History Will Ask: Where Were You?

Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was signed while Americans celebrated. Now the damage begins; and if Democrats and truth-tellers don’t act fast, we lose everything.

Guest article by Michael Cohen

Well, here we are: July 5th, the day after the fireworks, the BBQs, and the patriotic Instagram posts. But behind all the red, white, and blue fanfare lurked a darker truth. Because while Americans were busy lighting sparklers and waving flags, President Trump, in true Trumpian fashion, signed the Big Beautiful Bill—a title only someone allergic to detail and allergic to facts could conjure up with a straight face.

Now let me be clear: Trump, once again, managed to pull off what the pundit class—those suit-clad, coiffed-hair, teleprompter-reading, soundbite slingers on cable news—said was impossible. Trump rammed through legislation that fundamentally reshapes American life. And while his supporters were busy chanting “USA” in red hats manufactured in China, most had zero idea of the bomb that just dropped on their own freedoms and future. That, by the way, is by design.

The Big Beautiful Bill is a Trojan horse: wrapped in populist language, paraded around as a gift to the American people, but filled with policies meant to enrich the few, silence the dissenters, and strip away the last threads of a functioning democracy. And now that it’s law, the question isn’t whether it’s bad. The question is: How bad? And more importantly: What the hell are we going to do about it?

Let’s talk about what’s in this so-called masterpiece. Corporate tax giveaways so generous they’d make Reagan blush. Environmental deregulation that makes climate denial not just acceptable but codified. Protections rolled back for immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, women, and workers. Surveillance expansions masked as “security upgrades.” The fine print reads like an authoritarian wish list—and no one was paying attention because it’s a thousand pages long, no one read it, and, most importantly, the spectacle always distracts from the substance.

But here’s the real kicker: this didn’t happen in the dead of night. It wasn’t hidden in secret rooms. It happened in broad daylight. And do you know why? Because the media—the mainstream media—was too busy obsessing over favorability poll numbers and palace intrigue. Too busy playing both sides to preserve their ad dollars and access. Too cowardly to call a spade a damn spade.

CNN? Still wondering if Trump’s shift in tone means he’s “presidential” again. MSNBC? Chasing ratings with endless panels of talking heads who recycle the same shallow points. Fox News? Please; it’s just state propaganda with better lighting.

And so it falls on us—the independents, the truth-tellers, the ones without billionaire backers or corporate filters—to sound the alarm. That means MeidasTouch Network, that means Lincoln Square, and yes, that means me. We’ve got to scream louder, dig deeper, and stand firmer than ever before. Because if we don’t, then buckle the fuck up, because we are headed for four more years of chaos. We’re headed for a permanent erosion of the America we claim to celebrate every Fourth of July.

Now, to my Democratic friends: stop playing nice. Stop trying to reason with a party that no longer believes in democracy. Stop waiting for the perfect message or the ideal moment. The moment is now, and the message is simple: fight like hell. And stop thinking voters will just “figure it out.” Because guess what? They won’t. Not if their news diet consists of corporate-fed garbage or algorithm-driven outrage porn.

Start using the same tools Trump and his allies abuse every day: social media, viral videos, grassroots coalitions—but use them for truth. For justice. For protecting what remains of this fragile republic.

Because what Trump and his administration understand—and what Democrats too often forget—is that perception is reality in American politics. They don’t care if what he signs hurts their own voters. They just care that it looks like a “win” on TV. And sadly, too many people fall for the show over the substance.

But we can’t afford to sit this out. The Big Beautiful Bill might be law, but laws can be repealed. Damage can be undone. If we act now.

So don’t just tweet your outrage. Organize. Don’t just wait for midterms. Mobilize. And don’t, for one second, think someone else is going to save this country for you. They’re not. It’s on us—the independents, the pissed-off patriots, the ones who know that loving America means holding her accountable, not blindly cheering her decline.

This isn’t just another political fight. This is the fight for politics itself—for truth, for democracy, for the soul of a nation that’s already teetering on the edge.

So enjoy your leftovers from yesterday’s cookout. But then get up. Speak out. And show up.

Because the fireworks may be over, but the real fire—the one in the belly of every American who refuses to let this country go quietly into autocracy—has only just been lit.

Let’s make it burn so bright that even the cowardly media can’t ignore it.

---

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!… NOW, WHERE ARE ALL THE NEW SUPPORTERS?

WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE.

If you’re reading this, then you already know:

This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a call to arms.

We’re not here to observe. We’re here to confront. To expose. To drag corruption out into the light and hold it accountable. But the truth? I can’t do this without you. Not anymore.

The fight ahead isn’t theoretical. It’s here. It’s now. And it’s relentless. We’re staring down the barrel of authoritarianism wrapped in a flag and selling freedom as a brand.

So let me ask you—Are you in?

Because this isn’t a passive read. This is a movement. And movements need muscle.

We need to build something so loud, so unshakable, that no one can twist it, spin it, or shut it down. That takes real support—not clicks, not likes. Commitment.

If you believe in truth, if you’re tired of watching the liars win, if you’re done shouting into the void, then it’s time to take the next step.

HERE’S HOW YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE:

Become a paid subscriber… support real journalism with bite.

Forward this to the people who never sit quietly.

Bring your crew. Grow this community. Be the megaphone.

And yes, for the first 240 Founding Members, I’ll be sending a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of my New York Times bestseller, Revenge. It’s not just a collector’s item. It’s proof you stood up when history came calling.

But this isn’t about a book.

It’s about defiance.

It’s about refusing to be gaslit.

It’s about locking arms and saying, “Not on our watch.”

You want to make a difference?

Then make it.

Right now.

Because if we don’t fight for truth—no one will.

And if we fight together? They’ll never drown us out.

Let’s be impossible to ignore.

Let’s be un-fucking-breakable.

Let’s go.