Thursday

There is a lot going on today. The sandwich thrower was acquitted today. That means there was not a single juror who believed the government proved its case against him. The administration took humiliating beatdowns in court in both the SNAP case and the case involving Customs and Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino, whom we discussed in detail earlier this week. Judge Sara Ellis found that he lied when he testified in her courtroom: “In one of the videos Bovino obviously attacks and tackles the declarant Mr. Blackburn to the ground ... But Bovino despite watching this video says that he never used force.” Concluding that “The use of force [by federal agents] shocks the conscience,” Judge Ellis entered a preliminary injunction that prohibits the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters and journalists and requires that agents wear body cameras.

Following Tuesday’s election results, there is palpable hope in the air. And of course, with that comes fear of believing there is hope. It’s easy to understand why we’re afraid to hope after the last election. But give yourself the gift of hoping and believing that January 2027 will be when we can begin the process of restoring our democracy after the midterm elections, and 2029 will be the end of this administration. If we stay engaged and work hard like we did ahead of this off-year election, we will succeed.

I’m celebrating this newfound hope with friends today. I hope you’ll find time to do something similar this week. We deserve it. It’s a long road ahead of us still, but tonight, allow yourself to feel hopeful and optimistic and think about your role in what’s ahead. As I signed books for my friends, and for their family and friends, I thought about all of the people across the country who are doing whatever they can to make sure we remain a democracy. All of us doing that is what will get us through this. Keep going!

I also had the incredible opportunity to meet author and former Poet Laureate of the state of Kentucky Silas House and his husband Jason Howard today.

Silas shared some of his remarkable poetry, and I was reminded of how powerful the arts can be as we talk with the people around us about the importance of democracy and how much impact losing it would have on our lives. Sometimes we reach people through conversations or shared news stories. Other times, it’s music or poetry. Don’t be afraid to make the case for America in whatever way you think suits your situation. Our fellow citizens seem to be increasingly ready for it.

We’re in this together,

Joyce