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In my latest Substack Live, I checked back in with Common Power Executive Director Charles Douglas, who was on the ground last week in Minneapolis as community resistance pushed back against ICE. What started as a catch-up quickly turned into a broader conversation about political momentum, Trump’s weakness, and the limits of authoritarian overreach.
We began by unpacking the breaking news that ICE is withdrawing its presence from Minnesota — a development Charles witnessed the start of firsthand. In Minneapolis, a combination of disciplined nonviolent resistance, community organizing, and strategic pressure made the federal occupation politically unsustainable. This wasn’t just a tactical retreat; it was evidence that concentrated, organized pushback can force even an authoritarian federal agency to recalibrate. There’s a lot we can learn from their efforts.
From there, we zoomed out to the larger theme of the evening: the weakening of the Trump regime. Between sustained unpopularity in the polls, high-profile court setbacks, Republican fractures on key votes, and cultural blowback that’s further eroding his grip on power, we walked through why Trump’s image of invincibility looks increasingly hollow. At every turn, from policy battles to intra-party dissent, signals of institutional resistance and political vulnerability kept emerging.
Of course, it wasn’t all seriousness. Charles and I also joked around, riffed on the day’s headlines, and grounded our analysis with humor. It was a fun conversation.
If you missed the live, you can watch the full conversation above. We dig into the Minnesota developments, what they mean for Trump’s broader strategy, and why this moment feels like a turning point in both policy and public sentiment.
