It’s The Messaging Environment, Stupid

Hello. It’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️

I’ve been thinking for a long time about the asymmetrical information ecosystem, and how Republicans don’t just dominate — Democrats don’t even compete. I’m talking about “cultural” shows from which politics flow downstream — right-wing ideology wrapped in chatter about MMA and the stock market, or hand-making Cheerios and removing seed oils from food.

Democrats are clearly realizing the points/10s of millions of votes they’re leaving on the board; look at Kamala Harris’ forays onto popular podcasts this cycle.

But it’s not enough to make a guest appearance. Democrats need well-produced, well-funded, compelling content that can go punch for punch with the Rogans and the Theo Vons. That’ll require creativity, lots and lots of capital and a search for talent. This is, of course, more difficult because billionaires have a symbiotic relationship with right-wing ideology. It’ll be harder to rustle up wealthy backers for an ideology that explicitly wants them to have less money.

The lefty pods and streams already out there — shows in the Young Turks oeuvre — won’t cut it, because most of them despise normie Democrats. This was the heart of the great Bernie-Hillary divide, and the “dirtbag left” that adored Sanders and saw Hillary as a figurehead for the institution of the party, which they abhor. 

In that way, things are easier for Republicans and the media that supports them. Under Trump, the party has only become more homogenous. Anti-Trump Republicans have either been run out of the party, or self-selected out. Trump doesn’t have to worry about the institutionalists vs. the radicals; there are no institutionalists left. 

For Democrats, a serious saturation into this space won’t look like the fawning conspiracy theories and repressive ideology of Ben Shapiro; and it won’t be the irreverent, burn-it-all-down disgust of the far left. They need some other thing, creators that espouse a populist liberal ideology in a non-overtly political way, so as to attract back low propensity voters who would never tap on an explicitly political show.

It’ll require some experimentation and some trial and error to shape this content. Luckily, Democrats have the next two and then four years to figure it out.

— Kate Riga

Here’s what else TPM has on tap this weekend

• Josh Kovensky reports on the beginning of what looks like may be a very quick end to Jack Smith’s prosecutions of Trump.
• Khaya Himmelman checks in on those state-level ballot measures seeking to “ban” supposed non-citizen voting — a supposed problem that has been the target of Republicans’ voter fraud hysteria this cycle, even though it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
• Emine Yücel writes on the first round of defense being played by Democrats, both at the state level and in Congress, as they work to create a gameplan to fight Trump II policies.

— Nicole Lafond

Out With A Whimper?

Jack Smith gave his first public indication on Friday that he’s planning on ending the Trump prosecutions before the government changes hands on January 20. He asked the judge to cancel deadlines in the January 6 case — she agreed — and asked for time until December 3. Then, he’ll provide a status report explaining his decision about what to do in light of DOJ policy that a sitting President cannot be prosecuted.

It’s the beginning of the end of the case. There’s some suggestion that Smith, in keeping with special counsel regulations, will submit a report. It’s possible that this will include interesting new information about Trump’s 2020 coup attempt, but let’s be realistic: these events have been exhaustively investigated, including by TPM. I would be surprised to see anything dramatically new or significant emerge from that.

What does surprise me somewhat is that before the election, Smith hinted that he would try to continue the prosecution should Trump win. It would be a kamikaze mission, essentially asking Trump to fire him once he took office. It’s pretty clear now that, after reported conversations with DOJ leadership, Smith is not doing that. It means that Trump won’t have to fire him, as he promised. The DOJ will be his.

— Josh Kovensky

As Manufactured Hysteria Vanished With Trump’s Victory, Eight States Passed Non-Citizen Voting Measures

On Tuesday, voters approved GOP-backed constitutional measures in 8 states to make it illegal for non-citizens to vote in state and local elections — something that is already illegal in those states. 

The measures were approved in Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and will require that each of these states amend part of the state constitution to explicitly say that only citizens can vote in elections. 

The fact that these measures were on the ballot in the first place this election was all part of a broader messaging effort by Trump-aligned Republicans to cast doubt on the safety and security of the election in the event of a Trump loss. 

For months now, the false narrative of non-citizen voting has been a particular area of fixation for Republicans — a fear mongering tactic used to set themselves up to cry voter fraud if needed. Non-citizens rarely vote in elections, and it’s already illegal, which is why this narrative is widely understood as merely a way to sow distrust in the larger election system. 

Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel for the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, previously told TPM that this narrative is “yet another misrepresentation and falsehood about the integrity of elections that appears intended to spread mistrust in our election systems.”

But, suddenly, and unsurprisingly, with Trump’s victory, discussions about non-citizens voting in this presidential election have completely disappeared. The passage of these amendments, which continue to stoke unnecessary fear about the security of the election system, is a way to keep the narrative alive, when it becomes convenient for Republicans to elevate the talking point again. 

— Khaya Himmelman

Dems Across The Country Buckle Down To Fight Trump II

Just days after Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 presidential election — securing himself a second term in the White House — Democrats across the country started sounding the alarm and laying out plans to fight back against what is expected to be an administration defined by far-right, dangerous policies.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called back the state legislature for a special session on Thursday to ask for an increase in state funding for any litigation the state may need to bring against the incoming Trump administration. That funding will likely go toward helping California defend civil rights, climate change, access to abortion, disaster funding and other policies in the state from the far-right federal agenda the new administration is expected to set.

“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) laid out a plan in a Time essay Thursday, arguing that Senate Democrats should do everything they can to fight “radical Trump nominees,” outlining tactics they used during his last presidency — like holding the Senate floor for hours to slow down confirmations, which can expose Republican extremism, doom some nominations or lay the groundwork for other Cabinet officials to later resign in disgrace.

The Massachusetts senator also emphasized Democrats “must do all [they] can to safeguard our democracy” before Trump takes office in January.

“To resist Trump’s threats to abuse state power against what he calls ‘the enemy within,’ Pentagon leaders should issue a directive now reiterating that the military’s oath is to the Constitution. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer must use every minute of the end-of-year legislative session to confirm federal judges and key regulators — none of whom can be removed by the next President,” she wrote.

And New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a press conference on Tuesday that her office is prepared for a second Trump administration — and that they have been preparing for it for “several months.”

“We will work with his administration, but we will not compromise our values or our integrity or our principals,” James said. “We did not expect this result, but we are prepared to respond to this result.”

— Emine Yücel