That acrid odor in the air right now is the smell of bridges burning. Many predicted that the friendship between thin-skinned drama queens Elon Musk and Donald Trump wasn’t built to last, but few thought it’d go supernova quite so dramatically. 4v6j6w

Last night, amidst bad blood over the disastrous DOGE and acrimony over Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, Musk alleged that the reason the Epstein files hadn’t been released is because Trump is heavily featured in them, thus insinuating that the president is a pedophile.

Time to drop the really big bomb:@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

Have a nice day, DJT!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025

Anyone’s who’s been paying the slightest bit of attention to Musk over the last year will have known a crash-out was inevitable. He began the year by throwing up a Nazi salute to the world’s media and seems to have spent the last few months in a ketamine-addled haze, with reports alleging he’s abused the drug to such an extent it’s seriously damaged his bladder.

So, his health, businesses, reputation, and arguably his citizenship are now in question, and the entire political spectrum now hates his guts. What better time to tempt him over to being a Democrat er?!

Masterful politics! 2sm1b

Incredibly, that’s what’s being reported in Politico, with Dem operatives now apparently eyeing up Musk for a redemption arc. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who represents Silicon Valley and is a longtime Musk associate, insists Democrats must enter “a dialogue” with Musk:

“We should ultimately be trying to convince him that the Democratic Party has more of the values that he agrees with. A commitment to science funding, a commitment to clean technology, a commitment to seeing international students like him.”

Centrist Dem boob Liam Kerr thinks it’s a no-brainer to throw open the doors to this chaotic, self-destructive, and unpleasant creep. “Of course” he should be back, Kerr opined. “You don’t want anyone wildly distorting your politics, which he has a unique capability to do. But it’s a zero-sum game. Anything that he does that moves more toward Democrats hurts Republicans.”

Yes, um, guys. So. Elon is… let’s go with “tainted”. And, from a political strategy point of view, maybe welcoming someone willing to toss up a “Heil Hitler” on stage and, given his immense wealth, granting him vast influence over your party isn’t such a hot idea.

But then I’m just some humble journalist and these people are high-flying political strategists. I mean, they only just got crushed in an election by Donald Trump after spending months welcoming the likes of Liz Cheney and Anthony Scaramucci on stage. So what do I know?

The United States will be a very different country after four more years of Donald Trump. After just a few months, he’s taken a wrecking ball to the economy, alienated the nation’s closest allies, sent innocent people to die in foreign hellholes, obliterated cutting-edge scientific research, and released hundreds of convicted criminals onto the streets.

In these times, a desperate nation looks to Washington for political warriors who’ll resist this with every atom in their bodies, people willing to put their careers on the line to stop MAGA, those with moral grit, courage, and the tenacity to fight for America’s soul.

But, unfortunately, what we actually have is the Democratic Party, which couldn’t fight its way out of a wet paper bag. Hold up though, the Dems have an idea – and for once it’s not making interminable speeches or casually ing genocide! Yup, the DNC has just executed its big plan to bring down MAGA, a scheme that’ll really put them in their place for good.

Another winning plan 3b293c

Here’s how it went down. The Dems commissioned a taco truck that they parked outside the Republican National Convention’s DC headquarters and, get this, served the Republicans inside as many free tacos as they could eat! Hah! Got ’em!

The @DNC trolls Trump & Republicans with a chicken taco truck outside GOP headquarters in DC.

A reference to the phrase…

Trump Always Chickens Out (regarding tariffs)

I'm told the truck arrived at noon and it was cleaned out within an hour. pic.twitter.com/zVBWYp12Hl

— Jackie (@Jackie_Koppell) June 3, 2025

We’re sure MAGA was reeling from this body blow as they asked for extra guac and hot sauce, apparently cleaning out the free food in about an hour. Now, the idea is that this will infuriate Trump and MAGA by reminding them of the TACO acronym, which means Trump Always Chickens Out when it comes to tariffs. To be fair, Trump does genuinely seem to be annoyed by the term, calling a reporter who asked him about it “nasty”.

