Mayday on May Day

All Republicans can do is applaud their captain

Credit: Getty Images

We’ve made it to the first of May, or May Day, as it’s called. But in the White House, mayday might be a better descriptor. That’s the international distress signal for assistance required.

Michael Waltz made it 100 days as Trump’s national security adviser. Then suddenly he was gone. Ish. Waltz, who infamously added the editor of The Atlantic to an unsecured Signal group chat of Trump officials discussing a military strike, was removed by Trump. “Signalgate” is one of many embarrassing episodes to emerge from Trump 2.0. Yet somehow Pete Hegseth is still employed.

As Trump is wont to flip-flop, Waltz was ousted — but only momentarily. Today he was given the consolation prize of becoming U.N. ambassador. The White House then announced Secretary of State Marco Rubio would, somehow, also take on the role of national security adviser, at least in the interim. What a mess. Where are Abbott and Costello to tell us who’s on first?

Many Democrats have been sitting on their hands, urging restraint, under the theory that if they wait, Republicans, with Trump at the helm, will do themselves in. It’s a tempting strategy.

On any given day, Trump, or one of his chosen people, does something that will make great fodder for Democratic campaign ads during the midterms. But the wait-and-let-them-implode approach won’t work when Republicans consistently lie to the American people. And any reasonable person would agree that those lies must be challenged, in real time.

Take Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, which was such a lovefest it’s being compared to something you might see in North Korea. But one wonders if even Kim Jong Un wouldn’t have been embarrassed by the chorus of sycophants praising their dear leader at the White House. One by one, with cameras rolling, each Cabinet member tried to outdo their comrades.

Here was Waltz, before his sudden reassignment: “Mr. President, the last four years, the world experienced a total lack of — zero leadership under Biden, and then we’ve had 100 days of your leadership, with respect, with strength.” Apparently Waltz’s words weren’t quite flattering enough.

Next, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum showed ‘em how it’s done: “You’re not just courageous, you’re actually fearless,” he told Trump.

If you can believe it, it got more cringey. Pam Bondi, the attorney general, could barely contain herself: “Mr. President, your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country. Ever. Ever. Never seen anything like it. Thank you.”

She then took it up several notches. Bondi claimed that drug busts under the Trump administration have saved more than half the American population. Turning to the cameras, like something out of “The Office,” she announced that 3,400 pounds of fentanyl had allegedly been taken off the streets during Trump II, “which saved — are you ready for this, media? 258 million lives.” To be clear, there are 340 million Americans.

For sheer entertainment value, watching a Trump Cabinet meeting is hard to beat. If the fate of the world weren’t at stake, it would be worthy of a “Saturday Night Live” skit. But as our alliances crumble and our economy collapses, nothing coming from this meeting should be considered anything more than what it is: propaganda.

In the face of Trump disinformation and MAGA mayhem, a number of Democrats are beginning to find their voice. They are saying enough with politics as usual, because Trump is anything but usual. The old rules are beyond antiquated. To combat the lies and the many unconstitutional and inhumane policies of the Trump administration, some Democrats are rewriting the rules.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and his progressive heir apparent, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have been on a swing across the West on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Sanders’ familiar arguments against inequity are resonating big time with a new audience.

The pair have been electrifying enormous crowds in a lot of very red states, like Idaho, Utah, and Montana. “I don’t think this is Trump country, I think this is our country,” Ocasio-Cortez said at many stops on the tour.

A lesser-known Democratic duo, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, are making the rounds of Republican congressional districts. Richard Hudson, who represents North Carolina’s 9th District, told his fellow House Republicans not to hold town halls so they wouldn’t have to face angry voters. Murphy and Frost made it a point to hold a town hall for Hudson’s constituents, since he won’t. It was standing room only.

Maxwell, who at 28 is the youngest member of Congress, knows how to win over a crowd. “If you’re here and voted for Trump in the past, my message is simple: I’m sorry you were lied to, but welcome to the team,” he told the attendees.

Murphy has been one of the Democrats out in front fighting Trump since he took office. He posts lengthy videos on social media that hold the president accountable. “I think when people see us engaged in risk-averse behavior, then they are much less likely to show up for rallies to ultimately engage in the kind of civil disobedience we might need to save the democracy,” he told the Associated Press.

Governors, especially Democratic ones, are in a tenuous position when it comes to Trump. They need federal money to keep vital programs like Medicare and public education running. But governors like Kathy Hochul of New York and Janet Mills of Maine recognize they also must fight for their state and their constituents. Both are suing the administration.

No one is raising his voice louder against Trump than Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Since January, he has turned his state into a bulwark, fighting Trump at every turn. On Sunday, Pritzker pulled no punches in a fiery speech aimed squarely at Trump and company.

“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now. These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace,” Pritzker said.

The speech was delivered to Democrats in New Hampshire, but his call to action was meant for anyone fed up with Trump’s disinformation campaign.

“Fellow Democrats, for far too long we’ve been guilty of listening to a bunch of do-nothing political types who would tell us that America’s house is not on fire, even as the flames are licking their faces. Today, as the blaze reaches the rafters, the pundits and politicians — whose simpering timidity served as kindle for the arsonists — urge us now not to reach for a hose,” Pritzker said.

Polls indicate that Republicans are doing plenty of damage on their own. Odds of a White House political implosion are rising. By his actions today, Trump is showing he’s increasing the chaos and destructive outrageousness that are hallmarks of his presidency.

In the meantime, a core group of Democrats have decided that calling out the lies and amplifying the illegal and unethical policies of the administration is the way forward. At a time when many Americans are looking for a fight and for a leader, a few Democrats are finally raising their hands.

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Dan