Reminder: Project 2025 outlines what will happen if ANY Republican gets into office. Not, just if Trump gets into office. The people behind Project 2025 don’t believe in little-d democracy.
Letters from An American
March 17, 2024
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
On Friday, journalist Casey Michel, who specializes in the study of kleptocracy, pointed out that reporters had missed an important meeting last week. Michel noted that while reporters covered Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to former president Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, they paid far less attention to the visit Orbán paid to the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the Heritage Foundation on Friday, March 8. There, Orbán spoke privately to an audience that included the president of the organization, Kevin Roberts, and, according to a state media printout, “renowned U.S. right-wing politicians, analysts and public personalities.”
Michel noted that it was “nothing short of shocking” that Orbán declined to meet with administration officials and instead went to Washington, D.C., to meet with a right-wing think tank. With Roberts’s appointment as head of Heritage in 2021, the conservative organization swung to the position that its role is “institutionalizing Trumpism.”
A leader of a country comes to the United States of America, to Washington, DC and DOES NOT meet with the President of the United States. But, instead, meets with a thinktank.
Let that sit on your brain.
Roberts has been vocal about his admiration for Orbán, tweeting in 2022 that it was an honor to meet him. At last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Orbán boasted that Hungary is “the place where we didn’t just talk about defeating the progressives and liberals and causing a conservative Christian political turn, but we actually did it.” In January, Roberts told Lulu Garcia-Navarro of the New York Times that Orbán’s statement was “all true” and “should be celebrated.” In a different interview, Garcia-Navarro noted, Roberts had called modern Hungary “not just a model for conservative statecraft but the model.”
Last year, Michel notes, Heritage joined the Hungarian Danube Institute in a formal partnership. The Hungarian think tank is overseen by a foundation that is directly funded by the Hungarian government; as Michel says, it is, “for all intents and purposes, a state-funded front for pushing pro-Orbán rhetoric.” The Danube Institute has given grants to far-right figures in the U.S., and, Michel notes, “we have no idea how much funding may be flowing directly from Orbán’s regime to the Heritage Foundation.”
The tight cooperation between Heritage and Orbán illuminates Project 2025, the plan Heritage has led, along with dozens of other right-wing organizations, to map out a future right-wing presidency. In Hungary, Orbán has undermined democracy, gutting the civil service and filling it with loyalists; attacking immigrants, women, and the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals; taking over businesses for friends and family, and moving the country away from the rules-based international order supported by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
They are telling you who they are, and what they want to do to this country. Believe them.
Been done told you.
President Biden stopped their book grift. They are madder than a muthaphucka.
The competency of him and his Administration angers them to no end…because they can’t keep things that they should be reporting to hold for their phucking books.
Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) posted at 0:20 PM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
SCOOP: In another sign of the soft Biden book market, Simon and Schuster has withdrawn its contract with Axios’ Alex Thompson for a book about the Biden administration, two sources told me. The book was originally scheduled to be published early this year. https://t.co/IC0pMnDxKj https://t.co/qKy1vr8IoC
(https://x.com/dlippman/status/1773037353830945131?t=ixGkpYwMtEj-vXUsTYhJ8w&s=03)
The rubes be rubing:
The New York Times (@nytimes) posted at 11:20 AM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
Donald Trump has spent more than $100 million — none of it his own money — since leaving office on legal costs related to fending off investigations, indictments and his coming criminal trials, federal records show. Here’s how he has funded those expenses. https://t.co/gJENU5lup4
(https://x.com/nytimes/status/1773022186359361863?t=aoL5fo6IJA_6sbAjCSpu9Q&s=03)
Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) posted at 11:18 AM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
Friends of SBF’s family are embarrassing themselves, and ruining their reputations, telling the Court that FTX wasn’t really bankrupt, that investors will be made whole, or that it was other people’s fault.
Sam Bankman Fried is still insulting his victims
https://t.co/AoJP6fkkZT
(https://x.com/RWPUSA/status/1773021878010941541?t=dligkx2asi6Lx5kSrXfi4A&s=03)
Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) posted at 10:39 AM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
Congratulations to the @MoDemParty & grassroots activists for an amazing candidate recruitment effort. I just received the stellar report from Chmn Carnahan & as a result MO Dems will receive one of my candidate recruitment challenge grants.
