varostreamHeather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
Episodes
The Writing is Already on the Wall
September 12, 2026 Judge J. Michael Luttig published a warning about how Republicans could refuse to seat elected Democrats after the midterm elections, Speaker Mike Johnson has the power to replace the current House clerk with a MAGA loyalist who will refuse to list Democrats on the roll of those elected to the 120th Congress, In this scenario, Democrats will have to go to the courts, perhaps eventually the Supreme Court, which would take weeks, leaving the country vulnerable, Trump’s plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mailed-in votes is being tested in Florida, and shows what will likely happen if the Supreme Court lifts its injunction blocking the USPS from implementing new rules, The DOJ under Trump is threatening, without cause, election workers, using harassment and intimidation to force them to put Trump’s election changes into effect, Luttig urged Republicans to decide not to betray their oaths of office and the country, and wrote that the Republican Party must “loose the chains of its political and moral enslavement to Donald Trump and separate itself from the MAGA political party cult." Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
10:30The Twenty-fifth Anniversary of 9/11
Yesterday, Trump’s midterm convention had its second night, The audience was sparse, but Trump got the loyalty he demanded from the crowd that showed up, He promised, again, to pay all adult US citizens $5,000 if the Republicans hold control of the House and the Senate, Meanwhile, along with the Strait of Hormuz being under the control of Iranian forces, Iran backed Houthi militants expanded their control of the area around the Bab el-Mandeb strait which has become an alternative route for Saudi Arabian oil to be shipped to the west, Although the Houthis do not control both sides of the strait, they threaten shipping through the passage, Iran appears to be retaliating for Trump’s threats to strangle the Iranian economy by further slowing the transport, Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Trump did not attend the commemoration at Ground Zero, but delivered a speech at the Pentagon, tying the war on Iran to the attacks of 9/11, All four former presidents and first ladies attended the ceremony, As a famous issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, published in November, 2001, explained, the heroes of 9/11 were ordinary people, who were made extraordinary “by acts of compassion, and courage, and terrible sacrifice." Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:14A Chokepoint for World Trade
September 10, 2026 Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants have taken control of an area near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, the Bab el-Mandeb has become very important for global shipping, The Iran-backed Houthis have been in a struggle against the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government, The attacks on Saudi targets started fires at oil facilities and wounded more than 70, Reports indicated that Iran had planned an economic “nuclear option” closing the Bab e-Mandeb, The price of oil jumped to $109 a barrel, The average price of diesel hit $6.00 for the first time ever, The new record will be painful, especially if diesel prices continue to climb, Trump spent the day at the Dallas rally that is intended to fire up his base before the midterms. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
5:39Self-inflicted Problems
September 9, 2026 At a White House event marking the anniversary of 9/11, Trump told a story about being at the site of the World Trade Center that day, but fact checkers and Trump’s nephew dispute his account, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on US-made goods went into effect on September 8, The US and Iran are striking each other again, Trump’s advisors have warned him that the Iran war could continue to the end of his term, straining markets and the military, The economic and military problems are all self-inflicted, from the Iran War to the feud with Canada, to the effect of tariffs around the globe, Corruption continues to expand across the administration, As Trump attempts to rally his base in Dallas, Democrats are taking notice of the president’s dereliction of duty. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
13:21Hell-bent
September 8, 2026 Germany’s far right AfD party won 43.8% of the vote in the small state of Saxony0Anhalt, formerly part of the Soviet dominated East Germany, Right wing leaders across Europe celebrated the outcome, Elon Musk, a supporter of AfD, was the largest donor to any political committee in the 2024 presidential eletion, Musk has plowed money into the Texas Senate election, pitting Ken Paxton against James Talrico, Musk is attempting to buy elections for the Republicans, Musk used DOGE to strip agencies like USAID, but appears not to have made signficant savings, Musk’s antics have confirmed the sense that billionaires are a threat to democracy, There is pushback, but it is unclear whther populr pressure can withstnd the extrqaordinary amount of money thta Musk and other billionaires are pouring into the midterms, DOGE’s access to detailed information on US citizens is poised to corrupt the midterm elections. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
13:07Trump’s Frantic Pace
September 7, 2026 Trump has been posting on social media at a frantic pace, He is posting AI images of himself as a superhero, as various historic figures, as a mapmaker, and a stock trader. He apparently believes that trolling the country is a good way to keep attention focused on himself rather than on inflation, corruption, or the war in Iran, Trump’s approval rating on the economy is 41 points under water, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said we may never see a nuclear agreement with Iran, Trump claimed that oil prices are going to plummet, Trump appears to have abandoned the idea of governing and is operating as if he can do whatever he wishes, Trump’s Labor Day message was vastly different from Joe Biden’s message for the country which recognized the role of every worker in making the country run. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
9:42In a Nutshell
September 5, 2026 The Trump administration had a busy Friday, US District Judge Talwani blocked Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mail-in voters, A day after Interior Secretary Burgum announced that work was starting on Trump’s arch, US District Court Judge Chutkan ordered the administration to give the court notice before proceeding, Trump said the Iran War is not a war, and denied that military personnel are seeing record long deployments, and that the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, Trump also denies reports of a shortage of munitions, and Pete Hegseth is forcing members of the military’s Joint Staff to take lie detector tests to prove they were not source of leaks, The Defense Department and NIH are moving funds for medical research to the Pentagon, where the Navy has run out of money, Trump appears to misunderstand how trade and trade deficits work, And the US was the only country to vote against a UN resolution to change the world map to more accurately reflect the size of continents, more than 450 years after the commonly used Mercator projection was created. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:12Labor Day
September 4, 2026 On September 5, 1882, workers in New York City celebrated the first Labor Day holiday, Their goal was to emphasize the importance of workers in the industrializing economy, Twenty years after the Civil War, government had swung toward men of capital, and working men worried they would lose their rights, Inequality was growing in the country, Workers helped elect reformer Democrat Grover Cleveland to the White House in 1884, In 1888 Cleveland won the popular vote but lost in the electoral college to Benjamin Harrison, In 1892 Cleveland was re-elected in a landslide, Investors rushed to take their money out of the stock market and the economy collapsed. Cleveland and the Democratic Congress had to abandon many of their pro-worker policies, But on June 28, 1894, Cleveland signed Congress’s bill making Labor Day a legal holiday. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
7:24What Will the Midterms Bring?
