Hope For America with Heather Delaney Reese

At 6:58 pm, Donald Trump walked onto a stage in Wichita after a video explaining why “God made Trump.” What followed was an hour and 37 minutes of racist attacks, threats against the press, and complaints that nobody appreciates him. Protesters interrupted six times. A man in the crowd hit an older protester being escorted out while others chanted “USA! USA!” Trump wants us afraid to speak and afraid of one another. I keep thinking about the immigrants who cared for me when I faced emergency surgery alone, and the people who walked into that rally and spoke up anyway.

Based on the events of 10-19-2026

The Breakdown:
• The “God made Trump” video that opened the Wichita rally, celebrating his authoritarian friendships and attacks on the press
• Six protest disruptions during his hour-and-37-minute speech and his growing annoyance at each interruption
• His claims that he is sharper than 20 years ago and that nobody appreciates how great a president he is
• The Venezuela military boast that ignores World War II, the Civil War, and the American Revolution
• Renewed threats to make Canada the 51st state, followed by his claim that he was only kidding
• His attempt to turn French student protests over education into a story about migrants destroying Western civilization
• The teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, long school days, and underfunding behind the French protests
• His dehumanizing attacks on Ilhan Omar, Maxine Waters, and immigrants
• My emergency surgery in spring 2020, when my husband had to leave me at the hospital door
• The nurses who helped me walk, braided my hair, stayed beside me, and bought me coffee
• Why the people he wants us to fear are the people who cared for us in our most vulnerable moments
• The nonviolent older protester struck by a man in the stands as the crowd chanted “USA! USA!”
• Trump praising a MAGA supporter’s toughness while recounting an attack at another rally
• His claims that protesters are paid and ruin their lives by speaking up, and what that message is meant to do
• His desire to sue the media and remove the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan protection for criticism of public officials
• My economic protest: getting louder, defending migrants, voting, and supporting the independent voices he wants to silence
• Why the danger of speaking up cannot make us forget the greater danger of stopping

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 4:36 this afternoon, Donald Trump posted his explanation for refusing to impose new sanctions on Russia: Russia was doing “very little” to help Iran compared to what it could be doing. He warned that “stupid people” might get in the way, meaning the lawmakers who passed the law he signed just a month ago. Then he used Ukraine’s devastation against Zelenskyy and endorsed Netanyahu for reelection. This is how he tries to make siding with authoritarian leaders feel normal. But students in North Carolina just marched 45 minutes to vote after their campus polling sites were removed. They still voted.

Based on the events of 10-18-2026

The Breakdown:
* Trump’s Truth Social explanation for waiving Russia sanctions while claiming he wants peace
* The warning about “stupid people” getting in the way, aimed at lawmakers from both parties
* The reversal of the sanctions law named for Lindsey O. Graham, just a month after Trump signed it
* Why his belief that Putin respects him keeps him from seeing how Russia is using him
* Trump listing Ukraine’s losses as an argument against Zelenskyy while ignoring Putin’s responsibility for the invasion
* His accusation that Zelenskyy wants the war to continue for financial reasons
* How this messaging prepares supporters to accept abandoning Ukraine as a necessary step toward peace
* The “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu, despite the active International Criminal Court arrest warrant
* Making American support for Israel conditional on Netanyahu staying in power
* Why the people of Israel and Iran should not be blamed for the actions of their leaders
* Trump’s admission that he likes even horrible people if they like him
* The danger of becoming desensitized to America siding with dictators and authoritarian leaders
* Students from North Carolina A&T, Bennett College, and UNC Greensboro marching 45 minutes to vote
* The removal of campus polling sites, the “voting is a privilege” remark, and the lawsuit defending voting as a right
* The connection between today’s students and the four North Carolina A&T freshmen who began the 1960 Greensboro sit-in
* My memories of college in the 1990s, compared with the repeated crises and threats facing young people today
* Why we must vote, insist every vote is counted, and prepare to defend the midterm results for future generations

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 2:18 this afternoon, Donald Trump walked onto the stage at Truist Arena in Kentucky and soon told the audience exactly how he judges people: even “horrible, horrible, terrible people” are fine with him if they like him. His loyalists smiled. He bragged about Google, threatened a possible protester, and told his supporters they were in danger without him. Meanwhile, he had waived nearly all of the new Russia sanctions, and Putin’s envoy was posting “Checkmate.” But at a No Kings event in San Diego, I saw something Trump cannot take away: people who are tired, but refusing to give up.

