Scroll down this column to read liberal commentaries on the state, and future, of our democracy by contributors Sharon Lintner, K.E. Bell and Hugh Hansen, and go to The Gray Area for commentary by Jerry Lanson.

In Broad Daylight -- It has been said that democracy dies in darkness, but in America it is dying in broad daylight. Members of the press are being publicly disrespected. Truths are being twisted. Rights are being reversed. The future of democracy is extremely fragile and as things stand now, I think it is quite possible to lose democracy. -- Sharon Lintner (Contributing Pundit)

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Depends on Midterms -- The question of how confident we should be in our democracy starts with our faith in our fellow man. If we've learned anything from the Trump era it's that about a third of people — and maybe as high as 40 percent — can either fall for a conman or justify the evil this man has done. That leaves two-thirds of us to defend democracy. The problem is all the power is in the hands of those who would destroy it for their own ends. While I think the Democrats will garner about 60 percent of the votes in the midterms, the Republicans' ability to cheat democracy may make up for that 20-percent shortfall. Trump's biggest fear is accountability, so I believe he is willing to pull another January 6^th to avoid losing the midterms or seating enough winning Democrats to give them the gavel. Basically, I think democracy, at least democracy in the way Americans believe it should exist, is dead if Republicans can cheat the midterms. 

And then there are the Democrats. Should the Dems win in the midterms, I don't have faith that they'll do the right thing, either. The rampant corruption of this regime (the word administration implies too much respect) must be punished, and the Supreme Court must be remade (again, in part to mitigate Republican cheating). If Dems regain power and don't bury this dark era for our country under an avalanche of convictions, ethics standards, voting rights laws (bye-bye, gerrymandering), and anti-corruption legislation, America's democracy won't be worth saving anyway.

It will be up to us at the ballot box and the leaders we elect to set the country on the path that was promised in the Constitution. Let's hope that a vocal majority will be enough to overcome a lawless, immoral, corrupt minority. –K.E. Bell  (Contributing Pundit)

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Citizens Must Learn -- When I've thought about and looked toward the future of US democracy lately, I find I have no vision at all. My crystal ball, never crystal-clear, has turned into a brick. 

I think I've generally lived in optimism about our country's future. As a teacher, I saw (and helped) people learn things, then saw them adjust their thoughts and actions constructively in response. I mean, that's what it takes, right? For our democracy to succeed, a big chunk of our citizens must learn (whether formally or from experience) and then act accordingly. That has to happen more quickly in today's world than it did in 1926. 

The size and durability of the Trumpian base just blows my mind in that regard. It makes it seem perfectly possible to me that the "big chunk" I described is simply not big enough to respond to the challenges we face from big money, new tech, climate change, and foreign relations.

Or, maybe there are a few supremely effective new teachers coming into the political system. Great teachers enable learning I'd never have seen coming in my brick. --Hugh Hansen (Contributing Pundit)

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“Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they’ve told you what you think it is you want to hear.” – Alan Coren

Alan Coren (1938-2007) was an English writer, humorist, BBC broadcaster and satirist who had an openly cynical view of the form of government Americans have now held dear for 250 years.

Does Coren have a point?

Whether you agree or disagree with Coren, your opinion is equally valid and salient; even as the current government swings toward authoritarianism, the editorial We at The Hustings has observed a great deal of optimism for the future of our democracy from both right and left, Republicans, Democrats, and independents. 

We also are aware of opinions from left and right that said trend toward “authoritarianism” is overblown, undeserved or even necessary in order to help preserve American democracy.

As our nation’s semi-quincentennial rapidly approaches, we humbly seek your civilly stated opinions on this issue. 

Send your COMMENTS on the state of our democracy and/or its future to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate whether you lean left or right, regardless of the opinion stated within, in the subject line. –Editors

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MONDAY 6/30/26

Scroll down this column to read conservative commentaries on the state, and future, of our democracy by contributors Andrew Boyd, Rich Corbett and Stephen Macaulay, and reader John Santoni.