But, even if the abbreviation TACO annoys Trump, we suspect actual tacos do not. And, anyway, they’re not serving tacos to Trump, they’re serving them to RNC staffers who weren’t offended in the slightest and simply enjoyed the free lunch.

So, the next time you get an email from the Democrats begging you for a donation, just that this ridiculous, pointless performance nonsense is what they’re spending your hard-earned money on.

If this is the best they can do, the mid are going to be a slaughterhouse even with Trump running rampant over the Constitution and the law. Here’s hoping there’s someone with brains and backbone somewhere in the DNC, because right now, all they’re doing is filling the bellies of the enemy.

Democrats in the South are facing significant challenges following recent electoral setbacks, particularly in Texas where the party’s grip on Latino voters has shown signs of weakening. The situation has prompted Democratic leaders to reassess their strategy and acknowledge past mistakes in their approach to Latino communities.

The Democratic Party’s struggles in the region are multifaceted, with Republicans maintaining advantages in fundraising and control over state legislatures. This Republican dominance extends to the redistricting process, further complicating Democrats’ path to victory. The situation has become more challenging following November’s elections, where Republican strongholds grew even stronger.

According to Politico, Texas State Rep. Erin Gamez, representing a district in South Texas, addressed the party’s shortcomings in engaging Latino voters, stating that taking Latinos for granted is “a mistake we’ll never make again.” This acknowledgment comes as Texas Democrats grapple with their losses in South Texas, a region they had previously considered crucial to their long-term success.

New initiatives aim to rebuild Democratic presence in Texas 4q33y

In response to these challenges, Democratic leaders are implementing new strategies to strengthen their position. These include establishing a Spanish-language communications department and making efforts to fill vacant precinct positions, which currently stand at 50 percent unfilled.

Local Democratic leaders are also openly criticizing the national party’s approach, arguing that there has been insufficient for building lasting political operations throughout Texas. They emphasize the need to focus on middle-class issues, including higher wages and increased investment in public education.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has responded to these concerns with new funding initiatives. Under recently announced changes, red states will receive $22,500 per month, representing a 50 percent increase, while blue states will get $17,500 monthly, a 30 percent increase from current levels. This additional funding is intended to state parties in hiring staff, opening field offices, and conducting research to refine their messaging.

The importance of building strong local infrastructure was highlighted by Brandon Presley’s recent experience in Mississippi, where he came within 3 percentage points of winning the governorship. According to DNC Chair Ken Martin, Presley attributed his narrow loss partly to the lack of ground-level infrastructure, underscoring the critical need for long-term investment in local party operations. Martin emphasized that building this infrastructure is essential for the party to effectively compete in future elections.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is receiving growing criticism after charging a Democratic congresswoman while at the same time dismissing charges against another Democrat who was arrested during the same event. This, along with a recently opened investigation into the mayor of Chicago, has led to claims that the DOJ is conducting investigations into well-known Democratic officials for political reasons.

The latest dispute involves Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, a Democrat from New Jersey, who was charged by the Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, with attacking, obstructing, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. As reported by MSNBC, the charges relate to an event on May 9 at an immigration detention center in Newark.

McIver, along with two other Democratic of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, were at the facility, stating they were carrying out federal oversight. After the incident, which reportedly involved a physical struggle, McIver was charged.

DOJ pressing charges against democratic representatives 2f6o20

At the same time, charges against Mayor Baraka, who was also arrested at the Newark ICE facility on May 9, were dropped. Baraka said he was happy about the dismissal and shared his belief that McIver would also be cleared of charges. The difference in how the DOJ handled McIver’s and Baraka’s cases has attracted a lot of attention and criticism.

The choice to charge McIver while letting Baraka go, even though both were involved in the same incident, has resulted in accusations that the DOJ is picking and choosing who to prosecute based on politics. People are also questioning why the charges against McIver took so long to file. The arrest happened on May 9, but the charges were not officially brought until a week later.

