Letters from an American
Heather Cox Richardson narrates her newsletter, exploring the historical context behind contemporary American politics. Each episode connects current events to broader historical patterns, offering listeners a deeper understanding of today's political landscape. The podcast is based on her popular Substack publication.
Episodes
For Their Own Ends
July 24, 2026Federal 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 tr
A Politically Impossible Situation
uly 23, 2026In 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 adm
Is This Fascism
July 22, 2026Rep 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 el
Dramatic Cuts
July 21, 2026The 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 cu
Shirking Responsibility
July 20, 2026On 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
Massachusetts 54th Regiment
July 18, 2026July 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 t
A Deeply Unpopular Push
July 17, 2026Trump 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 Ame
Trump’s Lies
July 16, 2026In 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 a
A Different Set of Priorities
July 15, 2026The 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 b
Valuing What Nature Can Accomplish
July 14, 2026In 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 part
Hostilities
July 13, 2026The 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
Threats Dismissed
July 12, 2026The 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
Fury
July 11, 2026The 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 fue
Rigging 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,
What the Fourteenth Amendment Protects
July 9, 2026On July 9, 1868, Americans changed the US Constitution for the 14th time, The Fourteenth Amendment brought the principles of the Declaration to life, requiring the Federal government to protect the equal rights of all American men, The Thirteenth Amendment prohibited slavery on the basis of race, but did not guarantee equality for Black Americans, The Fourteenth Amendment took on the D
Who is in Control?
July 8, 2026After the US resumed bombing Iran, Iranian forces retaliated with strikes on US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump lashed out at Iranian leaders, later backing down, Trump’s claim that “we have the Hormuz Strait,” is not correct, and Iran appears to be calling the shots, Trump was often incoherent in Ankara, making mistakes and claiming powers he does
NATO Summit in Türkiye
July 7, 2026At a two day summit of the NATO countries in Ankara, Trump told reporters he was disappointed that NATO had not backed his war on Iran, He then claimed his beef with NATO began over Greenland, NATO is the most effective alliance in human history, The US and eleven other nations signed the original NATO declaration on April 4, 1949, The alliance calls for collective defense, It acts not
A Thumb on the Scale
July 6, 2026In the World Cup match between the US and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the US team’s top scorer received a red card, Last Sunday, FIFA announced Balogun would be allowed to play, Trump had called FIFA’s president to intervene, There has been outrage over this interference but Trump isn’t interested in a level playing field, The episode represents the way Trump thinks about the rule of law in th
Reality Reasserts Itself
July 5, 2026Going into the weekend celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Trump was facing a lot of bad news, Iran was blocking ships trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz, chocking of 2-5 of the world’s oil and one third of the world’s fertilizer transported by sea, Inflation is spiking in the US, The administration's corruption is being revealed, with reports
Government of the People, by the People, for the People
July 3, 2026On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, The Declaration of independence was an astonishing radical document, despite its shortcomings, America was founded on the radical idea that all men are created equal, The Civil War tested whether the nation was dedicated to the idea that all men are created equal, The US endured and Americans bega
Resting on the Rule of Law
July 2, 2026On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed a Resolution for Independence, They declared that the Colonies were free and independent states, and that all political connection between them and Great Britain was and ought to be totally dissolved, Known as the Lee Resolution, it was the final break between the king and the 13 colonies, After the French and Indian War, the colo
The White House is Not a Business Opportunity
July 1, 2026Trump takes the first flight on the new Air Force One, gifted by Qatar, White House officials awarded a no-bid contract for the construction of Trump’s ballroom, Trump had claimed the work would be paid for by private donations but more than half the work done so far is coming from taxpayers, The Trumps and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are self-dealing, Trump has taken in a report
Birthright Citizenship
June 30, 2026Trump signed an executive order, on his first day in office, declaring that there was no birthright citizenship, The ACLU and others sued the administration, The Fourteenth Amendment established birthright citizenship, After the Civil War former Confederates denied Black Southerners basic rights, The Republican Congress passed a civil rights bill in 1866 but President Andrew Johnson v
The Unitary Executive
June 29, 2026In the case of Slaughter v Trump, Trump claimed he has the right to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a member of the Federal Trade Commission even though the Court has long said the president does not have the power to fire members of independent agencies except in extreme cases, The argument is an attempt to establish the idea of the unitary executive which asserts the power of the president