Where’s Competency, Leadership? -- I have one foot out of the Trump camp, but I have no idea where to look for competency let alone leadership in this caustic, pedantic, self-serving, lying, cheating, stealing, self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, sociopathic bunch. And that's just the Republicans, whose only real virtue is that they're not neo-Marxists. –Andrew Boyd  (Contributing Pundit)

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Democracy Under Strain -- My take on the current state of our democracy is that it is under extreme strain and is in imminent peril. That is mainly due to Donald Trump and MAGA’s continuous undermining of confidence in our elections.

Donald Trump will never accept any type of an election loss and his cult followers have proven they are more than willing to use violence in his name. They will use violence to keep Trump in power, despite an election loss. 

Trump has also proven that he will pardon anyone who uses violence on his behalf. He also controls the executive branch, the military, the DOJ, and half the legislative branch (the Republican Party).

Only the judiciary stands as a check on his power. But the judiciary depends on the DOJ to enforce its rulings. Therefore, our separation of powers has also been pushed past its breaking point.

Those things place the future of our democracy in imminent peril. Those facts basically sum up the whole situation. –John Santoni (via email)

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Patriots' Promise: Why America’s Best Days Are Ahead -- As we celebrate another Independence Day, America stands at a pivotal moment. Our nation, forged by the courage and sacrifice of patriots who risked everything for liberty, continues to shine as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. As a conservative who deeply loves this country, I remain profoundly optimistic about our future. Recent polls underscore this divide in national sentiment: a NBC News survey found that 90% of Republicans express pride in being American, compared to just 29% of Democrats. This gap highlights a resilient conservative commitment to our founding principles amid challenges. With strong leadership and a renewed focus on individual liberty, limited government, and American exceptionalism, our best days are still ahead.

Yet we must confront the real pressures threatening that promise. Elements on the far left of the Democratic Party push socialist- and communist-inspired policies – centralized control, wealth redistribution and identity-driven division that erode the self-reliance and free enterprise which built our prosperity. These ideologies clash with the American spirit, fostering dependency rather than empowerment and weakening the exceptional nation that has inspired the world.

President Trump captured the American Spirit powerfully in his June 25 speech: "We owe everything to the patriots who risked all to create the greatest and most exceptional nation the world has ever known." As conservatives, we honor that legacy by rejecting radical experiments and recommitting to the timeless values of our Founding Fathers. This July 4^th, let us celebrate with renewed confidence: America’s future is bright because patriots will always defend her greatness. Happy Independence Day. May God bless the United States of America. –Rich Corbett (Contributing Pundit)

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Where’s Congress? -- As H.L. Mencken put it, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

And the American people are getting it so and not just because of the selfish, mendacious and not-well-informed president.

Congress, by and large, has been given up its function for one reason and one reason only.

While many members of the House and Senate express their love and admiration for Donald Trump more than they do for their spouses, much of that emotion is predicated not necessarily on authentic feelings, but simply because these people are afraid of losing their jobs if they aren’t sufficiently deferential in a way that must give some of them at least a nanosecond of pause when the look in the mirror.

At the risk of going on too long, as I won’t be doing this 250 years from now, here, from the Constitution that these people swear to uphold, is Article 8, Section 1, which is a job description for members of Congress: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;

—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

So how are they doing?

Regulating commerce with foreign nations? Nope. The Trump tariffs are doing that.

How about dealing with things occurring on the high seas? Not that, either: Let’s not forget the alleged-but-not-proven-to-be drug boats being blown up. And that also goes to “make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water” were it that those people on board are captured.

Declare war? Not that, either.

There’s the rather prolix thing about exercising exclusive legislation regarding buildings the government owns, having it that Congress has authority over those places — you know, like the White House, the building that has had a wing demolished and plans that apparently include some sort of massive bunker (which, for those who claim to be Originalists, qualifies as a fort) that Congress has had nothing to do with.

All of which is to say if Democracy in America is to have a future, then the people need to elect those who will actually do their jobs. Otherwise, the American people will continue to get it good and hard. –Stephen Macaulay (Pundit-at-Large)

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Join the conversation – Email your COMMENTS to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings, whether moderate or hard-right/hard-left in the subject line. –Editors

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MONDAY 6/30/26

Washington reflecting pool water off the Lincoln Memorial was deep American flag blue after President Trump’s $14.2 million project to renovate it. Now it is deep algae green. 

