Chellie Pingree

Hardly anyone seems to be paying attention to the increasingly sharp and powerful case made by Rep. Chellie Pingree against President Trump. They should.

Pingree, a Democrat who represents Maine’s 1st District, rips into Trump daily on an astonishing variety of issues, never mincing words. The House representative has been more or less screaming about the importance of saving America while we still can.

Consider just a handful of her many comments in the past two months.:

On corruption: “Trump’s personal wealth has ballooned by more than $2 billion in just the past 18 months, thanks to a combination of insider trading, shady crypto schemes, and brazen backroom deals. He’s the most corrupt president in history — and it ain’t close.”

On farming: “Trump says he wants to help American farmers but then plans to flood the American market with foreign beef. There is nothing ‘America First’ about his dumbass plan.”

On using tax money for campaign ads: “Let’s be clear: It is ILLEGAL to pay for campaign ads with taxpayer money. Period. … He really does see himself as above silly things like ‘the law’ and ‘campaign ethics.’”

On Iran: Trump “casually threatening to ‘annihilate’ another country in front of the entire U.N. General Assembly. What he’s saying would constitute war crimes. And this man has the nuclear codes. It’s astounding how hellbent he is on violating domestic and international law practically every time he opens his mouth. American foreign policy cannot revolve around destabilizing global peace and stability, the world economy, and our role as the leader of the free world. Horrifying.”

On the Kennedy Center: “Trump says the Kennedy Center is bankrupt and that only he can save it. BULLSHIT. The only problem with the Kennedy Center is Donald J. Trump.”

On the Arch: “Republicans are sitting back and letting Trump desecrate the hallowed landscape of Arlington National Cemetery. This hideous, massive vanity project is such an affront to veterans and Gold Star families. … Republicans in Congress could stop this and every other vanity project Trump is obsessed with. They need to grow a damn spine and remember their duty to the taxpayer. Pathetic.”

Pingree isn’t just concerned, not even very concerned. She’s actively trying to shake this nation from its torpor and get people riled up enough to prevent Trump from destroying what generations before him have built.

Pingree told me this week, “Whether it’s social media rants made with AI slop or threatening to annihilate entire civilizations, none of what Trump is saying and doing is normal or OK. I will keep speaking out, calling attention to this administration’s abuses and incompetence, and making sure people have the information they need to act.”

Maine’s independent senator, Angus King, issues eloquent statements opposing the president’s most stupid proposals and projects. King’s words are more measured, in keeping with the rational debate of our country at its best.

Regrettably, this isn’t a moment for polite disagreement. With so much at stake, Pingree has become too damn angry for calm appeals.

“My hope is that speaking out, consistently and plainly, helps turn justified frustration into engagement, organizing and, ultimately, change at the ballot box in November,” Pingree said.

Why she isn’t getting through to more people, I don’t know. As far as I’m concerned, Pingree is a hero in these dark times.