Based on the events of 10-17-2026

The Breakdown:
* Trump’s arrival at Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and his claim that he “can do stuff that’s unbelievable”
* His admission that he likes even “horrible” people if they like him, while the loyalists behind him smiled
* His boast that Google now “kiss my ass,” ahead of a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser with Sergey Brin
* The fear he spread about immigrants killing people in their homes
* Calling Senator Jon Husted “a killer” who “takes people’s heads off”
* His warning to a possible protester that being a foe in the arena could be “a very dangerous thing”
* His claim that Canada should not be allowed universal healthcare, and why Americans should not be frightened out of demanding care
* The baseless claim that buying a MAGA hat put supporters under investigation by Jack Smith
* How he uses the idea of personal danger to justify weaponizing the Justice Department and holding onto power
* The executive order waiving nearly all new Russia sanctions just before the October 18 deadline
* Kirill Dmitriev’s “Checkmate” post and what it reveals about Russia getting what it wanted
* The consequences of Trump aiding Putin while Ukraine faces destruction
* The exhaustion of living with daily lies, division, and uncertainty about our children’s future
* The No Kings event my husband and I attended in San Diego
* The signs, chants, and determined faces that brought tears to my eyes
* Why the nonviolent revolution so many have been waiting for might already be here
* Turning that determination into unprecedented turnout on November third, despite barriers to voting and gerrymandering

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 12:56 this afternoon, Donald Trump walked out of the White House to reporters waiting for answers about Ukraine and his troubled new press secretary. He turned around and started talking about a crane. When the questions finally came, he offered three different versions of what happened to the satellite network Ukraine depends on. Meanwhile, in Brussels, Zelenskyy answered a devastating question about America with a pause and a smile. His silence was more honest than anything our own president had said all day. And back in Washington, Trump couldn’t even keep a press secretary for a week.

Based on the events of 10-16-2026

The Breakdown:
• Trump’s opening detour into cranes, steel beams and counterweights while reporters waited
• The long pauses before he finally took questions about Ukraine
• His first Starshield answer: “We didn’t do that at all”
• Why Ukraine depends on the military-grade satellite network for communications and missile defense
• The throttling during a major Russian attack and the Ukrainian lives lost
• Trump’s second version: “I’m not sure that it ever came down”
• His third version, denying that he or Elon was responsible
• Three contradictory answers in a 20-minute press appearance
• Zelenskyy being asked in Brussels whether Trump was using him as a scapegoat
• The pause, smile and “This is my answer” that ended Zelenskyy’s press conference
• Why that moment was heartbreaking as 600,000 Ukrainians faced lost electricity
• The childhood question about ordinary people, silence and resistance that feels painfully familiar now
• America’s gray zone: people who see what is wrong but feel exhausted and powerless
• The next No Kings rally, focused on voting and reminding us that we are not alone
• Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure and Anthony Scaramucci’s response
• The questions about Zacharia’s legal credentials and a White House built on loyalty over competence
• Why November 3 and early voting are our opportunity to take back power

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 12:53 in the afternoon, Donald Trump walked into a Rose Garden luncheon meant to honor first responders and turned it into 36 minutes about himself. He said he was supposed to be sleeping, insisted he wasn’t controversial, and admitted he had “very severe problems.” Then he realized what he had said and asked Todd Blanche to defend him. Later, on Newsmax, he talked about destroying his political opponents’ reputations and his power to pardon himself. This was Donald Trump’s long goodbye unfolding in public, while the country was being asked to accept another day of threats and cruelty as normal.