A New Political Language
June 28, 2026A wide range of Democratic voices are shaping a new political language, One is James Talarico who delivered his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for US Senator from Texas on June 26, Talarico invoked Barbara Jordan, Talarico’s vision resonates beyond Texas, He celebrated the accomplishments of the state of Texaas, He expressed concern about the takeover of the state by
Lies, Threats, and Looting
June 27, 2026The reflecting pool fiasco represents the Trump administration perfectly, The remodeling of the West Colonnade, which Trump said he had paid for, was in fact paid for by the taxpayers, Trump is redirecting taxpayer money from the National Park Service, The looting of our tax dollars is turning the resources of the country to the administration’s own ends, People are paying with their
A Party of Radical Extremists
June 26, 2026On Wednesday, Trump refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill, Republican senators apologized for supporting a war powers resolution that had been passed, After Trump said he would not sign any measures into law until the Senate passed the SAVE Act, Speaker Johnson sent the House members home, This turmoil reflects the changing world of American politics, The Supreme Court allowed the
Battle of the Little Big Horn
June 25, 2026Today is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, when Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong lost his entire command to Lakota warriors, The road to the Little Bighorn started during the Civil War, The US government, strapped by the cost of war, stopped providing food, forcing the Santees to flee to join the Teton Lakotas in what is now Montana, The massacre at Sand Cr
Clearly Panicked
June 24, 2026A comprehensive review of the war on Iran suggests the US has little, if any, leverage, The botched renovagtion of the Reflecting Pool has come to represent the botched war on Iran, Trump appears to be panicked, posting about gas prices, and suddenly announcing that he would not sign the bipartisan housing bill passed by both the Senate and the House, Trump is holding the bill hostage
Continuing to Fall Apart
June 23, 2026Trump continues to blame the Reflecting Pool’s problems on vandals without evidence, Trump announces that Iran has agreed to nuclear inspections, but Iran disagrees, Only 23% of Americans think the Iran war was a good idea, Trump may be flailing but a “lean and hungry” group of men in positions of power and authority who are committed to making his dreams of unlimited power a reality,
Mired in Its Own Mistakes
June 22, 2026The Trump administration cannot spin the MOU that Trump signed as a win, A range of commentators are calling the MOU a disaster, J.D. Vance’s trip to Switzerland produced little in spite of his claims of a win, Trump is doubling down on blaming problems with the Reflecting Pool on vandals, and blames the cost overruns on Obama, Trump is raging at the media for stories that expose his
Father's Day
June 21, 2026Remembering Ken Nyboe, Father’s Day.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/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: h
Reality Defies Trump’s Narrative
June 20, 2026The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a metaphor for the Trump presidency, Trump claimed he would fix the reflecting pool for $1.8 million, When renovations were declared complete Trump claimed it was a triumph, But the cost was vastly over the budget, a no-bid contract had been awarded for the work, and the work immediately failed, 12 days after it was done, the epoxy from
Juneteenth
June 19, 2026The federal holiday honoring Juneteenth celebrates the announcement on June 19, 1865 letting Texans know that enslaved Americans were free, The federal government would see to it that going forward white people and Black people would be equal, While white legislators in the former Confederacy grudgingly ratified the 13th amendment abolishing enslavement, they also passed laws keeping
The Power of the People
June 18. 2026Ukraine launched its biggest attack on Moscow since Russia's invasion, Russia struck one of Ukraine’s most important landmarks, Kyiv-Oechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, Trump and J.D. Vance are trying hard to sell the MOU with Iran as a victory, but their claims are hollow and brittle, The parade for the New York Knicks, this year’s NBA Champions, was, by contrast, a powerfu
The MOU Ignites a Firestorm
June 17, 2026The details of the 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran are revealed, It has a lot of firm language, most of it seemingly granting Iran everything it wanted, The MOU commits the US and its “allies” to stop military operations on all fronts, The US will terminate sanctions against Iran and lift the blockade of Iranian ports, Iran will use “best efforts” to support safe passag
Covering Up
June 16, 2026Only 16% of Americans think the UFC Fight at the White House was appropriate, Kash Patel announces that the FBI had foiled a plot to attack the UFC fight, seemingly rushing to announce information that the Secret Service did not plan to leak, The Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are launching an investigation into Patel’s alleged misuses of FBI funds, A case against the Broa
Testing the Limits
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One of the Highest Moral Lessons