This delay has added to suspicions that the prosecution is politically driven. The unequal treatment of McIver and Baraka, both Democrats, makes the DOJ’s actions seem inconsistent. The issue surrounding McIver’s charges is not the only one. The DOJ has also started an investigation into Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

This investigation, announced by the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, will look into whether Mayor Johnson’s office has been involved in a pattern of racial discrimination. The announcement came after Mayor Johnson spoke at a church service, where he pointed out the high number of Black officials in his istration.

The timing of the Chicago investigation, right after the controversy involving Congresswoman McIver, has caused even more accusations that the DOJ is intentionally going after prominent Democratic leaders. Critics say these investigations are not just politically motivated but also meant to scare people, discouraging them from speaking out against the istration. They argue that these high-profile, attention-grabbing investigations could hurt Democratic candidates and their chances in elections.

The accusations have been quickly condemned. Reverend Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, called the DOJ’s actions an effort to frighten critics of the president. He expressed worry that these investigations might stop people, even those who do not usually get involved in politics, from criticizing the istration’s decisions.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for Republicans to “stick together” in order to the Senate budget resolution which would pave the way for the party to set up reconciliation, a process that allows the by of the 60 vote threshold.

The budget blueprint was adopted by the House with 216 in favor against 214 on Thursday. This was after a number of GOP holdouts who demanded deeper spending cuts threatened to upend Republican plans on Wednesday. Regardless, the majority were assured that the Senate would pursue a target of $1.5 trillion in savings minimum which convinced most to vote in the resolutions favor. Two Republican representatives ed Democrats in voting against it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene tells Republicans to stick together 35183i

Now Greene has taken to X to demand that Republicans stick together “so that we can MOVE FORWARD to reconciliation!” We all know how she feels about of her party that don’t toe the line. Ironic that she’s calling for people to stick together when she is without a doubt one of the most divisive figures in politics.

Greene calls reconciliation “the most impactful legislation we will with both chambers” and promises it will be done without Democrats. The legislation will be vital for Trump’s agenda. It would allow for policies to be ed without input from Democrats. That’s a pretty terrifying thought.

Individuals on X agreed with Greene’s statement. One person wrote, “This is the first step toward restoring fiscal sanity and pushing back on the left’s destructive spending spree.” Another asked politicians to “Put your ego aside for the American People.”

Apparently we should trust Donald Trump d113y

The Georgia representative then goes on to heap praise on Trump. She states that the president has brought $7 trillion in investment into the U.S. She also pointed out that he is giving Republicans what they want by cutting federal spending and things deemed wasteful.

To summarise, she calls for Republicans to trust Trump (fat chance) as she claims that his “economic growth combined with smart spending cuts is the BEST way.”

In the time since Adam Kinzinger emerged as a key critic of Donald Trump, he’s dished out some stellar advice.

Much of it was (somewhat sarcastically) aimed at the president himself, who could really use to take a few Kinzinger lessons to heart. As could Democrats, who’ve been floundering in their response to Trump’s increasingly concerning behavior. As he hands the reins of the country over to Elon Musk, Democrats are watching our government disappear before their very eyes, and it doesn’t seem like they’re doing much to stop it.

To be fair — but not too fair — to Democrats, they’re doing more behind the scenes than can be seen on the surface. Their protests to Trump’s Congressional remarks were lukewarm, at best, and their mild pushback to his concerning agenda feels like a massive under-reaction, but most people aren’t keeping track of the various measures — both legal and practical — Democrats are pursuing in hopes of tripping up the Trump Train.

Still, it seems to most of us — including former Representative Kinzinger — are at our limit where it comes to the Democratic response to Trump. With a few key exceptions, Congressional Democrats simply aren’t doing enough, and Kinzinger believes they’re setting themselves up for failure.

They’re also walking straight into a Republican trap, according to the former Republican representative. In an eight minute video posted to his Substack, the 47-year-old implored Democrats to vote against the incoming continuing resolution, which will keep the government funded for the next few months.