September 3, 2026 Election analyst Charlie Cook is warning Republicans to brace themselves for the midterms, The Trump administration is trying to implement a new gatekeeper role for the US Postal Service, violating the Constitution which gives control of elections to the states, The court that blocked the USPS plan until September 10 held a hearing about extending that block, Solicitor General John Sauer went directly to the Supreme Court to appeal, The Speaker of the House canceled votes for the last two weeks of September, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that work on Trump’s arch will begin, even though approvals have not been secured, The approaching midterms are affecting decisions about Iran and the Epstein Files. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
9:31Nothing You Can Do Can Stop Us
September 2, 2026 Some pundits interpreted Trump’s 2024 win as a permanent political realignment, Others disagreed, seeing the swing toward Trump as due to anti-incumbent feelings, Republicans set out to redistrict states to guarantee control of Congress after the 2026 midterm election, The redistricting may have backfired, Anti-incumbent feeling has turned against the Republicans, In January voters flipped a seat in the Texas Senate from Republican to Democratic in a historically Republican dominated district in Tarrant County, Now Republicans are panicking, Trump is talking about nationalizing voting, rigging the election, sending armed officers to the polls, but every effort has been blocked by the courts or failed in Congress, Courts blocked Trump’s attempt to use the USPS as a gatekeeper to stop ballots from being delivered to voters, but the plan has continued in spite of the court order, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is not ruling out sending ICE agents to the polls although federal law prohibits it, In Tarrant County Texas the Republicans are cutting the number of polling places, in spite of voter outrage. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:07A Betrayal of Our Constitution
September 1, 2026 The US Supreme Court allowed Trump to continue to build his ballroom, Chief Justice Roberts wrote that the project is likely unlawful, but the project will likely be completed before that question is resolved, Trump’s behavior is a logical outcome of the theory of the “unitary executive,” In 2024, the Supreme Court overturned the commitment to the idea that no one is above the law, Trump is convinced that he can do whatever he wishes, including rigging elections so that he cannot lose, The US Postal Service is putting in place a new system for handling federal election ballot mail, in a hasty, chaotic, and flawed process, A whistleblower says that the administration has hidden the likelihood that there will be major disruptions in getting ballots delivered to voters, Work on this system has continued despite an injunction from a federal court ordering it to stop, The USPS has never played a gatekeeping function and Sen Richard Blumenthal called on the Postmaster General to abandon the plan and ensure that all Americans can vote without interference by the USPS, He told reporters that it appears the system is designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans, And Trump seems largely unaware of what is going on in his administration. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
10:07Military Leadership is Concerned
August 31, 2026 Military leaders are warning Defense Secretary Hegseth that continuing large scale operations in Iran is unsustainable and dangerous, Trump’s insistence on having the option to launch major attacks has forced more than 50,000 troops to be kept on alert for months, The chief of Naval Operations has warned that the Navy cannot sustain its current level of support for the Iran war, The Pentagon has pushed back, and Hegseth has fired several admirals and generals who he deems insufficiently loyal,, After a reported exchange of fire in Iran, Trump claimed on social media that Iran is failing, though the image he posted doesn’t reflect reality, Hegseth is attempting to silence journalists. The staffers he fired at Stars and Stripes are suing Hegseth, and the Defense Department, calling the firings a violation of the First Amendment, Hegseth is also hiring right-wing social media influencers using taxpayer money, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation on Monday, after struggling with Hegseth for months over the firing of senior Army officers and the direction of the military. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
10:24Truth Telling
August 30, 2026 In America's founding myth about George Washington and the cherry tree, the message was that truth telling is important in a leader, Trump’s administration was supposed to notify US District Court Judge Reyes before taking down trees on the grounds of the East Potomac Golf Links, a historic publicly owned course, But more than 60 trees have been removed and the administration has not abided by her ruling, They claim the trees had to be removed for maintenance purposes, Trump is hailing an oil deal with Venezuela, although there is little information about it, It appears to involve the family of Alejandro Betancourt López, who has been accused of corruption and investigated for money laundering, The deal is built on a legal environment that does not exist, The deal is also built on US aggression, the kidnapping of President Maduro, the installation of Maduro’s vice president instead of the opposition candidate, As journalist David Rothkopf pointedly explained, we do not know where the money is going, and whether it will end up being a “mafia-style shakedown scheme” benefitting anti democratic forces in Venezuela and the US, and the president’s friends, and possibly the president’s family, and himself. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:31The Right to Run for Office
August 29, 2026 Republican lawmakers are attempting to restrict the ability of naturalized and dual citizens to run for office, At least five Republican members of Congress want to prohibit them from holding federal judgeships, Cabinet posts, and ambassadorships as well, Americans have struggled over questions of equality and immigration for more than a century, Anti-immigrant sentiment on the East Coast over Irish immigrants and on the West Coast over Chinese immigrants led to limits to their rights and created a caste system, Abraham Lincoln understood that giving up the principle of equality is an excuse for enslaving people and that we cannot make exceptions to the Declaration of Independence, Americans added the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to ensure that these exceptions could not be made, The Constitution's requirements for officeholders are the only allowable qualifications, neither states nor the federal government can add additional qualifications, The idea of discriminating against naturalized citizens is, in the words of law professor Pamela Karlan, "ugly, stupid, and unconstitutional." Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
