avatar

I agree 100%. I couldn’t even watch the interview after that. I was not a huge Kamala fan but the fact that he tried to put Trump on an equal par with Kamala needed to be addressed. It sounded to me like the only reason they are not Maga now is because they were picked up by ice because they live in a border town and are Hispanic and didn’t like being picked up. So they didn’t like it because something personally happened to them. Apparently it was OK with them that other citizens were being picked up and thrown in detention centers? Other than that they still sounded full on Maga. The other folks you’ve had on that left Maga were way more thoughtful and intelligent representatives of folks who have left the cult.

Diane1's avatar

sometimes it does take personal experience to make people see the truth. i know that is true for black people who say how they feel or are treated. For example, I have black friends who say oh I can't drive in that neighborhood, I will get stopped. I was like oh come on I'm sure you're exaggerating but then I was in the car with them, and we got stopped! That never happened to me in the same place.

Alice's avatar

I was wanting to watch the interview but not anymore. To compare Kamala to Trump??? Really?? Calling her a cat (and I love them) seems another way of trashing her. I’d rather be a cool cat than a dumb ass.

Austen Musil's avatar

The interview is good & worth the watch. Adam frequently reminds us that we're not going to agree with everyone on the side of fighting for democracy about everything. I didn't see him as saying Harris was as bad as Trump. I just saw him as thinking that she wasn't an ideal choice for him. When someone finally has their eyes opened to realize all the lies about Trump and how they were sucked in doesn't automatically mean that they're going to suddenly become a Democrat.

Nor should they. Democrats have to do more to win people over than to just not be Trump. There has to be a higher bar that's expected to be reached. If the Democratic party was so great & had it all figured out, Trump never would've been able to win an election.

Art B.'s avatar

what is the next step for Adelita Grijalva's appointment by Mike Johnson?