Like the American colonists in 1776, we are at war against a brutal regime. And like those colonists, we will prevail!

We are at war--only Dems don't get that!

Donald Trump spent July 4^th eve telling his supporters at a rally in Iowa that he “hates” Democrats. Trump continued on, “I really do hate them. I can’t stand them because I really believe they hate our country!” These words demonizing Democrats was met by loud cheers from the MAGA hordes. (see clip below)

We have never heard a President of the United States mark our Independence Day by inciting hatred against the opposing political party and painting them as in essence traitors. That language by Trump is more akin to the type used by a leader who is dehumanizing his enemy during a time of war. And that is exactly where we are.

I’ve repeatedly written and said on my SiriusXM show, “We are at war.” Trump and MAGA know that. It’s only some Democrats who don’t get it. The goal of Trump and MAGA in this war is to elevate Trump to King where he will use all the powers of government to silence dissent and impose their far-right agenda.

I’ve read the Declaration of Independence many times before today—but this time it invoked a different emotional and visceral reaction. I didn’t feel like I was reading about history but rather sensing the feelings that the American colonists harbored when they rose up to oppose the brutal regime of King George III.

King George did far worse than “taxation without representation.” The King via the British Parliament brutally oppressed the colonists by stripping away their self-determination as a people through measures like the Townshend Acts. The Crown also stripped Massachusetts' of its charter—which provided a level of self-governance--and instead gave British government control. The King forced colonists to allow British troops to live in their homes (quartering of soldiers.) In June 1775, the British General Gage put martial law in effect in Massachusetts—a hot bed of those seeking independence--and stated that any person helping the Americans would be considered a traitor and rebel.

The list of oppressive tactics by the King is long. In turn, the anger built among the colonists as did the voices clamoring for freedom.

We are at a similar place today. Trump has utilized the power of the federal government to put troops in the streets of California over the objections of the duly elected local officials. He has targeted media outlets, law firms, universities and others who dared defy him including arresting a member of Congress, a judge and had a US Senator roughed up for simply asking questions.

Trump is actively seeking to end due process for those the regime deems to be in the United States “illegally.” Very alarmingly, Trump is now seeking to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens if he deems them a “potential” danger to US security. And the big bill that just passed will provide Trump both the funds and legal cover to build his own ICE army as well as a series of concentration camps.

Not to scare anyone—but as dark as it is now, it will get worse. Trump bragged on Wednesday after the bill passed the House, “I think I have more power now.” Thanks to the GOP bill, he is correct.

Where we find ourselves today is about a year before the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Some colonists then still held out hope that a war could be avoided and they could work out a deal with the King. In fact in 1775, the American Congress issued what became known as the Olive Branch Petition declaring its loyalty to the king and stating its hope that he would help arrange a reconciliation (Today we call that Democrats who want to find “common ground” with Trump.) Obviously, that went nowhere as the Mad King had only one goal: Crush the colonists.

That is exactly what Trump is seeking to do to us. But Trump’s open embrace of tyranny tells us something. And that is this simple truth: Trump does not get what it means to be an American.

We all know from childhood the story above about the mad King oppressing the American colonists. These colonists didn’t cower in fear or bend the knee to the tyrant. No, they rose up and defeated the most powerful military on the planet at the time.

It is in our DNA as Americans to rebel against a King. That is what Trump does not get about real Americans.

Today is the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The words in that document drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson never rang truer. In fact, to be honest they gave me goosebumps--and some passages almost moved me to tears.

I can only imagine the courage it took on July 4, 1776, for that plucky group of American colonists to declare their independence from a King who they knew would cruelly use the full power of the government to punish and even kill them. But still they declared in one of the most famous passages of the Declaration, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…and That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it”

Later they wrote about not only the right but the “duty” to rise up all tyrants: “It is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.” That, too, is part of our DNA as Americans.

After listing their grievances, the delegates bravely announced that we “solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.”

While the earlier lines of the Declaration have received much attention over time, to me the final line of the document tells us that those signing it understood they may die in this fight for liberty---but that is the price they were all willing to pay. They wrote, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

As of now we only have to remain active and prepare to win the 2025 elections in New Jersey and Virginia and of course the 2026 midterms. But there may come a time when we are called to make a similar pledge as those colonists did in 1776 to defeat tyranny. While no one wants that, our DNA as Americans compels us to step up to do just that. And just as those patriotic Americans prevailed then—so will we!

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