10:48The Need to Defend the Vote
August 28, 2026 On August 28, 1963, Reverend Dr Martin Luther King spoke at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, His speech was about race, but also about economics, John Lewis also spoke, calling for peaceful demonstrations and the vote, In 1964, voters gave Democrats a strong majority in Congress and, with President Lyndon B. Johnson, were able to pass 84 new laws putting Johnson’s Great Society in Place, The laws cemented civil rights, created jobs, provided aid for job training and education, created Medicare and Medicaid, protected consumers and the environment, and provided support for the arts and the humanities, With the election of Richard Nixon the race to tear apart this commitment by appealing to racism was on, And in 2026 the Trump administration is abandoning Temporary Protected Status for Haitians who came to the US because it was too dangerous for them at home, Meanwhile vast sums are being contributed to keeping Republicans in office as they funnel money upward and dismantle the government, Republican candidates are calling for ICE and retired police to be deployed to intimidate voters in the midterms. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:22The Stench of Corruption
August 27, 2026 RFK appears to have lied about the purpose of his Samoa trip, Information on his testimony and conduct could lead to hearings, and could prove embarrassing to the Trump administration, The war on Iran has created a financial crisis that is affecting the Navy, There is speculation that the shortages are a deliberate and political decision, The administration’s latest move, to cancel an offshore wind project, is funneling a fortune to a donor to Trump’s inaugural committee, The deal and others like it are corrupt and illegal, The Trump family’s crypto ventures are funded by foreign governments and others seeking favor, Trump’s crypto schemes are leaving investors under water, Trump’s approval ratings continue to fall, Trump is trying to make the midterm elections all about him, Perhaps to bully Canada, Trump is directing Interior Secretary Burgum to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in official documents. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
16:05Dolly
August 26, 2026 On August 25, buildings across the country were lit up in pink at 9:25, Dolly Parton was a musical prodigy encouraged by her mother, She began singing on local radio and tv shows before she was 10, and at the Grand Ole Opry when she was 13, Musicians recognized her talent as a songwriter, and she wrote songs made famous by a long list of singers, She used her flamboyant style to “fill her space” in an industry dominated by men, She embraced and celebrated her upbringing, which valued love over possessions, She launched her film career in 9 to 5, with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, She was a lifelong member of the labor union that represents musicians and singers, She would bring awareness and empathy to the AIDS crisis, Dollywood brought jobs to the place where she grew up, The Dollywood Foundation supports local education, The Imagination Library puts books into the hands of children across the country, She celebrates reading, books, education, urging kids to dream big and learn what they can and to care for those who care for them. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
15:04Performative Nonsense
August 25, 2026 Trump is floating the idea of renaming Lake Ontario. Canadian officials will impose tariffs of up to 50% on US products on September 8, Scott Bessent’s threat to strangle Iran’s economy isn’t faring well, China is taking advantage of the desperation those threats suggest, The Iran war has reconfigured the Middle East with Iran emerging as the area's dominant power, Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth want to bring a “warrior” ethos to the Pentagon and they thought senior officers would agree with him, but they have disagreed with policies to scale back the effort to protect civilians, Trump’s trade war is likely to hit the Midwest right before the midterms, Republican candidates are backing away from Trump, Trump still thinks his power is unchallenged and he is now threatening to demolish the Kennedy Center if he can’t renovate it. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:16Untrustworthy
August 24, 2026 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed negotiators to walk away from talks with the Trump administration, When he won reelection in 2024, Trump emphasized that he intended to use tariffs to pressure Canada to join the US as a 51st state and he has sought to use the extraordinary economic power of the US to force Canada and other countries into subordinate relationships, This new attack on Canada doesn't make economic or political sense for the US but does make sense for this president who is flailing, Republicans appear unwilling to cross Trump but our allies do have power and agency of their own, Carney is urging so-called "middle countries" to create coalitions, Carney and Canada will retaliate against US tariffs and will begin intense discussions with the EU, Trump is clearly seen as untrustworthy, on beef prices, on oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and on data centers, A report about a meeting between Hakim Jeffries and Jared Kushner created fury, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an initiative to demand other world leaders join with the US in strangling Iran’s economy. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
16:22You Are Not Alone
August 22, 2026 On August 18, Sen Darline Graham of South Carolina explained that she is not that informed on national security - although senators are supposed to manage national security, Graham is a perfect representation of today’s Republican Party, With little political experience, she is echoing Republican culture war talking points that worked for Trump in 2016, Trump told a rally in South Carolina that the election is really about him, Two former teachers endorsed by Democrats flipped the Sarasota Florida school board, The Republican Party tied itself to Trump and remains tied to him as he devotes his time to celebrating himself, Meanwhile the country is embroiled in a war in Iran, the economy is slowing, prices of food and gas are rising, and Americans are horrified by ICE and by Trump's corruption, Trump imposed a tariff on goods from Canada and Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs, The field is open for Democrats to redefine the nation’s policies, Pete Buttigieg recorded a video assuring Americans who oppose the Trump administration that they are in the large majority. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:44Do We Value an Educated Community?