Based on the events of 10-15-2026

The Breakdown:

• A luncheon for firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs and Secret Service agents became another stage for Trump’s self-obsession

• His claim that he was “supposed to be sleeping now,” his robot-campaign joke and his insistence that he is not controversial

• “I have some very severe problems”: the admission he made while discussing drugs, alcohol and addiction

• His realization that the press would ask questions, followed by “Todd’s going to have to try and defend me”

• Why Americans deserve an explanation when their president makes a declaration like that without any context

• White House “reskinning,” solid-brass signs and his fixation on the monument he is building to himself

• His $22 trillion investment claim and plea for an official to protect his credit when a future president claims economic success

• The Newsmax impeachment question that prompted his “anti-impeachment movement” response

• His boasts about criminally pursuing the Clintons and Obama, destroying reputations and holding information on political opponents

• Why treating prosecution as a personal choice is mob boss language, not presidential leadership

• His self-pardon comments and the distinction between federal pardons and accountability for state crimes

• His “tiny nuclear bomb” comparison for the non-nuclear GBU-43, alongside comments about Iran, Ukraine and Israel

• The fishing joke he told first responders about U.S. military strikes killing people, and the audience’s almost nonexistent reaction

• The devastating shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, that killed three children and a teacher

• Why we cannot keep treating children’s deaths, active shooter drills and the normalization of violence as ordinary headlines

• The backlash that made Trump abandon plans to livestream Nidal Hasan’s firing squad execution, including objections from military families and across party lines

• Resistance working, early voting and why the election must be the beginning of refusing to accept any of this as normal

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 1:04 this afternoon, Donald Trump landed in Arizona aboard Qatari Air Force One. Within minutes, he was preparing to tell the crowd that his followers would be okay if he murdered someone, that Canada would become the 51st state, and that leakers should be shot. Then he pointed at the reporters and called them leakers. What troubles me most is how familiar this has become. Everything the presidency was supposed to stand for is disappearing in front of us, and we cannot allow this to become what future generations think a president is.

Based on the events of 10-14-2026

The Breakdown:

• Trump’s Arizona arrival, bulletproof glass, and another boast about having “aced” a cognitive exam
• His claim that Canada will “end up being the 51st state because it’s the only way it works”
• Greenland, Venezuela, and his description of sovereign nations as additions to America’s “beautiful plate”
• His account of the B-2 operation against Iran and his statement: “Leakers should be shot… In the old days, we used to shoot leakers.”
• How he then pointed at reporters, accused them of leaking false information, and called them leakers
• The First Amendment, the consequences past presidents would have faced, and the danger of becoming accustomed to threats against the press
• The “four more years” chant and his search for “wiggle room” in the Twenty-Second Amendment
• His promise of “doing things that nobody’s ever seen before”
• Russia’s overnight attack: at least 39 missiles and 128 drones, at least 9 people killed, and more than 600,000 left without power
• The blocked Starlink communications Ukraine depended on and the administration’s reported role in restricting those systems
• Volodymyr Zelensky’s response when asked whether Trump had betrayed him: “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely.”
• Elon Musk’s statement that Starshield is controlled by the US government and that usage limits are ultimately decided by POTUS
• Why I see these developments as another example of Trump’s loyalty to Vladimir Putin and the danger of Americans not knowing what is happening
• Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor and the responsibility presidents once understood they carried
• Why Trump revealed how little we were protecting the presidency and how it became a cult of personality
• Congressional enablers, the Supreme Court’s broad presidential immunity decision, and the responsibility of people still defending him
• My fear that children will grow up believing threats, conquest, and loyalty to dictators are normal presidential behavior
• The people standing up at public events, the power of voting, and our responsibility to show future generations that we did not look away

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 11:51 in the morning, JD Vance landed in Texas and took a six-vehicle motorcade just 295 feet to a rally podium, with Air Force Two still visible behind him. He opened with a sexual innuendo about James Talarico, then spent the morning trying to turn a Senate candidate’s faith, compassion, and support for transgender people into something sinister. I watched both Vance and Trump perform the same ugly act. But watching Vance raised a harder question: what happens if the man copying Trump becomes the person in charge?

