Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

What Do We Do When They "Flood The Zone"?

What Do We Do When They "Flood The Zone"?
Alex Wong/Getty Images; Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images; Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

There’s so much “criming” going on with the GOP and Trump that it’s becoming very hard to know what matters, what to focus on.

From coup plots to the Big Lie grift to stealing top secret documents, it’s a big tangled mess. And now add to that governors like DeSantis who want a piece of the press attention, too, and are willing to exploit innocent people, even illegally, to achieve it.


Perhaps they believe they can render us too numb, distracted, and exhausted by it all to deal with them effectively.

Steve Bannon had a phrase for this: “Flood the zone with sh*t.” He was talking about how to deal with his number one enemy, the media, but it could apply just as well to law enforcement and the patience of the public.

Republicans are exploiting the fact that our justice system moves slowly and deliberately when it comes to big political crimes—precisely because any mistake will be pounced upon by the other side as evidence that one party has politicized law enforcement.

Merrick Garland certainly understands the game that these politicians are playing, just as Fauci understood how he was being set up just for doing his job, too. That’s where leaning into professionalism, process, evidence and facts comes in.

All the sh*t flooding in the world is not going to stop a slow moving boulder, grinding down those who seek to oppose it.

We should understand that the Justice Department cannot respond publicly to each and every shenanigan that some Trump ally throws. They can’t be announcing charges every week.

That would lead precisely to what Bannon wants: so much sh*t in the zone that no one can move at all. Rather, we need to push back in the public sphere against these perpetrators so that they pay a political price, even while the authorities assess whether to launch investigations and bring charges.

The Justice Department must make a calculation based on limited resources and time. So in the meantime, we can do our part by raising the political costs of bad behavior high enough to deter more shit flooding.

When the public raises an outcry over a judge who seems loyal first to Trump, other judges are listening. Some of those judges may sit on an appellate panel deciding whether to go along with her or stop her.

When the public raises a cry over the illegal kidnapping of legal asylum seekers from Venezuela, there are a lot of voters in that community who will be motivated to turn out against such cynical exploitation.

While it’s fine to call for investigations, we only further the goals of the Bannons and DeSantises of the world when we also call for Merrick Garland’s head because his Department hasn’t immediately jumped into the fray.

That’s not how the Department works, especially in a charged political environment. If they step into this shit zone, they simply can’t keep rolling the boulder forward as well.

So while it might feel cathartic to decry—incorrectly by the way— that there have been no legal consequences for anyone doing all this criming, it's best to pause a moment and ask whether you are playing right into the Bannon playbook.

They flooded the zone, and they really, really want you to say, “I have zero faith that anyone is ever going to deal with all this!”

Instead, we can each help by doing our part. We can call them out and shovel it all right back at them, rather than toward the FBI and the Justice Department.

The authorities, who are among the best we’ve ever had in charge, will get to it.

Yes, it will take an infuriating amount of time.

But through it all, we need to be on their side and have their backs.

More from People/donald-trump

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less