August 21, 2026 On August 21, 2831, Nat Turner led 70 enslaved and free Black Americans in a violent rebellion intended to awaken his white neighbors to the brutality of slaveholding, Responding to fears that educating slaves was dangerous, states across the South made it a crime to teach enslaved Americans to read and write, Denial of access to education read them out of society, The fledgling Republican Party passed the Land Grant College act that funded public universities, Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill, In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that separate schools were inherently unequal and unconstitutional, When Ronald Reagan was elected he vowed to work for abolishing the Department of Education and to push tax dollars from public schools to private academies, Donald Trump’s education secretary pushed to expand voucher programs, The claim was that vouchers would save money, but Arizona’s biggest voucher program in the nation blew a hole in the state budget, In Texas a voucher program was passed into law, which will leave public schools across the state underfunded and closing, In Arizona the state supreme court ruled that opponents to a voucher program won’t get a ballot measure in front of voters this fall, In 2026 it seems the intent is to exclude certain Americans from participation in the Enlightenment principles on which the nation was founded. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:51Hidden Cuts to Health Care
August 20, 2026 Republicans are trying to hide the cuts they have made to health care in the US, Republicans are working to undo the progress made with the Affordable Care Act, The work requirement they have imposed on the ACA is really a paperwork requirement, Up to 15 million people are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, In 1883 sociologist Wiliiam Graham Sumner published an influential book that concluded that citizens owe nothing to each other, Those succeeding in the industrializing economy agreed, The Trump administration appears to embrace the belief that the nation depends upon the survival of the fittest, Robert F Kennedy’s beliefs about vaccines seem to align with that idea, The US is experiencing a wave of foodborne illnesses, The administration cut back mandatory tracking of eight pathogens that had been covered by FoodNet before the administration cut six of them, The leadership positions at the CDC and FDA are vacant and need to be filled, Keeping government out of society undermined public health and safety in the past, Middle class Americans demanded regulation of the food and drug industry, ushering in reforms. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:40Trying to Change the Narrative
August 19, 2026 Republicans are melting down over stories about Trump aide Natalie Harp, The White House attacked a CNN reporter for asking about a comment by Jon Ossoff, The right wing media piled on Ossoff although their outrage was manufactured, The Harp business did distract from news about Trump’s apparent stock manipulation and Trump’s ballroom - which is vastly unpopular, Trump is downplaying the poor conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, and his administration’s flailing in Iran, ABC and the Walt Disney Company have launched a federal lawsuit against the FCC for violation of free speech rights, The national debt passed $40 million, a record, much sooner than expected, The Harp story has brought attention to Trump’s need for a buffer between himself and the outside world, and Republicans don’t seem able to change the narrative and use it to attack Ossoff. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:27Fighting for the Right to Vote
August 18, 2026 On August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, It gave the right to vote to women, The push for rights for women had taken root during the Civil War, But the Fourteenth Amendment tied the right to vote to male citizens only, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony formed the National Women Suffrage Association, followed by Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe’s founding of the American Women Suffrage Association, Suffragists decided to test their right to vote under the Fourteenth Amendment in the 1872 election, When Suffragist Virginia Minor was kept from voting, she sued, and the case went to the Supreme Court which decided that women were citizens, but that citizenship did not necessarily convey the right to vote, For the next two decades, women’s suffrage drew its power from women’s organizations across the country, While laws changed to allow women to vote in some states, federal action was needed, Woodrow Wilson, under pressure in the midterm election of 1918 backed a constitutional amendment, The amendment became the law of the land after it was ratified by Tennessee, and 26 million American women had the right to vote in the 1920 presidential election, But most Black women and women of color would remain unable to vote for another 45 years, Black women activists were among the leading voices behind the 1965 Voting Rights Act that made Black voting a reality, In 2026, Christian nationalists want to repeal women’s right to vote. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:37This is What the Commander in Chief is Doing
August 17, 2026 Trump is flooding social media with his fantasies about his prowess, Trump claimed credit for falling pharmaceutical prices that are largely the result of the Inflation Reduction Act voted in under the Biden administration, He claims victory in Iran, He believes he is leading the country toward a second American Revolution, Today is the day that the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran expires. without a permanent agreement that opens the Strait of Hormuz and stops Iran’s nuclear ambitions, He is cozying up to North Korea and reducing traditional military exercises with US ally South Korea, He is caught in a scandal over the condition of the US military, Trump is redesigning a new aircraft carrier, replacing modern launch system with an older version, Trump’s Comptroller of the Currency has approved a preliminary chargter for Trump’s World Liberty Financial to become a bank in an unprecedented show of self-dealing. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:58The Yukon Gold Rush