Based on the events of 10-13-2026

The Breakdown:
• Vance’s 295-foot motorcade ride from Air Force Two to the rally podium at a Texas airport
• His opening exchange with a supporter: “I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”
• Why Talarico’s reach beyond the Democratic base has Republicans worried about the Texas Senate race
• The former teacher’s Presbyterian faith and compassion, turned into targets for culture war attacks
• Vance’s baseless search-history insinuation, followed by his own admission: “Maybe he doesn’t. Just guessing, but I wouldn’t want to see it.”
• The contrast with Ken Paxton’s impeachment and acquittal, dismissed securities fraud charges, and accusations of abusing his office
• The “Tali-freako” name-calling and warning to keep Talarico’s “freaky paws” out of schools
• Mocking a purchase from a local vegan business while Vance’s own wife is a vegetarian
• A woman waving a Mexican flag, and Vance telling her to “Get the hell out of here.”
• Calling a Senate candidacy a “plot to seize power,” turning democratic opposition into a threat to the country
• Why I saw Vance’s performance as an audition for the presidency and a demonstration for MAGA donors
• Trump’s Wasilla rally, his recycled stories, and the preposterous underwater swimmer windburn claim
• Vance copying Trump’s insults and targets without recreating his connection with the crowd
• The harder succession question: less daily chaos could still mean a more strategic assault on executive-power guardrails
• Vance’s ties to tech money and the visions of Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation
• Three weeks to the midterms: flipping Congress as a firewall against Trump and whatever comes next
• October 17 No Kings events focused on turnout and election protection, as Vance admits, “We know that we’re swimming upstream”

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 7:21 tonight, Donald Trump walked onto a campaign stage in Youngstown, Ohio, and began talking about Senator Jon Husted’s body. What followed went far beyond another embarrassing rally. He entertained chants of “four more years,” pushed to eliminate the filibuster, and promised, “We will never lose an election again because we’ll have really good safeguards. All strict.” A woman wearing a “Release the Epstein Files” shirt was beaten, removed from the arena, and mocked from the stage while her attacker stayed. This is not just about what Trump will say anymore. It is about what he is willing to do.

Based on the events of 10-12-2026

The Breakdown:
• Trump’s opening comments about Jon Husted’s body at the Covelli Centre rally in Youngstown
• The nearly 1½-hour speech and the lack of impulse control on display while campaigning for Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy
• His response to chants of “four more years”: “I would love to do that. I’ll be honest.”
• His warning that he would be the last Republican president if Democrats regained power
• The demand to terminate the Senate filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority
• His promise: “We will never lose an election again because we’ll have really good safeguards. All strict.”
• The administration’s refusal to invite international election observers, breaking a tradition dating to 2002
• The woman in a “Release the Epstein Files” shirt who was punched and shoved, then removed while her attacker remained
• Trump’s insults toward the protesters and his failure to condemn the violence
• The parallels to Mussolini’s Blackshirts and the normalization of political violence
• How the rally fits alongside Pete Hegseth’s announcement of a livestreamed execution by firing squad
• Trump’s repeated lies about Haitian immigrants, attacks on Somali immigrants, and the crowd’s calls to deport Ilhan Omar
• The search of Omar’s home under a judicial warrant and Trump’s attacks on her that same day
• The federal-worker firings tangent that turned governing into another episode of The Apprentice
• The contrast with McCain’s defense of Obama, Romney’s concession, and George W. Bush’s visit to a mosque after September 11
• Why the things Trump teases become the things he does next, and why one election can put a roadblock in his way
• His 36 percent Ohio approval rating, The Washington Post’s account of empty seating, and why we cannot surrender to hopelessness

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 12:07 this afternoon, the White House abruptly canceled Donald Trump’s public schedule. Instead of attending a fundraiser, he stayed inside and posted on Truth Social. Then came the announcement of his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, a woman who has spent years spreading QAnon conspiracy theories and calling for the suspension of constitutional protections. Starting Monday, she will speak on behalf of the executive branch of the United States. Every time I thought I had reached the bottom of what she had said, I found something worse. This is what Trump considers an “unblemished record of support.”

