“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

George Orwell wrote those words 76 years ago in “1984” – seemingly the operating manual for Donald Trump’s administration. In fact, Trump used those exact words in a campaign speech and has lived by them ever since. 

George Orwell also wrote: “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

Every day is an exercise in taking attention away from the growing coverup of the Epstein files and financial corruption, with Trump apparently terrified that his sordid decades-long history as a sexual predator will finally catch up with him.  It’s a stark contrast with England, where the Andrew formerly known as “Prince” is celebrated his 66th birthday in police custody as England actually holds the powerful accountable for the Epstein-led sexual abuse of children, while in Epstein’s home country the White House continues to coverup the crimes of the rich and powerful … very possibly a group that includes Trump.

Case in point: the Department of Justice spoke four separate times to a woman who credibly accused Donald Trump of having sex with a 13-year-old he met through Jeffrey Epstein—but most accusations against the president appear to have been removed from the government’s documents on the alleged sex trafficker. 

A part of Trump’s defense is also right out of “1984”: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

That means silencing his critics including the late night comedians who, in the tradition of Will Rogers, lampoon him non-stop. But the tactic is backfiring: Kimmel’s banishment lasted a few days, and Stephen Colbert has become even more focused in the last weeks of his days on CBS. The made-for-YouTube video of Colbert with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has racked up more than 7.5 million views which is triple the Colbert TV show ratings. And Talarico raised a staggering $2.5-million in the day following the incident.

Trump wants everything possible named after him. Now, he apparently wants to profit from those efforts: his company has filed papers to trademark use of his name at airports even as his Florida fans in the state’s legislature pass a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport in his honor and he pressures Congress to rename Dulles Airport. If signed into law, the Palm Beach International change would cost the airport $5.5 million to remake signs, uniforms, promotional products, equipment, and more, according to Palm Beach County’s department of airports.

Also on our radar

On Tuesday, west Michigan Congresswoman Hilary Scholten went inside an ICE concentration camp. Scholten, who was an immigration attorney before being elected to Congress, joins this week’s conversation. Congresswoman Scholten is a fourth-generation West Michigander. Prior to her election in 2022 she was an immigration attorney who served in the U.S. Department of Justice.  Scholten began her own career as a social worker, working with people affected by issues of housing and homelessness. During this time, she worked with individuals in the LGBTQ community who were facing homelessness and housing insecurity—often because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Congresswoman Scholten obtained her law degree from the University of Maryland Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and then went on to clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in their special unit focused on immigration issues. Following her clerkship, she joined the Justice Department through the Attorney General Honors Program, where she continued to work on matters of immigration and civil rights. In Congress she serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Small Business.

We are joined this week by former U.S. Ambassador to Canada (and former Michigan Governor) Jim Blanchard who played a pivotal role in negotiating details of the Michigan-Canada agreement to build the Gordie Howe Bridge. After 8 years as Michigan’s Governor, Blanchard was named as the nation’s representative in Ottawa by President Clinton. He served in that role for two-and-a-half years. Governor Blanchard holds two degrees from Michigan State University, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.

Elsewhere in the District of Crazy:

The first-ever recipient of a previously owned Nobel Peace Prize apparently wants to be the Genghis Khan of the 21st Century.

In the last week, Trump has 

Trump’s war on Minneapolis inspired a powerful anthem from “The Boss.”

Bruce Springsteen’s “The Streets of Minneapolis” pulls no punches in denouncing Trump, ICE Barbie and Stephen Miller. Due to copyright restrictions we can’t play it here … but it’s well worth a visit to YouTube.

Trump World is also having a direct impact on Michigan politics.

We’re joined this week by political science guru Norm Ornstein, emeritus scholar at the conservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute with his assessment of congressional dysfunction and Trump’s drive for one-person government.

He is the co-author, with Thomas E. Mann, of It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism.

Norm is a Minnesota native. He was a child prodigy, graduating from high school when he was fourteen and from college when he was eighteen. He received his BA from the University of Minnesota and PhD in political science from the University of Michigan. 

By the mid-1970s, he had become a professor of political science at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., establishing a reputation as an expert on the United States Congress.

Ornstein is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, The Atlantic and the National Journal. He wrote a weekly column for Roll Call for 11 years, and was co-director of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project. He helped draft key parts of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain–Feingold Act. Ornstein is a registered Democrat but considers himself a centrist and has voted for individuals from both parties.

Taco Trump went to Davos intent on taking over Greenland or Iceland (depending on the moment) … calls our allies stupid and worthless … and comes home with the “concept of a framework for a future agreement” that amounts to little more than total surrender to a united Europe. That, after a one-hour rambling, disjointed speech to the assembled world leaders who watched in stunned silence.