August 16, 2026 130 years ago, on August 16, 1896, gold was found in the remote Yukon Territory of Canada, The creek where it was found would come to be known as Bonanza Creek, Tens of thousands of men rushed to the Yukon to seek their fortunes, Many were unprepared and died, Five years earlier, when Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected president, Republicans panicked, Industrialists had become very rich and they insisted that Democrats were socialists and anarchists who wanted to destroy America, Investors pulled out of the market and out of US bonds and Cleveland took office with a financial panic in full swing, In the 1894 midterms, voters turned Congress back over to Republicans, Then Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency while Republicans stood behind pro-business lawmaker William McKinley, Republicans insisted on a gold standard worried that coining silver would decrease the value of their holdings, After McKinley won the election, poorer Americans saw little hope, and news of a gold strike on Bonanza Creek was especially attractive, While few of the miners made fortunes, and many died, the gold from the Yukon did give the economy a boost, opening another path to reform during the Progressive Era. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:42In Shambles
August 15, 2026 Todd Blanche took the oath of office as attorney general on August 10, He immediately issued a memo dramatically expanding executive privilege, This expansion will hinder efforts to investigate Trump’s corruption, Independent journalist Katie Phang has filed a suit to force the Department of Justice to produce unredacted documents from the Epstein Files, The Department of Justice has not turned over those documents, The judge has warned the Department of Justice that he has held prosecutors in contempt of court in the past, The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ended the registry that makes shell companies identify their owners, The Treasury Department will not collect information required by the Corporate Transparency Act that is intended to undercut shell companies that enable money laundering, In doing so, the Trump administration may be openly refusing to implement a law. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:01The Social Security Act
August 14, 2026 The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow it to build his White House Ballroom, The National Trust of Historic Preservation has sued to stop construction, Asking to spend taxpayer money on a vanity project is a stark contract to the actions of the government 91 years ago, On August 14, 1935, FDR signed the Social Security Act into law, The Social Security Act permanently changed the nature of the American government, It enabled a federal system of benefits, providing a basic social safety net, The force behind the law was Frances Perkins, FDR’s secretary of labor, A witness to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, she knew voluntary organizations would not be sufficient to improve worker’s lives, The Social Security Act was hugely popular, The Act wrote into the law a longstanding political impulse that stood in contrast to the 1920s philosophy of rugged individualism, recognizing that pooling resources to take care of everyone was deeply seated, She asserted that Social Security was so firmly embedded in America’s psychology that no one could destroy it. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:33Moving as Quickly as Possible
August 13, 2026 Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board voted to put his name back on the Kennedy Center building, The administration has ramped up attacks on immigrants, A third immigrant detained at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall has died, ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on shock gloves to subdue individuals, DHS is ordering Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH to be fitted with ankle monitors, The administration is bulldozing its way through Big Bend National Park, Because of staffing shortages, funding cuts, and reassignment of agents to immigration enforcement, DOJ investigations into sex trafficking have stalled, Democratic senators are asking for information on the purchase of 12 new luxury planes purchased with taxpayer dollars, Robert F Kennedy is grabbing ideological ground, reworking the nation’s vaccine schedule, Trump issued an executive order forcing states to revise their recommendations on childhood vaccines. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
13:48Out of Control
August 12, 2026 Two Trump-endorsed candidates have lost their primary races as Trump’s approval ratings continue to slide, Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist has written that the White House needs to address concerns over Trump’s apparently compromised health, Trump’s power, internationally, has been weakened by his inability to end his war on Iran, As his popularity slips, Trump appears to be collapsing his circle to a few people who are close to him personally, He left Marco Rubio on the decoy plane when he left Türkiye, Conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln have deteriorated to the point that sailors have taken to self harm, Spending on White House renovations and vanity projects has skyrocketed, taking funds away from needed maintenance to the National Parks, Mining conglomerate Energy Fuels, with close ties to the Trump administration, is being accused of insider trading, Mike Lindell is refusing to concede his loss in the primary election in Minnesota. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:45Trump's Tough Guy Aspirations
August 10, 2026 The Iranians believe they are in a position to dictate the terms of resolving the war in Iran, Iran and Oman are negotiating terms for travel through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian officials laid out a series of demands that the US must meet before the Strait is reopened, The US and other countries are being forced to accept an outcome that would have been unacceptable before the war, Netanyahu openly broke with Trump over his plan for Gaza, The Trump administration has been working to reshape Latin American countries into right wing protectorates of the US, The administration is apparently looking for a cooperative leader for Cuba, Trump’s assumption of control over Venezuela appears to be the model for efforts in other countries, But the incident in which Trump left Türkiye after the NATO summer by faking the plane he was traveling because of a threat against his life, revealed the cowardice behind his tough guy aspirations, Trump protected himself by traveling in a smaller plan from Türkiye to England, leaving the press corps and staff to play decoy by traveling on Air Force One. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
16:16The Road to Resignation
