I want to be clear about something before I dive into this. A lot of people are trying to twist what’s happening in Washington right now, but the facts are the facts: the Republicans hold the power. Donald Trump was the president at this time, his party controlled both the House and the Senate, and yet they continue to pass the blame around like a hot potato. If they wanted to end the stalemate, they could do it today. But they don’t. They see opportunity in the chaos. They see a chance to strip away more of our health care, weaken safety nets, and call it “negotiation.”

And while they argue and posture, the rest of the country pays the price.

This whole week has been one assault after another, not just metaphorical but in some cases literal. In Chicago, there was an apartment raid that mirrored the tactics our military might use in Afghanistan or Iraq. Innocent Americans were caught in the crosshairs of a move that never should have happened in the first place. Think about that: a raid on U.S. soil against a civilian building, conducted in a way that felt more like war than law enforcement. That’s not normal. That’s not right. But it’s become a pattern—escalation upon escalation, one assault after the next, and it’s all being normalized.

Meanwhile, out here in the Midwest, families are feeling the brunt of Trump’s policies in a different way. Right now, as I write this, farmers are out harvesting soybeans, the crop that has kept countless rural towns alive for generations. These farmers are doing what they’ve always done: rising before dawn, putting in long days, and reaping what they’ve sown. But here’s the problem—there’s nowhere to ship their soybeans. China, once one of the biggest buyers, has walked away completely. Zero. That’s the word: zero demand. And the reason is simple. Trump’s reckless trade war and his so-called “tariffs” backfired. Instead of bringing China to the table, it pushed them to shut the door.

This isn’t an abstract policy issue. These are real people—neighbors, family members, friends—watching their livelihoods collapse. My neighbor up north in Iowa is one of them. He’s got fields of soybeans ready to move, and he has no buyer. Imagine putting in an entire year’s worth of work only to be told the market has dried up because of political grandstanding in Washington.

Tariffs were sold to us as a way to “make America strong again,” but all they’ve done is isolate us and punish the very people who feed this country. Farmers can’t sell their crops. Prices are tanking. Debt is piling up. And let’s be honest, this isn’t hitting Trump or the Senate hardliners who cheer him on. It’s hitting rural communities, small towns, and families who don’t have a safety net.

The bigger frustration is the arrogance of it all. The administration could negotiate. They could find solutions that support farmers, protect health care, and ensure stability. But instead, they seem more interested in finding scapegoats. Democrats, immigrants, China—you name it. Everybody but themselves. But we need to start saying out loud what’s clear: the buck stops with the people who are in charge. And during that time, it was Trump and his Republican majority.

For too long, folks in power have gambled with people’s lives and livelihoods as if they’re pieces on a chessboard. Apartment raids in Chicago, farmers in Iowa losing everything they’ve worked for, health care under constant attack—it’s all connected by one thread: leadership that thrives on chaos and division.

My hope is that we stop getting distracted by the finger-pointing and actually see who’s holding the cards. Because while politicians in Washington argue over blame, real Americans are harvesting crops they can’t sell, paying medical bills they can’t afford, and wondering how much longer they can hang on.

This isn’t just politics. It’s real life. And real life doesn’t pause for gridlock.

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