June 14, 2026On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, The Battles of Lexington and Concord had made it clear that the British government endangered American liberties, Congress then named Virginia planter George Washington as its commander-in-chief, Defending the country without creating a military that could be used to repress the people was a challenge,
A Trump Stunt
June 13, 2026The head of the Kennedy Center certified to the court that the Center and its board have complied with the order to remove Trump’s name from the building, They have not removed the tarp installed over the Center's portico, The Kennedy Center spokesperson said that the board was evaluating legal options, UFC fighters held a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial in advance of the ca
Unlawful Government Action
June 12, 2026Today was the deadline for removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, The DOJ asked for a stay, but Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against them, The Kennedy Center board then filed an emergency appeal, alleging that the board would strip all funding unless Trump’s name remains on the building, The Washington National Opera has filed a suit claiming they are owed $17 million of the
Signs of Frustration
June 11, 2026Trump began the day threatening to strike Iran and to take Kharg Island, Trump has not gotten congressional approval for continuing action in Iran, Fox News hosts are urging Trump to increase US military involvement in Iran, claiming a decisive win will be swift, Trump compares Iran to Venezuela, The US appears to be controlling Venezuela’s oil exports, but there is no transparency ar
Trying to Rewrite the Story
June 10, 2026Inflation in May hit its highest level since early 2023, Trump seems unconcerned - revising the story by suggesting that the hit to the economy was strategic, Trump is also rewriting the history of the war that he started in Iran, Reporters in the NY Times have brought Jeffrey Epstein back into the news, suggesting panic in the White House, JD Vance has pressed to have Tim Walz and Ke
A Very Big Deal Indeed
June 9, 2026A Very Big Deal IndeedTrump has officially nominated Todd Blanche to become attorney general of the United States, Blanche as formerly Trump’s personal attorney who led the defense team in the case of falsifying records and in the cases for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and retaining classified documents, Blanche has flouted the law to do Trump’s bidding, The nomi
The Right of Conscience
June 8, 2026On June 8, 1789, James Madison of Virginia introduced a series of amendments to the US Constitution, Ten of his amendments would eventually be adopted and become the Bill of Rights, One of the amendments said that no national religion would be established and the full and equal rights of conscience would not be infringed, Madison cared deeply about keeping the government away from reli
Trump Walks Out
June 7, 2026Trump walked out on an interview with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker when she challenged his claim that the 2020 presidential election and recent primary in California were rigged, Trump accused the media of being dishonest - which is exactly what he is doing, Scott Pelley, formerly of 60 Minutes, described CBS news director Bari Weiss's demands that he make changes to reporting fr
We Deserve to Know What is Happening
June 6, 2026Senate Republicans passed a measure providing additional funding to ICE and CBP, without any of the reforms Democrats had demanded, ICE and CBP will be funded through the end of Trump’s term no matter the outcome of the midterm elections, There has been no public accounting of how the funds for ICE and CBP are being spent, Democratic amendments caused an 18 hour debate that forced Repu
D-Day
June 5, 2026In his June 5th, 1944 Fireside Chat, FDR let Americans know that Rome had fallen to Allied troops, He emphasized how troops from many nations had worked together to defeat the forces of fascism, And he warned that this was just the beginning of the path to victory, FDR knew, but did not tell his audience, that the Allies were on their way into France, That evening, General Dwight D Eis
People are Paying Attention
June 4, 2026The Trump administration’s promise to dismantle the liberal consensus got him elected, but the effects of his plans are starting to be widely felt, Tariffs are destroying foreign markets for US agricultural products, The war on Iran is sending the price of fuel and fertilizer soaring, Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins was grilled by the House Agriculture Committee, New World screw
A Vast Grab for Power
June 3. 2026US Supreme Court allows Alabama to use a 2023 map that had been ruled as unconstitutional because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, As Trump deteriorates mentallly and physically Republican lawmakers and the administration try to grab as much power as possible, Promises of an end to the war on Iran fizzle and the economy is slowing as oil pric
Destroying the Rule of Law
June 2, 2026Administration officials have repeatedly tried to limit access to detention centers across the country, Detainees at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey start a hunger strike to protest dangerous conditions and the lack of access to the legal system, New Jersey’s attorney general is suing the GEO Group which operates Delaney Hall, The destruction of the rule of law at Delan
Trump is Looking for a Lifeline
June 1, 2026Trump is caught between demands to deliver on promises to keep Iran from developing nuclear capacity and to open the Strait of Hormuz as oil reserves continue to drop and oil prices in the US continue to rise, Return of Congress raises possibility that a war powers resolution will pass, As soon as details for a framework for ending the war in Iran are leaked to the media, Trump’s base
A Declaration of Conscience