Here’s what they accomplished:
* 100% of Statewide and Congressional seats filled with candidates
* 88% (15 of 17) of State Senate seats filled with candidates
* 83% (135 of 163) of State House seats filled with candidates.
This is a dramatic increase from 2022 when only 90 State House seats filled and it is the best presidential year recruiting number since 2008.
Candidate recruitment is one of the hardest jobs of a state party… proud of the strides in MO!
(https://x.com/harrisonjaime/status/1773011942484922493?t=jTasImwNx7JSAwPB4owEDw&s=03)
Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) posted at 5:10 PM on Tue, Mar 26, 2024:
NEW: Protestors occupying the chancellor’s office at Vanderbilt try to shame a black police officer:
“You are black in America, and you’re NOT standing with the marginalized people of the world. What does that make you?!” https://t.co/4aPCGXUSVR
(https://x.com/sfmcguire79/status/1772747871655211248?t=L6h2ec4vIFvSfXwA3UlFtg&s=03)
Leaundra Ross 💙💚🏈⚾️ (@LeaundraRoss) posted at 11:38 AM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
I’ve seen them say they don’t give a shit about us because we’re not suffering that much.
They don’t care about us.
Because people called them out on why they don’t care about shit going on here too.
That was their excuse.
It’s worse elsewhere.
(https://x.com/LeaundraRoss/status/1773026763855081659?t=LAJ_P4zyLUC_n5cpky5QZg&s=03)
Brian Baez (@MentallyDivine) posted at 10:50 AM on Wed, Mar 27, 2024:
CLEARING THE RECORD ON JOE BIDEN. https://t.co/yMpaScPwDQ
(https://x.com/MentallyDivine/status/1773014801423241577?t=w3CPIPTWXgiAuRY7JGtigA&s=03)
Yess…
We know where we are from…
I, too, am sick of that question 😡😡😡
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLMreDoC/
Good YouTube analysis of the Baltimore bridge disaster
https://youtu.be/N39w6aQFKSQ?si=b56cVs_vng1jyv24
Candidly Tiff (@tify330) posted at 6:41 PM on Sun, Mar 24, 2024:
We will have 3 new senators from states along the I-95 corridor who will make history if they get elected to the Senate.
NJ – Andy Kim
DE – Lisa Blunt Rochester
MD – Angela Alsobrooks
Lisa and Andy are good.
Angela needs our immediate help! The MD primary is in 51 days. https://t.co/QXEoyH71YC
(https://x.com/tify330/status/1772046210813022231?t=8jL5rQbmdTpPR8Zm0IP2OA&s=03)
Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) posted at 10:06 AM on Sun, Mar 24, 2024:
Ronna facilitated Trump’s corrupt fake elector plot & his effort to pressure MI officials not to certify the legitimate election outcome.She spread his lies & called 1/6 “legitimate political discourse.” That’s not “taking one for the team.” It’s enabling criminality & depravity.
(https://x.com/Liz_Cheney/status/1771916401726705757?t=57iocvEiSsXvuXjwt7qWlw&s=03)
Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) posted at 11:19 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
Trump just did to the state of New York what he’s done to countless subcontractors: claiming poverty and getting away with paying a fraction of what’s owed. It’s been 40+ years of this scam, and yet stupid people keep falling for it.
(https://x.com/bobcesca_go/status/1772297261482971546?t=iO2N-xNk_ABi_nsl1Ujl5w&s=03)
Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) posted at 11:10 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
Spokesperson for New York AG James:
“Donald Trump is still facing accountability for his staggering fraud. The court has already found that he engaged in years of fraud to falsely inflate his net worth and unjustly enrich himself, his family, and his organization. The $464…
(https://x.com/kylegriffin1/status/1772294923489833270?t=9PYWn4736SZD-u1u8KCvSA&s=03)
Tennessee Senate Democrats (@TNSenateDems) posted at 10:01 AM on Thu, Mar 21, 2024:
NEW: Senate Republicans passed their bill to vacate @TSUedu’s board of trustees. Tennessee’s only public HBCU has been underfunded by $2B over time.