Meanwhile, in Lucerne, Switzerland, Vice President Vance and Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have made “major progress” in reaching a permanent peace deal, including US dropping of sanctions on Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivation sales and “associated banking.” 

Is the US better off now than it was in February?

On May 25, The Hustings and the Allen Theatre in Annville, Pennsylvania held a live debate on the US-Israeli war on Iran. These issues in Washington, Tehran and Lucerne are ongoing.

Continue the discussion in these right and left columns with your COMMENTS in an email to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

Why not become a Citizen Pundit? Consider us something like X-Twitter without the echo chambers, conspiracy theories, dubious facts and trillionaire’s ownership. --Editors

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MONDAY 6/22/26

Commentary by Stephen Macaulay

One of the things that could be said to characterize the Trump Administration — both the man at the top and his multitude of minions — is that they all have a tendency to make pronouncements that are as accurate as the horseshoes that most people toss in the game of that name. Close, but certainly no cigar.

Or, to put it more fundamentally, say things that just aren’t true in the sense that most people consider veracity.

For example, JD Vance said after arriving in Switzerland for talks with the Iranians that the Strait of Hormuz was open, even though the Iranians said it was closed. Now it may be that the US Navy isn’t keeping the passage shut, which could mean to Vance that it is open, but if the Iranian government says it is closed, do you think that if you were the captain of a giant oil tanker you’d want to risk going through? If you were the owner — or the insurer — of a tanker would you give sailing orders to the captain?

One of the consequences of the war is that the Iranians now know that they have a chokehold on the important passage.

Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he had spoken to Iranian officials and told them, “You close it and you won’t have a country.”

Clearly, deft negotiating tactics, rolling out with the threats of obliteration.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News Sunday, “What we’re demonstrating to the Iranians is we can have [a] flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with or without them.”

Wright said that in the previous 24 hours 67 ships, guarded by US military assets, made it through the strait.

Which could be true.

But there are several things to keep in mind.

Prior to the war, ships didn’t need the US Navy to make it through the Strait.

Presumably there are limited naval resources that can be deployed to escort ships, so this is going to be a slow — and expensive to US taxpayers — undertaking.

What’s more — or actually less — 67 is about half the number of ships that passed through the Strait on average in a given 24-hour period before the war. 

And at present, according to Lloyd’s List, the venerable British journal that collects such information, there are as many as 600 commercial vessels that are stuck inside the Persian Gulf. 

So if it is 67 in 24 hours, that’s about three ships per hour. If there are 500 left in the Gulf, this means it would be seven 24-hour days to get them through. And realize that these are vessels that are stuck there, and before the war there was regular passage in and out, so just getting a handful of ships through isn’t much of an advantage. A start, sure, but not some sort of open passage — especially as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps dumped mines into the Strait.

Then there’s this from Senator Linsey Graham on CBS News’ Face the Nation Sunday.

While he had been critical when the Memorandum of Understanding was released, Graham since has slid back to his supine position, telling host Margaret Brennan, “I spent four-and-a-half hours with President Trump Friday.” Whoa! He’s quite the guy being able to spend so much time with his liege lord.

As you may or may not know, Graham received his law degree in 1981 and was in the US Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 33 years (6.5 years in active duty; 6 in the Air National Guard; 20 Air Force Reserve).

Graham also said this on Face the Nation:

“If this deal fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz over by force. The United States will control the Strait of Hormuz. We'll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation.”

The whole notion of taking over the Strait “by force” aside (presumably this would require troops on the ground), there’s that “We’ll charge a fee for all those who go through.”

As an attorney dealing at levels that those lawyers who run constant TV commercials never experience you’d think Graham would know a little something about the law, and while he was in the Air Force, and not the Navy, you’d think his long legislative career would have made him familiar with maritime law, like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which explicitly states there can be no tolls for passage in international straits like Hormuz.

Oh, but he calls it a “fee.” Perhaps that’s something to make up for the ~$300,000 per day it costs to operate a naval destroyer.