May 31, 2026Margaret Chase Smith was elected represent Maine as a Republican in the House after her husband, who held that seat, died in 1940, Smith served three terms in the House and then was elected to the Senate in 1948, Anti-New Deal Republicans were insisting that the US government was sliding toward communism, Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, claimed he had a list of communists work
The Johnstown Flood
May 30, 2026The members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club were wealthy and influential, The Club took control of a Pennsylvania reservoir created by damming a river, and enjoyed it for sport, but it had no drainage system, Perched high above Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a factory town, members of the club gave little thought to the people living there, On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam fail
As Trump Takes Hits, He Lashes Out
May 29, 2026The war in Iran and the rising cost of living are costing Trump support, While there is talk of an agreement with Iran, there are no signs that it is real, Public opinion is causing support to dwindle for Trump’s wish to be on the face of a new $250 bill, Trump lost in court on changing the name of the Kennedy Center and on closing the center for two years, Trump’s plans for a Freedom
Weaponizing the Department of Justice
May 28, 2026Trump is treating the nation’s capital as his property, Trump is lashing out, filing suits against E. Jean Carroll and the Wall Street Journal, Grand juries as well as judges are losing faith in the Department of Justice, Trump appears to be focused on corrupt dealings that benefit him and his family, Thirty-five former federal judges have challenged the slush fund set up by Trump and
Trump's Politics as Dominance Sport
May 27, 2026Backed by Trump, scandal-ridden Ken Paxton wins Texas primary against John Cornyn, UFC arena is being built on the White House lawn as Trump dominates the People’s House just as he is dominating the Republican Party, In the 1850s, enslavers similarly dominated the Democratic Party and forced through the Kansas Nebraska Act, Those opposed to the spread of slavery created a new alignment
Accountability and Consequences
May 26, 2026Demonstrators at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey, including Senatory Andy Kim, were pepper sprayed by federal agents, Detainees have called for help, describing conditions as overcrowded and unsafe, Detainees have not been afforded legal hearings and are being pressured to self deport, The detainees began a hunger strike and members of congress, as well as New Jersey’s
Trump Under Pressure
May 26, 2026Tulsi Gabbard steps down, possibly having been forced out of her position as Director of National Intelligence, Trump is under pressure to find a way out of Iran, The timeline for Congressional approval of the war has run out, Members of Congress were poised to pass a war powers resolution, but Mike Johnson sent representatives home to avoid that vote, Trump claims that an agreement wi
250 to 250
May 24, 2026The people who care about the preservation of democracy and who have worked to expand its values truly represent America, On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, we are launching 250 to 250, a series that honors them, It is a series of one-minute videos that emphasize the agency of everyday people to change the country, The videos celebrate community
Memorial Day
May 23, 2026Trump’s proposed arch threatens to obscure the view of the Lincoln Memorial from Arlington National Cemetery, The arch will not frame the nation’s honored dead, but the home built by enslaved Americans and once owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, The US government bought Lee’s property in 1864, and by August began to bury the bodies of Civil War soldiers there, By the end of th
The Power to Shape the Civilization That We Want
May 22, 2026In a graduation speech at the University of Michigan in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson laid out his vision for “the Great Society,” It was a forward looking vision of a country that used its post-World War II prosperity to look toward greater things, and to advance civil rights and end poverty, Congress would pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and
Starting to Crack
May 21, 2026Congress has left for the Memorial Day holiday, It appears some Republican members of Congress have mutinied against Trump, Republican senators met in what is described as a hostile meeting with acting attorney general Todd Blanche, Republican senators are speaking out against Trump’s slush fund, Repubicans are also frustrated by Trump intervening in Republican primaries, Senate leader
Blocking the Slush Fund
May 20, 2026Daniel Hodges aed Harry Dunn, who defended the Capitol on January 6, sue Trump to block the creation of his slush fund to pay off those convicted of crimes related to that attack, The lawsuit covers what actually happened on January 6, in detail, In the House, Rep Jamie Raskin has introduced an act to prohibit use of federal funds to pay off anyone claiming to have faced “weaponization
A Pardon on Steroids
May 19, 2026Department of Justice announces $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund," Administration continues to blame others for actions that they themselves are doing, The fund is not part of a legal settlement of Trump’s case against the IRS, which Trump has withdrawn, But Trump has reached an agreement with the DOJ, giving him full control of the fund, Trump loyalists are looking to compensat
Americans’ Civic Identity