August 9, 2026 In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg leaks Pentagon study on decisions made, and lies told to the public, about events in Vietnam, Richard Nixon, worried that enemies would leak information about his own decision making, organized a unit out of the White House to stop leaks, These “plumbers” spied, lied, and set out to wiretap the Washington DC headquarters of the DNC at the Watergate complex, Five men were arrested for ransacking the DNC’s files, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post broke the story of the White House scheme, The Senate Watergate Committe began nationally televised hearings to investigate, Assistant to the president, Alexander Butterfield, revealed to the commmittee that conversations and phone calls in the Oval Office had been taped since 1971, but Nixon attempted to keep copies from being released to the committee, After Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor, was fired, the new special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, successfully subpoenaed the tapes, which were damning, In late July 1974, the House Committee on the Judiciary passed three articles of impeachment, An explosive tape was released, showing that Nixon had clearly been central to the cover-up, and a delegation of Republican lawmakers went to the White House to tell Nixon that he must resign or be impeached, He gave a resignation speech that refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing, and his supporters advanced the idea of a “liberal conspiracy” to bring down any Republican president. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
10:11Resigning the Presidency
August 8, 2026 Just before leaving for a five-week recess, Senate Republicans confirmed Todd Blanche to the post of Attorney General of the US, Some Republicans were enthusiastic, others were more skeptical but said that if they didn’t confirm Blanche, Trump would choose someone worse, Fifty two years ago, Republican senators played a very different role when they delivered the news to Richard Nixon that he must resign or be impeached over the Watergate break-in, On August 8, 1974, Nixon spoke to the American people to tell them he was resigning the presidency of the United States. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
4:39Trump’s Protestations
August 7, 2026 Reports indicate a serious shortage of US long range missiles, Trump denies this story but reportedly is frustrated with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who in turn blames Depute Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, Replenishing the munitions stockpiles will take yeras and cost billions of dollars, Numbers released by the Department of Labor show that the economy shed jobs in July and the jobs numbers from May and June have been revised down, Republicans are focusing on Dr Anthony Fauci, and voted to hold him in contempt of Congress, Trump continues to insist that vandals, not a poor installation, caused the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, A three judge panel of the US Court of Appeals ruled that Trump cannot build his ballroom without congressional approval, Trump has protested and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, Voters are even more concerned about inflation and prices than they were six months ago. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:39Rejecting the Constitutional Order
July 26, 2026 Trump and his allies are acting as if the Constitution doesn’t exist, Their actions align with the strategy of Nazi political theorist Carl Schmitt, Schmitt’s philosophy centered around the idea that power belongs to the man who can exploit emergencies that create exceptions to the constitutional order, Trump has declared emergencies to justify deploying troops to Iran, to impose tariffs, and to sidestep Congress repeatedly, Trump is on track to issue vastly more emergency orders so far in his second term than were issued by any other president this century during their entire term, Trump will also be ignoring many different laws if plans proceed to build his proposed triumphal arch, Ever since officials acknowledged to reporters that Trump planned to build the arch, Trump made clear that the arch is all about him. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:43Whitewashing
July 25, 2026 The White House is moving forward on plans to paint the grey granite Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in spite of the damage it might cause and the maintenance it will requre, By claiming that the building is no longer controlled by the General Services Administration, the president is setting a dangerous precdent, allowing projects to avoid review, The administration is pushing a rule change in the National Historical Preservation Act, revising the law that requires federal agencies to take into account what their actions will do to historic places, The change will cut the public out of any conversation about places that matter to them, Chaco Canyon is one such place and several Democratic senators and representatives have written to Interior Secretary Burgum asking him to protect the area around the canyon, The changes would also fast track Trump’s planned triumphal arch, Trump and his allies are whitewashing and bulldozing history in service to their small vision. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:48For Their Own Ends
July 24, 2026 Federal officials have admitted that cuts from clean energy projects were based on whether states had voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Rather than combatting waste, the administration is trying to use the power of the American people for its own ends, Trump has levied tariffs again, on goods from more than 80 countries that make up just short of 100% of US trade, Trump is frustrated as he cannot seem to find a way out of the Iran War, The Pentagon is restating the number of military personnel who have been killed in the course of the Iran War, The White House appears focused on the goals of Trump alone, Trump's actions are in sharp contrast to FDR’s radio broadcast of July 24 1933 which urged Americans to act “in a group [to] accomplish things which no individual acting alone could even hope to bring about." Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
8:25A Politically Impossible Situation
uly 23, 2026 In a speech in 1953, President Dwight D Eisenhower warned that diverting tax dollars to war came at the expense of the American people, Trump is slashing programs that people depend on for food, health, scientific research, etc. to pay for his foreign adventures, Pete Hegseth was on Capitol Hill asking for $67 billion to fund the Defense Department through the end of September, The administration has not told Congress where the money is going, The Pentagon’s internal estimate of the cost of the Iran War is $100 billion, far in excess of what Hegseth told Congress, The only way to the victory that Trump wants is politically impossible, Trump and Rubio are threatening to attack civilian infrastructure in Iran, although that could be considered a war crime, The price of oil has surged to more than $100 a barrel, The House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution to end the war in Iran, with four Republicans joining all the Democrats, The Senate took up a measure to force the president to end the US hostilities with Iran, but it declined to advance the resolution, The vote was 47 to 49 with four Republican senators choosing not to vote. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:22Is This Fascism
