Trump just put me on his enemies list

Let me tell you what that means, and what I’m going to do about it.

The White House has officially added me to a short list of what they’re calling “media offenders,” alongside other independent creators, including David Pakman. I don’t know what they plan on doing with this list, but I can tell you what they’ve done with other lists.

Trump has already gone after Letitia James, Adam Schiff, James Comey, John Bolton, Jerome Powell. He’s sued ABC News, CBS, Meta. He got Stephen Colbert canceled and Jimmy Kimmel suspended. This looks like the next iteration of their plan, which is to go after content creators. So now, it’s my turn.

You might have seen my “official” response to the development. If not, you might want to take a quick look. But be forewarned, I opted for some… choice words.

I will admit, I was initially nervous about posting that because, well, all know who Trump is. He is a vindictive, petty, small man who seeks retribution as easily as he breathes. He doesn’t need any legitimate reason to go after someone. And frankly, when he does go after someone, it’s taxing (emotionally, mentally, financially). That’s the point. If Todd Blanche decides to prosecute me for whatever inane reason he conjures up, it’d probably cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars (not to mention whatever fleeting moments of joy I’m still capable of feeling). All of which is to say, logic would suggest that it would be smart to keep a low profile, stay off of their radar, and not get myself into any (more) trouble.

However.

I began thinking about the way I felt when I watched law firms like Paul, Wiess capitulate to Trump— because it was easier for them. And how Trump saw that and felt emboldened. I remember how I felt when ABC and CBS settled absurd lawsuits with Trump— because it was easier for them. And how Trump saw that and felt more emboldened. I remember how I felt when tech and media companies lined up to pay Trump millions for his ballroom— because it was easier for them. And how Trump saw that and felt more emboldened. In effect, their decision to try and make their own lives easier actually made the rest of us less safe, because now Trump knows how easy it is to wield the government against his enemies to get his way.

So when I saw my name on Trump’s newest enemies list, the absolute last thing I was going to do was the same thing all of those other cowards did by folding to Trump, getting themselves out of trouble, and not thinking about the effect it was having on everyone else. I have an opportunity here - in my small corner of the internet - to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk. So if Trump wants to come after me and content creators, go for it. We’ll be even louder than before. If this self-proclaimed free speech champion wants to clamp down on my right to speak out against him, then I’ll do it twice as loud. I’ll make sure everyone knows what a fragile little man this person is. And if me doing so gives a permission structure for the next person to fight back instead of capitulate, then I’ve done my job. If courage is contagious, I want to make sure we normalize the idea of stepping up and speaking out when we inevitably fall into Trump’s crosshairs.

Remember: he’s not doing this from a place of strength; you don’t go after content creators if you’re strong, or popular. You do it when you’re flailing. That’s exactly what he’s exposing about himself. These are the last gasps of a desperate, lame duck president before his legacy is wiped out and he falls into obscurity. And I’ll be the first one cheering it on when it happens.

To that end, if you’d like to show some support for my work, the single best way to support me, if you can, is to pre-order my book, The Day After. It’s a blueprint for how Democrats can and must fight back against this aspiring autocrat. I’ll also be on tour in DC, NY, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles in mid-July; you can grab tour tickets at that same link.