May 17, 2026Trump administration organizes a taxpayer funded evangelical worship event in Washington DC, Administration seeks to use the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to promote its ideology, Trump loyalists have taken over planning for the nation’s birthday celebration from Congress, Trump’s Freedom 250 project showcases Trump more than the nation’s history, In a false read
Awakening a Sleeping Giant
May 16, 2026May 17th is the anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education decision declaring racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional, Three years later, President Eisenhower proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson wrestled the Act through Congress, But efforts to expand voter registration for Black Americans were stymied, even after the pass
Trump's China Trip
Xi Jinping appears to have gotten what he wanted from the meeting with Trump, Trump’s actions make it appear China and the US are peers. Xi signals he sees US as a declining power, Trump appears to miss the context of their meeting, Trump misses the point that America’s strength was always about its alliances, Trump posts about the WH ballroom, Hegseth reverses plan to send troops to Poland, Chair
The Most Corrupt U.S. Administration in History
Vance visits Maine and claims the Trump administration is combating endemic fraud in our public services. States that don't comply with federal rules will have funds cut. Admin will withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments from California. Admin and Republicans blaming political opponents for their own fraud and corruption. Admin seems nervous after seeing Orban dumped. Trump’s administration la
A One-Party South
Two weeks ago, SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These first two weeks have resulted in one-party rule in the South, depriving millions of Black voters from fair representation, as Republicans gerrymander without restraint. We've seen a One-party state South before. After the Civil War, reactionary white southerners use state laws, intimidation, harassment, and violence to prevent Black
The Price of Non-Prosecution
Trump’s behavior on social media gets even more unhinged; he continues to target his political opponents with late night posts which fabricate quotes and use AI. Trump calls news coverage of Iranian military victories "virtual TREASON." Trump leaves for China. No progress on opening Strait of Hormuz. Trump continues to use Iran's nuclear capacity as justification for the war, but his own intellige
Made in the U.S.A.*
In 2025, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump launched "Trump Mobile," a smartphone designed and built entirely in America. Costumers could pre-order the phone by putting down a $100 deposit for the $499 phone. Since, the product dropped its "American made" promise, the phone did not ship on schedule, and the terms have redefined the $100 deposits as a "conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, i
Two Celebrations
Russia celebrates Victory Day, the anniversary of its victory over the Nazis. Putin co-opts the holiday to showboat the country's military and boost morale and support for the Ukraine War. Putin has not achieved any of his initial goals in the Ukraine War. Putin fearmongers against NATO. A big celebration in Hungary but for another reason. Péter Magyar takes the oath of office as prime minister af
Mothers' Day
The original Mothers’ Day originated with Julia Ward Howe reacting in the 1870’s to the horror of modern war. Women needed to seize political power from the men who allowed this scale of carnage. Throughout the Civil War, women had played a significant role in the war effort, and they expected their agency and participatory enfranchisement to continue in the post-war years. 14th Amendment did not
Look, Ma. A U.F.O!
Trump & UFO stories. Meanwhile: Transportation Secretary misses months recording TV show, no bid contract for reflecting pool, real cost of war huge, FEMA only pays Republican states and ignores Democrat states, Trump ends air pollution restrictions, VA court overrides will of voters.Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can
Gerrymandering Arms Race
Tennessee divides its majority-Black 9th Congressional District into three districts that extend into white suburbs, turning all its districts into Republican seats. The NAACP has sued Tennessee to block the redistricting. Other Republican dominated states are rushing to redraw their own districts after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision. The CIA releases a report that contends the
Hidden Costs
Government restricts satellite imagery from the press, to hide the extent of damage Iran did to our bases in war. More insider trading surrounds latest Trump announcement re war. Patel drinking and giving Ka$h Patel labeled bourbon bottles as swag.Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.a
A Ballroom Bait and Switch
After Trump promised his White House Ballroom would be funded entirely by himself and "friends," Republicans are appropriating $1 billion in taxpayer money for the White House addition. This tactic reveals President Reagan's own bait and switch when his tax cuts did not provide the economic prosperity that he promised would have sustained social programs. 1/5 of people covered by ACA are dropping
Trump's "Mini War"
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Gilding the Capital
May 3, 2026"86 47" graffiti in the Reflecting Pool sends Trump into a late night posting frenzy, many of them AI generated images. Trump pushes expensive "beautification" projects in D.C. to control his legacy. These projects include painting the reflecting pool blue and building The National Garden of American Heroes. Trump announces the launch of "Project Freedom, an effort to escort stranded me
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