July 22, 2026 Rep Jim McGovern spoke about the state of the Republican Party on the floor of the House, The speech called the party out for falling back on the communist label to divert attention from the economy and from what is happening in the party more broadly, McGovern charged that the Republican Party has become the party of fascism, Fascism rejects the equality that defines democracy, It elevates a single man to be an all powerful dictator, Scholars have noted that such demagogues depend on a disaffected population, who focus on someone to hate, Fascism aligns the government and favored businesses as business activity is subordinated to the needs of the government, Trump has approved a deal to provide Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program, This project is worth billions in contracts for US firms, MBS, Saudi’s crown prince, has declared he will build a nuclear weapon if Iran does, making this deal a blow to nuclear nonproliferation. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:34Dramatic Cuts
July 21, 2026 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has made the deepest cuts to SNAP in its history, leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans without benefits, The administration claims it is cleaning out fraud, but there is little fraudulent use of SNAP services, The government is withholding Medicaid funding from California and Minnesota, again claiming fraud, The National Parks are suffering from cuts, and the losses wlll take years - if not decades - to repair, The government is privatizing systems that it had managed, including airport screening, exposing the public to dangerous vulnerabilities, The Pentagon is asking for $67 billion to tide it over to the end of the fiscal year, In Senate hearings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would not answer questions about the truthfulness of his statements on the Iran war, Senator Andy Kim has introduced a proposal to expand Medicaid to all American children, with legislation that has been endorsed by a range of organizations with an interest in the health of America's families. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:17Shirking Responsibility
July 20, 2026 On July 17, an Iranian attack on a US base in Jordan killed two soldiers, and left one missing, 17 military personnel have been killed in the Iran War and the Pentagon says 427 have been wounded, Iran is inflicting more damage. They appear to have weaponry and are using it to make the US regional coalition believe that the costs are greater than the security benefits, The Pentagon is not providing much information about the progress of the Iran war, The US has struck bridges and energy infrastructure in Iran, The Houthis in Yemen are imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, If the Bab el-Mandeb strait is closed, the global oil supply will be further cut, and crude oil supplies in the US are the lowest in 45 years, Trump’s speech was not aired live on CNN, ABC, or NBC, perhaps a sign of Trump’s falling popularity, The administration is renewing aggressive immigration policies and arrests in July hit a record high, Democratic senators have demanded investigations of the shooting deaths in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, Trump has announced new tariffs on certain products from Canada, which would upend the economy if they take effect. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
14:22Massachusetts 54th Regiment
July 18, 2026 July 18, 1863, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry charged Fort Wagner, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, Fort Wagner covered the southern entrance to the harbor and was key to the US government taking the city, The 600 soldiers of the 54th made up one of the first Black regiments for the Union, A Boston abolitionist, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, led the regiment, The men of the 54th knew that eyes were upon them to see how well Black men would fight for their country and they proved that they were equal to any white soldiers, The assault on the fort killed, wounded, or lost more than 250 of the 600 in the regiment, Colonel Shaw was one of the 30 left dead on the field, He was buried in a mass grave with his men, a burial that the Confederates had arranged to dishonor him, but which his family found fitting. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
4:39A Deeply Unpopular Push
July 17, 2026 Trump and his team are throwing the weight of the government behind a far right conspiracy, The preoccupation with communism leads to a claim that all political positions designed to regulate business and provide a basic social safety net reflect a left wing radicalism, cost tax dollars, redistribute wealth, and are a slippery slope to socialism, Reactionaries have demonized Black Americans, people of color, and women, But the modern government has broad support, Trump and his loyalists are trying to push a fantastical vision of current conditions in the US that has been debunked, Trump pointed to documents to say that China had created an election security nightmare that was downplayed by the “deep state,” but the documents Trump released showed nothing of the sort, just evidence that Russia tried to influence the election on Trump’s behalf, Demands that states run voter rolls through a federal digital tool have been blocked repeatedly, Steve Bannon called for immediate action against “communists,” Stephen Miller resorted to claims that protestors were ugly and deformed. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
15:46Trump’s Lies
July 16, 2026 In an exchange between Jay Clayton, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, and Senator Jon Ossoff, Clayton would not answer the question of who won the 2020 election, All the claims that Trump won the 2020 election have collapsed in court, but Trump loyalists cannot say that out loud without losing Trump’s favor, Todd Blanche, the nominee for Attorney General slipped and acknowledged that he is still acting as though he is Trump’s personal attorney, Treasury Secretary Bessen announced that a commemorative coin with Trump’s likeness will be released in a move reminiscent of the likes of Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein, Trump is building a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, without permission from Congress or any review panel, The problem with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool appears to have been caused by problems with how the lining was installed, The US may attack Iran’s infrastructure, Iranian leaders are looking to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - the other main route, with the Strait of Hormuz, for oil exports from the Middle East, Fires and food-borne illnesses continue to plague much of the country, Trump is losing the support even of many Republicans. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:59A Different Set of Priorities