In the midst of a handy explanation of how a continuing resolution makes its way through Congress, Kinzinger explained how bad this method of governing is for various departments, including the Department of Defense. It muddies up the system, according to Kinzinger, and stalls progress, but that’s not even the worst of it.

Emergency Video: Dems are falling into GOP trap, plus all about what is happening in the Govt funding fight, and how dems can push back. This is your one chance to have some DOGE ability, and on Ukraine. (link to full video in reply) pic.twitter.com/xpYn7DIAJy

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) (@AdamKinzinger) March 11, 2025

The real issue, in Kinzinger’s mind, is the Democratic issue with messaging. While he understands why his fellow statesman talk a big game about avoiding a government shutdown, it also opens the door for blame slinging — a practice Republicans have perfected over the years. Instead, he thinks Democrats should avoid taking any kind of responsibility where government shutdowns are concerned, which would force Republicans to actually do something.

By wielding “the power of the purse,” Kinzinger advises that Democrats could retake some small measure of power, and shift the overarching narrative that currently dominates government shutdown conversations. All of which brings the former Congressman to his main message to Democrats, as he pleads with them to avoid taking blame for the possible shutdown.

“You don’t own this government shutdown, but I guarantee you, if it happens, the Republicans will spend 90% of their messaging effort pinning this on you,” he said, adding that they’ll likely be successful, because “Democrats are not very good at messaging right now.”

Which could land Congressional Democrats with all the blame for the shutdown, despite the fact that Republicans currently control every body of government. All Democrats need to do is fix their messaging, and ensure that responsibility for the shutdown falls where it should.

“Message it clearly, this is the Republicans problem — this is not the Democrats problem. If we go into a shutdown, its because they can’t get their own House in order,” he said, to finish his video. “If they really want our help that’s fine — come to the table and talk to us.”

It’s hard to believe that newly elected President Donald Trump might be willing to relinquish control now that he’s got it, but every day that Elon Musk pushes the limits of his apparently unlimited governmental role, we have to wonder how serious DJT is about that presidential title. The Tesla billionaire has been front and center of the istration since getting involved during the campaign, and his latest aggressive power move may be just the tip of the iceberg.

Musk flexed his “special government employee” role on Saturday by unilaterally canceling hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of government grants, sparking concern in Americans whose nerves are already frayed. Despite the outpouring of frustration over Musk’s apparent overstep, most Republicans are more than happy to watch him stick his fingers in every single American pie. One of the only representatives to loudly decry Musk’s actions is Adam Kinzinger. The Republican in Name Only (RINO) took to Musk’s own platform, X.com, to call for action early Monday morning, and voters from both sides of the aisle couldn’t agree more with his assessment.

Trump has only been in power for 2 weeks, but his istration has already given Americans a horrible case of whiplash. They’ve pushed through 18-year-olds’ right to bear arms — though they still can’t buy a beer — pulled our country out of trade deals and NATO, wiped out history months for anyone who isn’t white, promised to buy out civil servants with the “deferred resignation program” (which somehow people believe in despite Trump’s penchant for stiffing workers), and fired 17 independent government watchdogs who will surely be replaced by Trump loyalists. Early last week, it even tried to pause billions of dollars worth of federal aid, but the disastrous move was so unpopular, the istration was forced to roll it back the same day.

All of those individual moments may have created an air of uncertainty for Americans, but at least it was the president making the decisions, which is more than anyone can say about Musk. If Democrats had the audacity to bring George Soros into the government, MAGA conspiracy theorists would love their Trump-thumping minds. The truly audacious behavior sent Kinzinger straight to X.com, where he tried to rally troops from across the aisle.

“The place is on fire,” Kinzinger wrote in an effort to urge Dems to come back from the session break early. “Get suing, messaging, demonstration, speaking, everything and ANYTHING.” He followed his message up just a few hours later with a video plea.

“All of these agencies that employees are being locked out of… Send of congress with those employees to walk them into work. Or just send of Congress…. to investigate what these people are doing. Dare them to stop you because they cant.”