When you think of what it means for the Strait to be “open,” chances are you don’t think of the need for escort ships of any sort.

But Donald Trump doesn’t dance around the finer points of language.

On June 20 he put this on his social media platform:

“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT”

That’s right, NO TOLLS “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America. . .for services retendered at the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present and future reimbursement of costs.”

Even NO apparently doesn’t mean NO in Trump World. Until it does, which is when he says it does.

Macaulay is pundit-at-large for The Hustings.

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MONDAY 6/22/26

Verify -- I agree with Mr. Corbett that skepticism is absolutely required around Iran keeping its word. I wish, but don't dare hope, that the Trump administration cares enough about that caveat to insist on effective verification measures. My bet is that, like Ms. Bondi before him, Mr. Corbett's citing of the Dow Jones Industrial Averages in support will miss the essentials of the moment. --Hugh Hansen

Pause, or Red Herring? -- What time is it? It’s hard to opine on the MOU with Iran because the story and the circumstances change by the hour. At best, this is a 60-day pause that could lead to an end to the war, which in turn would get us back to where we started. At worst, it’s another red herring meant to keep the distraction going while Israel continues to attack its neighbors, Iran gets richer as it exacts fees to use the Strait of Hormuz, and Americans pay more at the pump and watch inflation grow and grow. 

This whole thing was foolish from the start and Americans are left footing the bill. It’s worked for Trump, though, because we’re not talking about the Epstein files, and the DOJ is no closer to releasing them in full as required by law. --K.E. Bell

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Join the discussion as a Citizen Pundit and email your COMMENTS on the 60-day ceasefire with Iran at editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

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THURSDAY 6/18/26

Skeptical Optimism -- Markets are cheering the US-Iran MOU and promised reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after being closed the last 100 days. Oil is down 5% to March lows, the Nasdaq is up 3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is hitting all-time highs. 

Lower energy costs and eased inflation fears are welcome, but history suggests skepticism is warranted when making deals with Iran. Who really believes that when the ink dries on Friday’s formal signing that this will be a permanent peace? Cautious optimism here, but at least de-escalation will deliver relief for American families and our economy ... that is, if Iran follows through. --Rich Corbett

(An editing mistake applied to the first sentence of this commentary has been corrected -- Ed.)

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Join the discussion as a Citizen Pundit and email your COMMENTS on the 60-day ceasefire with Iran at editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

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THURSDAY 6/18/26

Is the memorandum of understanding leading to peace talks with Iran real this time? Which side seems to be the winner?

On May 25, The Hustings and the Allen Theatre in Annville, Pennsylvania held a live debate on the US-Israeli war on Iran. Although the fighting has stopped, there is still a lot to discuss regarding the gains for each side and whether peace will be permanent.

Continue the discussion in these right and left columns with your COMMENTS in an email to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

We’re also interested in reading your thoughts about Sunday night’s UFC Freedom 250 celebration in conjunction with President Trump’s 80^th birthday at the White House. 

There’s also removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and his trip to France for the G7 Summit. 

So why not become a Citizen Pundit? We are like X-Twitter without the echo chambers, conspiracy theories, dubious facts and trillionaire ownership. --Editors

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MONDAY 6/15/26

Commentary by Stephen Macaulay

By the time you read this, the war in Iran may be over. President Trump said it would be, though as this is being written mid-afternoon Eastern Daylight Time on June 14 and that means it is evening in Iraq, odds are it won’t be, at least not today.

Trump has repeatedly said over the past several weeks about how a “deal” was imminent. While these unfounded claims certainly diminished his veracity, even, perhaps, among those who still gave whatever he said lots of viability, it did have a positive effect causing slight downward movements on the price of oil, as some people figured the flow through the Strait of Hormuz would resume. It didn’t.

Funny thing about that.

More than one elected official who is hoping that saying nice things about Donald Trump will help them keep their jobs come November has said that it will be “a win” for the president if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

Does it occur to this elected official that prior to Operation Epic Fury the Strait of Hormuz was open; that the US Strategic Oil Reserve had a nice supply of 415-million barrels in it, and is now at about 349 million, the lowest level in more than 40 years; that gasoline was 39% cheaper and jet fuel 43% cheaper, both of which have an impact on their constituents’ vocations and avocations?