July 15, 2026 The American Rescue Plan, passed in March 2021 without a single Republican vote, expanded the Child Tax Credit for one year. This temporary expansion lifted 3.7 million children out of poverty before it expired, Five years later, the results of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed without a single Democratic vote, reveals a very different set of priorities, OBBA expanded tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, cutting more than $1 trillion from social welfare programs, The difference between the two bills reveals how the parties see the purpose of government - for the good of the people or to concentrate wealth and power among a few, Consumers are being screwed by the push to do away with reviews designed to protect people from monopoly power, Trump has called together a select group of Republicans to try to get their funding package which includes billions for military funding, for bailing out farmers hurt by tariffs, and for enacting aspects of the SAVE America Act, past Congress through budget reconciliation, The administration is also trying to fund immigration enforcement, which has led to two deaths at the hands of ICE agents, Funding the war in Iran, funding voter suppression, and funding the crackdown on immigrants are not popular with Americans, but Trump has pushed continued traffic stops, and continued strikes in Iran, nonetheless. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
13:17Valuing What Nature Can Accomplish
July 14, 2026 In 1870, a US exploring expedition headed to the Yellowstone River and reported back about the natural wonders of the area, The House Committee on Public Lands warned about letting the area be spoiled by private interests, In 1982 President Grant signed the bill making Yellowstone a national park, In 1890, the federal government stepped in to protect Yosemite, Presidents of both parties continued to protect American lands, New York Republican Theodore Roosevelt most dramatically expanded the effort to protect western lands, Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to create national monuments and, then, the Grand Canyon, Since the 1980s Republicans have pushed to reopen public lands to resource development, Trump signed an executive order in his first term to review the designations of 22 national monuments and ordered land reductions in two of them, Biden restored those monuments to their original size, But although the national parks and monuments attract millions of visitors, support thousands of jobs, and bring billions of dollars into the local economies, Project 2025 has urged that the Antiquities Act be repealed, The Supreme Court seems eager to get a case that will allow them to reduce the scope of the Antiquities Act, or eliminate it altogether. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:39Hostilities
July 13, 2026 The US has few options for extricating itself from Trump’s war on Iran with conditions better than when it went into the war, or before Trump tore up the plan of action negotiated by President Obama, Trump is claiming that he will keep the Strait of Hormuz open, The administration continues to deny that Congress has any role in its activities in Iran, despite the clear language of the Constitution, Trump’s sons have amassed a portfolio of defense tech startups that are benefitting from what the Pentagon is doing, In Maine, an ICE agent shot and killed a man from Colombia who was on his way to work but it appears he was not the man that ICE and Border Patrol were looking for, Less an a week ago, ICE shot and killed a man in Houston, who was close to obtaining legal status who also was not the person ICE was looking for, In Florida, a judge said that Trump, his lawyers, and lawyers for the DOJ, had manufactured the settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, She said that they launched the lawsuit to confer legitimacy on a course of action that they did not want to subject to judicial review, She recommended legal sanctions against some of the lawyers, She was “extremely troubled” by the testimony of Todd Blanche, who comes up for confirmation as Attorney General, on July 15. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
12:56Threats Dismissed
July 12, 2026 The US is in the grip of an outbreak of the Cyclospora parasite, which is no longer being tracked by the CDC, The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network had monitored 8 pathogens for 30 years, but it now monitors only two, The New World screwworm continues to spread in the US and Central America, with infestations spreading rapidly in numerous animals, The Trump administration held up funding for a facility crucial to slowing the spread as well as a research initiative to find ways to stop the pest, In Iran, the MOU signed by Trump in June formalized Iran’s power over the Strait of Hormuz, Soldiers who survived the Iranian attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait allege that the generals in command ignored intelligence that the site was a probable target, Wounded soldiers were not admitted to the hospital and soldiers and their families say the Army downplayed their injuries, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died over the weekend, A former critic of Trump, he became a staunch supporter. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:17Fury
July 11, 2026 The Department of Justice has subpoenaed reporters from the New York Times over a story about the Secret Service’s concerns about the new Air Force One plane that was given to the US by Qatar, Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars appear to have been spent on renovating the plane, The reporting by the New York Times reporters is protected under the First Amendment, Trump’s fury fueled numerous angry social media posts, There have been reports of the high costs of renovations in Washington DC, A Pentagon official told local DC media that the National Guard troops will be in Washington through Inauguration Day 2029, The real reason for their deployment is ominous. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
11:06Rigging the 2026 Election
July 10, 2026Trump refuses to sign the bipartisan housing bill because the Senate won’t pass the SAVE America Act, an act that will suppress voting, The housing bill was designed to address the housing crisis, Trump is making clear that his focus is not on governing, but on rigging the 2026 election, Trump’s appointees in the Department of Justice have been trying to intimidate election officials, Trump has fired the last two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission, claiming he has the right to do so under the Slaughter decision, The White House is fortifying the North Portico entrance to the White House, covering the portico with scaffolding, The administration intends to put fencing around Lafayette Square and parts of Pennsylvania Avenue, suggesting to the nation and the world that the government is exclusive and fearful of its own citizens. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
8:22