Based on the events of 10-11-2026

The Breakdown:
• The White House canceled Trump’s scheduled events at 12:07 without an explanation for his sudden disappearance from public view
• Trump praised Karoline Leavitt as “fantastic” before announcing Katie Zacharia as her replacement half an hour later
• Zacharia begins Monday, with an introductory news conference scheduled for Tuesday at 9:30 AM
• Leavitt left in August to spend more time with her family, then announced she would join Fox News on November 1
• The revolving door that took Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany to Fox News and Sean Spicer to Newsmax
• Why a lucrative television career raises questions about whose interests a White House press secretary is serving
• Zacharia’s path from DHS under Kristi Noem to Trump Media & Technology Group and regular appearances on Fox News and Newsmax
• The Daily Beast’s report about her departure from DHS, and Zacharia’s denial and explanation that travel was straining her family
• Only two formal briefings since Leavitt’s departure, with J.D. Vance and Todd Blanche
• The Pepperdine-trained lawyer’s posts calling Hollywood figures “pedo cannibals” and amplifying other conspiracy claims
• Her engagement with QAnon and promotion of the “Devolution” theory that Trump secretly retained military control while out of office
• More than 2,500 Truth Social posts since March 2022, and her June 2025 call to suspend habeas corpus
• Her false vaccine and mifepristone claims, attacks on transgender people, and encouragement of a third Trump term
• Her first Fox interview: “I just get to continue doing what I’ve been doing,” promoting Trump’s actions
• CNN’s report that candidates were disqualified over past criticism of Trump, and his praise for her “unblemished record of support”
• Why elevating a conspiracy theorist to the briefing-room podium moves us closer to state media propaganda
• The daily choices, conversations, support, and resistance that matter for our children and the future we still have time to protect

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

At 12:41 in the afternoon, Donald Trump walked over to the press outside the White House and told the world exactly whose side he was on. Asked about his new Russian diesel deal, he blamed the country being invaded and said, “And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.” The entire exchange lasted just 5 minutes and 36 seconds. In that time, our president called for regime change in a democracy fighting for its survival while giving Vladimir Putin a deal that helps fund the war against it.

Based on the events of 10-10-2026

The Breakdown:
* Trump’s 5-minute, 36-second exchange outside the White House, and his demand for Ukraine to get a new president
* Why he blamed Zelenskyy for not ending the war instead of holding the invading country responsible
* The Russian diesel deal and the temporary lifting of sanctions meant to restrict Russia’s war revenue
* What it means when the United States calls for regime change in a democracy being invaded by a dictator
* My memories of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall coming down, and the peace we cannot take for granted
* Russia’s initial 300,000 metric tons of diesel: barely 15 hours of American consumption if we received every drop
* Why energy experts say that small amount is unlikely to make much difference to prices
* Zelensky’s response: “Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war.”
* Brian Fitzpatrick’s proposed Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act to block purchases of Russian oil
* The discharge petition Fitzpatrick plans to use to bypass House leadership, and Don Bacon joining as a cosponsor
* Lisa Murkowski’s criticism and the sanctions authority Congress had already given Trump
* The Russia and Iran sanctions bill that passed the House 262–159 and the Senate 86–11 before Trump cut this deal
* What abandoning Ukraine’s defense signals to Beijing, Pyongyang, and authoritarian governments watching around the world
* Trump’s own ambitions toward Greenland and Canada, and why quieter threats before the midterms do not mean they are gone
* The questions our descendants will ask about what we did while rights were stripped away and power was concentrated
* Why I keep speaking out despite the danger, and the safety that comes when millions refuse to be quiet
* The quiet resistance appearing in nonpolitical creators’ videos, the November 3 vote, and why the midterms are a starting line

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.