It seems some Democrats actually took Kinzinger’s “free advice.” Just a few hours after his second post, the USAID was surrounded by protestors, and of Congress were walking the halls. Granted, USAID focuses exclusively on providing aid to foreign nations, but the response is exactly what Kinzinger is advocating for. As Senator Chris Murphy pointed out during the rally, “Elon Musk makes billions of dollars based off of his business with China. An China is cheering at this action today.”

As a non-governmental employee, Musk should make everyone nervous with his proximity to sensitive data — especially data that will help him make more money in the future. This is a man who asked for, and was awarded, a $52 billion “performance bonus” before a judge ruled it was unconstitutional. Do government agencies need to be evaluated? Absolutely. Should it be by someone who stands to gain from their dissolution? We’re thinking no.

Musk has, time and time again, shown who he is as a person: a nearly soulless automaton with ties to white nationalism and the disposition of an edgy emo preteen from the 2000s. He’s the last person who should be in charge of deciding who does and does not deserve monetary help, because just like Trump, we know Musk will choose himself every time.

The grim reality of our national situation is finally settling in for a bulk of American citizens, some of whom used their free expression to elect Donald Trump president.

Now that he’s taken up the position once again — this time with far more preparations in place — Trump is making disastrous move after disastrous move, and the tenor of the country is noticeably dour. Stress is once again spiking, after a brief four-year respite, and it feels like we’re treading water in a very large, and very dangerous, ocean.

Which is prompting a wave of state-side voters from both sides of the political aisle to aim their anger at the U.S. government, and in particular at Democrats. They seem to think that Democrats should be doing more to stop Trump’s promised shift into fascism, and they’ve taken to social media to demand that politicians on the left “do something” to stop Trump.

Unfortunately for them (and the rest of us) its a little late to demand action from our representatives. While there’s certainly still more they can do — and we should always expect our representatives to fight for what’s right — their opportunity to really impact Trump’s plans died with America’s spirit on Nov. 5, 2024. Alongside Trump, a slew of Republicans found massive success in the election, which led to a majority no amount of Democratic maneuvering can compete with.

None of which is stopping outraged Americans from pointing their indignation at exactly the wrong targets. They’re aiming their horror and disgust at Democratic Congresspeople, while the clown show that’s steering the ship continues to laugh in the face of American democracy. Instead of pinning the blame where it naturally lands, people are blasting Democratic leadership and blaming them for failing “the American people.”

And look, I’m all for criticizing the stagnant Democratic hold-ons who should have been out of a job decades ago. I’m sick of dinosaurs making decisions for the rest of us, and I’m even more sick of their careful manipulations within the party, as they seek to retain power. But other Representatives, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are already working hard to fix the system, and no amount of whinging is going to make the U.S. government any less broken.

If people really want someone to yell at, it should be the friends, family , co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances that voted to allow a criminal to become Commander-in-Chief — or didn’t vote at all. It’s the people who paved the way for this hellscape we’re currently living in who really deserve an earful, but — in some cases, at least — they’re instead among those same people calling for our elected leadership to do more.

And the Democrats should do more, don’t get me wrong. I also want them to do absolutely everything in their power to stop Trump, to impeach the tangerine tyrant, and to block his criminal policies before they become a terrifying reality. Those that are complaining, rather than doing something, do deserve criticism, but so does every single American who whines without taking their own advice.

Let’s all be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Take your outrage off of social media and into places it counts. Call your representatives, demand action, or change, or that they “do something” on a local level. Or better yet, you do something. Go out into your communities and be the change you’re so desperate to see in this world. Or take the ambitious route and pull a Tim Walz or AOC — run for Congress, and make it your responsibility to “do something” productive for this nation.

There’s nothing that isn’t the fault of Democrats, if you ask the far-right, and — in true Republican form — it turns out that even extends to acts of God.

Natural disasters aren’t preventable by human interference, but they are more easily controlled when proper infrastructure, planning, and quick action are implemented. In far too many instances across this, among the wealthiest nations in the world, we’ve failed to properly prepare for such disasters, and when they strike we’re left scrambling to save lives. We’re once again facing a mounting death toll in California as the Palisades Fire rages, and you can bet who Republicans are heaping blame on.