Trump’s really bad week continued at home with a series of defeats:

Michigan’s research universities are pushing back on Trump efforts to effectively stifle free speech on college campuses. We talk with University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker about the challenges facing one of the world’s leading research institutions. Acker is Mark’s longtime friend and law partner at the Goodman Acker law firm. Prior to law school, Jordan worked as a communications aide to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. After law school, he served as an associate in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel before being appointed by President Obama to be an attorney-advisor to Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Department of Homeland Security. While at DHS, Jordan worked on cyber, immigration and other homeland security issues. He was elected to the UM Board of Regents in 2018.

Acker was named one of Crains Detroit 40 under 40 in 2020, Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up and Coming Lawyers, and is an alum of the non-partisan Michigan Political Leadership Program Fellowship at Michigan State University. Since joining the University of Michigan Board of Regents, he has focused on reforming sexual misconduct reporting and adjudication at the University, NCAA reform, including the future of NIL, expanding the Go Blue Guarantee, and making the University affordable for Michiganders.

Donald Trump’s reaction to a heckler at his Detroit Economic Club speech was symbolic of his administration: flipping the bird to all of us as he simultaneously destroys the economy, government services and NATO. The irony: his target, who was suspended by Ford, has received more than 800-thousand dollars through two Go Fund Me appeals launched by friends.

Listing Trump’s weekly rundown of outrages could easily fill out the podcast, so we’ll go with the most outrageous. His week of destruction and dementia include:

In Michigan:

The new state legislative session faces multiple challenges: housing shortages, never-ending potholes, continuing calls for more openness … and an ongoing battle between Republican House Speaker Matt Hall and a state Senate controlled, at least for now, by Democrats…pending the outcome of an upcoming special election. Caught in the middle of all of this is Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh.

Singh is the son of Indian immigrants. His political career dates back 30 years when, at age 24, he was elected to East Lansing City Council and later served as the city’s mayor. He is a past president of the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Public Policy Associates. In 2012 he was elected to the first of 3 terms in the state, serving as Democratic floor leader in his final term. Singh moved to the state Senate two years ago and was elected to the #2 leadership slot as Majority Floor Leader. He’s a graduate of Michigan State University.

There is a lot on our radar along with Santa’s sleigh…

West Michigan has been trending more Democratic over the last decade. The transition culminated with the 2022 election of Hillary Scholten to a congressional seat once held by Gerald Ford in a district that had only just two years of Democratic representation in Michigan’s history. In 2026, Democrats see the opportunity to flip another longtime Republican district by defeating 8-term Republican congressman Bill Huizenga. They’re counting on state Senator Sean McCann of Kalamazoo to do that. McCann’s political career began 26 years ago as a member of the Kalamazoo City Committee, followed by election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2011, and moving to the state Senate 8 years later. He’s now completing his 2nd term in the Senate. McCann is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in political science.

There is a lot on our radar along with Santa’s sleigh…

We’re joined this week by Adam Wren, a national political correspondent for POLITICO, based in the Midwest. He is a contributor to POLITICO Magazine, Playbook and West Wing Playbook, focusing on Donald Trump’s remaking of the federal government and the Democratic response to his return to power ahead of what could be a wide-open 2028 presidential contest. Wren previously served as a national politics features correspondent at Business Insider. He has also written for The New York Times and Washington Post. Originally from Ohio, Adam graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University and has a master’s from Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism.

You can find Adam online X/Twitter and Instagram.

Dozing Donald woke up from his nap long enough to shout out an 18-minute campaign speech, laden with lies and blaming everything on Joe Biden. It was the centerpiece of a truly horrific week politically for Trump and Republicans. The ACA tax credits are going, going and nearly gone … and with them, Republican prospects for the 2026 midterm elections.

Adding to the political challenges to the GOP: Donald Trump’s massively offensive responses to two mass shootings, and the horrific murders of Rob and Michele Reiner. The chorus of one-time MAGA acolytes breaking with Trump is growing louder … and his shouted 19-minute televised falsehood-laden campaign speech didn’t help, a speech Jimmy Kimmel labeled “a liar-side chat”.

Also this week:

In Trump-the-Man-Child News:

We’re joined by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, the senior member of the state’s Democratic delegation in Congress. The Dingell legacy, dating back to her father-in-law John Dingell Senior’s first term in 1933, is the nation’s healthcare program.

Debbie Dingell was first elected to the House in 2015. She succeeded her late husband, John Dingell Jr, who was the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history. Her husband had succeeded his father who was first elected in 1932. There’s been a Dingell in the U.S. House non-stop for 92 years.

President Donald Trump took his show back on the road this week in a desperate attempt to rekindle his “rally magic” and tell voters not to believe their eyes, ears, brains, wallets, or increasingly harder to fill refrigerators. Starting in Pennsylvania, he vows to campaign early and often across the country in competitive seats for the U.S. House and Senate. Democrats should offer to pay for the rallies. As our (least) Favorite President emerges from his Mar-A-Lago cocoon to deny economic reality, with his economic team claiming everything gets better … eventually: Prices will come down, he’ll have a healthcare plan you’ll love, urban crime will end, the Kennedy Center will have a rebirth as the Trump Center for the Arts and medical science will come up with a cure for cankles. Trump and his economic team sound like “Annie”!

Also this week…