Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

2 weeks ago | joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance |Marc Elias

Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my Substack Live tonight with ! While Marc and I were chatting before we got started, he was worried no one would show up. Then, 7,000 of you joined us live tonight! If you missed out, you can watch the video by clicking on the arrow up above to listen to Marc’s excellent explanation of the ongoing litigation over the contested seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

3 weeks ago | joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance

In a telephone interview last week with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Donald Trump refused to rule out running for a third term as president. Trump, who seems to think his approval ratings are higher than they actually are, told Welker that “a lot of people” wanted him to be president a third time. “We're very popular,” he told her. Trump claims his approval ratings are the highest of any president in this century, in the 70% percentile. That, of course, isn’t true.

3 weeks ago | joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance

Even though it’s almost a week out, it’s time to think ahead to April 5, a national day of protest, and what that could mean. So far, fiery town halls, some with empty seats for absent Republican representatives, have been building momentum and visibility to propel us into a moment of outrage. The motto for the day is “Hands Off.” Hands off our Medicaid, our libraries, our Social Security, our freedom of the press, our jobs. Our liberty.

3 weeks ago | joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance

Everything old is new again. Not just racism and misogyny, but also voter suppression and dirty politics. The April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election is high stakes. In addition to the Supreme Court justice vote, it offers Wisconsin voters an early opportunity to express dissatisfaction with the direction Republicans, led by Trump, are taking the country and to reject the tactics Elon Musk is using in an effort to lure voters.

3 weeks ago | joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance

A reader named Bill in Buffalo, New York, wrote to me earlier this week with this question: “I'm in a long, depressing conversation with my brother, who has every excuse for Trump and DOGE doing good. He recently sent me this YouTube video in which Trump and administration officials give examples of the mis-spending that DOGE is finding, and which reinforces my brother's belief in what Trump, Musk, and the Administration are doing to find waste and fraud in government. What do I do with this?