It’s become an annual talking point, over the last few decades, as fires, floods, hurricanes, and winter storms ravage our country and rob American citizens of their lives, livelihoods, and homes. Rarely is the blame thrust on anyone but mother nature herself, but when disaster strikes a Democrat-controlled area, that narrative suddenly shifts. Abruptly it’s the fault of leadership, not climate change, and people like Donald Trump and former Acting Director of National Intelligence of the United States Richard Grenell are happy to point the finger anywhere but inward.

Grenell wasted little time in shifting the blame for the Palisades Fire onto the “far-left,” following in the footsteps of far more relevant far-right figures. Like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump before him, it seems Grenell is hopping on the “Democrats can control the weather” train, and ing the unhinged masses who truly believe the left is wielding weather as a weapon against the right.

This is despite the fact that California is a notoriously blue state, occupied largely by those “coastal elites” the right loves to rail against. If anyone were to target California it certainly wouldn’t be the Democrats, but sure, “the far-left policies of Democrats in California are literally burning us to the ground.”

That’s what Grenell wrote in an outraged post to social media in early January, as homes were becoming ash across Palisades. He added a demand that Californians “stop voting for people who won’t use common sense water management and forest policies.”

That last bit is actually valid, but it ignores several things. For one, that fires have ravaged California for decades, including under Republican leadership. For another, it’s a natural disaster — yes, more could have been done to protect homes, but there’s no amount of preparation that can entirely prevent mass damage from something as devastating as the Palisades Fire.

None of that matters much to Grenell, the incoming Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions (whatever that means) for Trump’s second istration. It’s absolutely worthwhile to examine what can be done better in the future when disasters of this nature strike, but tossing around blame without any real substance helps no one. It just further divides people in the midst of a deadly crisis, and ignores the insidious threat that is climate change. But when you’re rooted in the party of denial and finger pointing, accepting the science isn’t really an option.

Known by many as the “King of Country,” legendary musician George Strait has been a staple of the country music scene for just shy of five decades.

Over the course of his long career Strait has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the genre. Hits like “Amarillo by Morning” and “Carrying Your Love With Me” are probably what he’s most well known for but Strait has been prolific in his music-making, starting in 1976 and never really stopping – his 31st studio album, Cowboys and Dreamers released September 2024. He’s even got his family involved in the past.

But outside of his music fans have often found themselves wondering what George Strait’s politics are. Has he ever really made his political leanings known publicly? And if so, which way does he lean">allegedly donated $240 to the Republican Senatorial Committee in 1992, although the sources claiming this are pretty flimsy.

George Strait seems to be set on remaining apolitical when in public, but we suspect he’s a Republican voter. The evidence certainly points in that direction although we’ll likely never get 100% confirmation.

Look, I get it, we Canadians beat the United States to the “legalize gay marriage” punch by a decade, and are ostensibly known for our cheerful and open demeanors, making dessert out of popsicle sticks, maple syrup, and snow, and having rainbow money. I would take absolutely zero issue with someone interpreting my Canadianness as undiluted proof of my queerness (nevermind the fact that my queerness can be proven by the sole fact that I am queer).

But even if I wasn’t queer, this delightful interaction captured by TikTok‘s @parrishdixon more or less sums up how genially I would receive such a misunderstanding.

Over the course of this 25-second video which took place a few days before that tragic election, a Democratic Party volunteer named Charlie rolls up to the door before knocking and being greeted by Parrish’s visiting uncle. Charlie informs him that he’s trying to get people to go out and vote, only for Parrish’s uncle to tell him that he can’t do so. Charlie probes a bit, asking if he can’t vote or just doesn’t want to, and Parrish’s uncle clarifies that he can’t, because he’s Canadian.

But then, oddly, Charlie assures him that he could still vote. Eyebrows are raised, right up until Charlie ends the sentence by saying that it makes no difference if you’re gay; you can still vote!