Sen. @CharlaneOliver says this meddling may also disrupt the college’s presidential search by discouraging good candidates.
https://t.co/f2ExXXvttj
(https://x.com/TNSenateDems/status/1770828113024323688?t=_JTmhkxamkleMiJ-nkaswQ&s=03)
UH HUH
Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) posted at 0:00 PM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
Allies of Leonard Leo have mounted an offensive against DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, the man investigating Leo’s dark money network.
The campaign—led by conservative media, members of Congress and other AGs—just goes to show Leo’s massive influence. https://t.co/JNdJ0GJdS9
(https://x.com/CREWcrew/status/1772307575070986384?t=XiHnCSWaNx4dDAbgrmFVLA&s=03)
BRICS (@BRICSinfo) posted at 11:54 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Donald Trump calls for peace between Israel and Gaza.”
“We’ve got to get to peace, you can’t have this going on. Israel has to be very careful because you’re losing a lot of the world, a lot of support.”
https://t.co/raNBuyAmuH
(https://x.com/BRICSinfo/status/1772306066438545827?t=D-92ZFQhHQKCqb1DxZq0qg&s=03)
Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) posted at 11:54 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
.@ElonMusk gets his case thrown out of court. Judge rules that the purpose of the suit by the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” was “punishing the Defendants for their speech.” https://t.co/ZMraKe5fuN
(https://x.com/JuddLegum/status/1772306036814164314?t=iY_ZNQTLl8CVDMEM4dVKHA&s=03)
Hadn’t thought about it, but, I am gonna ask my primary doctor.
Portia ♍️ McGonagal Same On 🐳 (@PortiaMcGonagal) posted at 8:46 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
And not to sound alarmist, but I think all of us who had our MMRs as babies need to ask about boosters. A thing we shouldn’t have to do but with these fools bringing it back…
(https://x.com/PortiaMcGonagal/status/1772258663484584244?t=66en6MHc-NQpD1m9smDYpA&s=03)
Acyn (@Acyn) posted at 9:35 AM on Sun, Mar 24, 2024:
Eric Trump: Every single person when I came to them saying can I get a half billion dollar bond.. Maria, they were laughing. They were laughing. https://t.co/0yX20Dz4P8
(https://x.com/Acyn/status/1771908592456638898?t=fgFI0Zp1c7asQdoQoSgLOw&s=03)
CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) posted at 10:55 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
A court clerk accused of jury tampering in the Alex Murdaugh murder case resigns months after a judge ruled the allegations didn’t merit a new trial https://t.co/3XyYb4hYDZ
(https://x.com/cnnbrk/status/1772291300143861777?t=cCWWLNJKWkh_-K5_Dh6xbw&s=03)
America’s Bougie Easter Bunny (@GullahRehabbed) posted at 10:55 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
Cakedaddy THINE Geechee Prince is reading “Angela Alsobrooks Picks Up Senate Endorsements After Opponent Uses Racial Slur” a story that references Maryland’s superstar Governor @wesmoore by Maggie Astor via NYT https://t.co/Z4hvj6kKd7
(https://x.com/GullahRehabbed/status/1772291291482587332?t=-4mO-DBMDZ2hMuqQSUAhCQ&s=03)
CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) posted at 11:23 AM on Mon, Mar 25, 2024:
Trump’s New York criminal trial on charges related to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels will begin on April 15 with jury selection, judge says https://t.co/5HuK8srqBk
(https://x.com/cnnbrk/status/1772298377574686962?t=vUEjxCi4NEM0zqgbYhrWhw&s=03)
△⃒⃘Youtube: Nu Mindframe△⃒⃘♒️ (@nu_mindframe) posted at 8:54 PM on Sun, Mar 24, 2024:
I do find it weird as hell that people are trying to replicate Reesa Teesa’s viral moment tho. Her story was organic. You’re not gonna get the same results by trying to copy what she did lol
(https://x.com/nu_mindframe/status/1772079626451370029?t=4ciC8Lim0gA2KLumIfmYbQ&s=03)
Good Morning, Everyone😊😊😊