Yes, that will be quite a “win.”

Then there’s things like this, from Senator James Lankford (R-OK) on Meet the Press June 14: “I think people forget Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years. What President Trump is trying to do is to be able to end Iran’s constant attack of Americans, and American assets and American allies in that region and come and get us. So, to get an end to that is very, very significant. We have military bases all in that region because Iran is constantly attacking us.”

Now if we use his logic that Iran “has been at war” with us for 47 years and that consequently the US has built military bases in that region, the US has been at war with Iran for 47 years.

Perhaps now it is more kinetic.

But here’s the thing: just as it seems no one in the administration had figured the Strait of Hormuz would be seized by the Iranians, has anyone thought about the ramifications of President Trump’s posts like “a whole civilization will die tonight” or Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s quote on the White House website on April 8, “Iran begged for this ceasefire — and we all know it” on the Iranian people, especially the younger cohort who have seen the bombs come raining down and the structures and people being blown up?

Perhaps the deal will be reached so that the Iranian “nuclear dust” will be no longer a threat and there will be a pledge by the Iranian leadership that there will be no nuclear weapons now or in the future.

That is a good thing.

But it doesn’t take a nuclear weapon to wreak havoc. Remember there were 19 terrorists with box cutters on 9/11/2001 that took 2,977 souls and cost trillions of dollars to the US economy.

Back in April 2005 the first US Director of National Intelligence was appointed as a result of a recommendation in the “9/11 Commission Report.” The reason for the DNI was to coordinate efforts among the US intelligence agencies to prevent something like 9/11 from happening again.

When President Trump had appointed Bill Pulte to be the temporary acting DNI earlier this month he said he wanted Pulte “to execute the immediate and needed downsizing” of the office of the Director of National Intelligence.

That’s right: the organization that was established to keep the homeland safe — and which has done an excellent job since 2005 — is now to get the DOGE treatment.

Who could imagine that something bad could be the result of the US decreasing its intelligence capabilities — especially in a time when the Administration has done its damnedest to alienate many of our allies who once shared intelligence with us?

Probably not the people who didn’t see the Strait of Hormuz being closed.

Macaulay is pundit-at-large for The Hustings.

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MONDAY 6/15/26

Commentary by K.E. Bell

Inflation isn't often the President's fault, at least not directly. Biden's inflation was horrible, but it was an outgrowth of the pandemic and, in fact, the US weathered the storm better than the rest of the world. Still, that was enough for Trump to get reelected. Why not put the fox back in the henhouse? 

Now, inflation is directly the result of presidential policies, namely illegally enacted tariffs and ill-advised wars. We all want lower interest rates, but sometimes the adults in the room have to protect the economy to counteract a madman's impulses.

Bell is a contributing pundit for The Hustings.

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For Left and Right

President Trump took another turn away from the chances for a peace deal with Iran Wednesday, saying the country has taken “too long” to negotiate a peace deal that would have to include giving up its enriched uranium and opening up the Strait of Hormuz. This follows the downing of a US Army Apache attack helicopter (crew members survived) near the Strait.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index breached the 4% mark last month and the Democratic Party has gone all-in on its nominee for US senator from Maine, Graham Platner, despite his troubled past and far-left-from-center politics to challenge moderate Republican incumbent Susan Collins. 

Defeating Collins in the November 3 midterms is key to the Democratic Party’s chances of taking control of the Senate. 

Scroll down the center column to read why he appears to be a Trump-strength politician.

We welcome your civil comments on these and other current issues, including reactions from the right and left on Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay’s commentary on small businesses and the Trump economy, “What Do Business Owners Think?”

Also, do not miss Macaulay’s commentary on Trump’s walk-out from NBC’s Meet the Press last Sunday; “Trump Talks” in The Gray Area.

Become a citizen pundit by emailing your comments to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line, so we can publish your thoughts in the proper column. –Editors

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WEDNESDAY 6/10/26