It’s at this point that Parrish’s uncle realizes that Charlie misheard him, and repeats the fact that he’s Canadian with a bit more enunciation. The two gents break out into a fit of shared laughter as Charlie offers up a thoroughly Canadian-coded “Oh jeez, I’m sorry,” after which they likely parted ways with a new funny story to tell.

As expected, there were a handful of sour comments that we’ll spare you the details on, but rest assured that Charlie and his new pal were greeted with about as much joy from the commenters as they themselves churned up from this interaction. Most couldn’t get over how adorable Charlie’s demeanor was, and more still simply couldn’t get enough of how gleefully silly the whole thing was.

There is a shadow over this nowadays, of course, as it’s clear that too few people heeded Charlie’s encouragement, and was subsequently complacent in the reelection of Donald Trump. The official numbers have yet to be released at the time of writing, but it’s probably safe to say that it won’t quite be the 66 percent turnout we saw in the 2020 election, per Pew Research.

But finger-pointing will get us nowhere. Regardless of whether or not the Democratic Party could have done a better job of convincing people to vote, it doesn’t change the fact that nearly 73 million people signed off on putting one of humanity’s most prominent vessels of hatred back into the White House. If the mortal essence of Donald Trump couldn’t convince so many people to not vote for him, what the hell were the Democrats supposed to do?

To those Americans who feel a particular darkness encroaching upon democracy, know that many a heart is going out to you from your neighbors up north and around the world. Hope dies last.

In what is hopefully not a sign of these post-election times, an Ohio lieutenant has been forced to apologize after declaring that he would not help citizens who are Democrats. 

John Rodgers — who has served as a lieutenant for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years — made the shocking comments in a series of Facebook posts that resurfaced online earlier this week. In the posts, some of which were shared over 250,000 times, Rodgers said he would demand voting proof to confirm citizens in need were not Democrats, and suggested that voting preferences would factor into his response to emergency calls. 

“If you the Democratic Party, I will not help you,” one of Rodgers’ posts read. “The problem is that I know which of you s the Democratic Party, and I will not help you survive the end of days.” Other posts reportedly saw Rodgers tell his followers that people would need to “provide proof of who you voted for” before he would provide aid, prompting outrage and concern among Clark County residents. Now, the lieutenant has responded to the controversy by apologizing for the posts and blaming them on prescription sleeping pills. 

“I know I cannot apologize enough, and my apologies may seem empty, but I will continue to apologize as long as necessary,” Rodgers said in a statement. “I know it will be difficult for the public to trust me, but I will do everything in my power to start mending that trust.” The Sheriff’s Office itself also apologized for the posts, saying “they in no means reflect the Clark County Sheriff’s Office delivery of service to ALL our community.” The office also committed “to work even harder to replenish the trust of of our community.” 

In a self-written letter lodged in his personnel file, Rodgers claimed he did not recall either writing the posts or later taking them down, saying they were only brought to his attention when a coworker asked if he was OK. This, he said, was a side effect of the sleeping medication he takes on occasion, which causes him to send “out of character” texts, phone calls or other forms of communication. In response to the backlash, Rodgers deactivated his Facebook and stopped taking the medication. 

The lieutenant was dealt a written reprimand by the Sheriff’s Office for violating the department’s social media policy, though — for some unknown reason — he was still allowed to remain on duty. The situation shines a renewed spotlight on Clark County, whose largest city, Springfield, made national headlines following Donald Trump’s false claims about its Haitian immigrants earlier this year. 

The former, and now imminent, president said without evidence during his second presidential debate that immigrants were eating Springfield’s neighborhood pets, a conspiracy theory also peddled by his running mate that was promptly debunked.

The timing of Rodgers’ Facebook posts right before Trump’s shocking election victory feels dire, and at the rate things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodgers somehow landed a role in the new istration. Between him, Elon Musk and anti-fluoride champion RFK Jr., I think I’ve officially landed on my nightmare blunt rotation. Hey Alexa, play “Sound of Silence.” …Hello darkness, my old friend.