Senator Tom Harkin says Trump and his team are "dedicated modern-day Nazis and fascists"
At the Iowa Farmers Union meeting in Ames
I attended the Iowa Farmers Union 110th Annual meeting in Ames on Friday and Saturday. Friday morning opened with an Iowa Local Food Summit hosted by the Iowa Food System Coalition.
Here, I have to give special mention to the Iowa Food System Coalition’s At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast, hosted by our friend and fellow Iowa Writers Collaborative member, author, and farmer Beth Hoffman, who writes In the Dirt. It’s one of the best podcasts I listen to. Beth is also on the board of the Iowa Farmers Union.
Both the Iowa Farmers Union and the Iowa Food System Coalition are doing amazing work advocating for and helping small-scale Iowa farmers be successful. Please consider supporting their efforts.
The title of the Iowa Farmers Union meeting was “Empowering Farmers to Weather the Chaos.”
Both meetings were well-attended and consisted of panels and presentations that sought to move small-scale farming and food systems toward more sustainable and productive systems that are better for our farms, our environment, our health, and our rural communities.
Here’s a link to the agenda so you can see the topics discussed and the people presenting.
I didn’t intend to write a story about the meetings. Given the breadth and depth of the subjects discussed, I could have written a thousand stories, which is overwhelming. Plus, I didn’t feel like working that hard.
Instead, I went to the meetings to learn, talk with friends, and meet new ones. They were the kind of meetings that I love the most—where I know less than anyone else in the room about what’s being talked about.
A learning gold mine.
Then former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin stood up to speak. The air grew still, my scalp tingled, and I had a premonition that I needed to turn on my recorder. I fumbled with my computer and only missed a few sentences. Here is what Senator Harkin had to say. As always, please consider listening to the audio to get the feel of the room. The audio is followed by a lightly edited transcript. I also have a short video of the end of Senator Harkin’s talk.
Hang on. This is one of the best takedowns of the Trump administration that I have ever heard, by a person who knows how government should work for us.
For all of us.
Harkin:
The Farmers Union and the National Farmers Union have been, for me, the conscience, the heart, and the soul of what family farming, land stewardship, and rural life should be. I was proud and honored to receive that lifetime award earlier this year in Oklahoma City. Now, I initially thought in preparing my remarks today to address the theme of this convention, empowering farmers to weather the chaos.
I thought about addressing it in strictly agricultural terms, about tariffs and markets and credit, about conservation and clean water and CAFOs. But the events of the last few weeks caused me to rethink my message to be empowering us to save America. Also, what I’ve always loved about farmers’ union members and their families is that while you advocate for farmers and their families, you also advocate for a more just and peaceful America and world, and I thank you for that.
I just finished watching the six-part series that Ken Burns on PBS about the Revolutionary War. If you haven’t seen it, I really recommend it. Recommend it highly. Out of our history as a set of colonies and a bloody and ruthless revolution fought by ordinary people, landless whites and black Americans, mostly uneducated.
Americans defeated the most powerful nation on the globe at the time and drafted a constitution and a Bill of Rights to guide us through the ages. The checks and balances so drafted were meant to ensure that no president could have the kind of sole power as King George, a monarch or a king. The Congress and Supreme Court was supposed to check any move in that direction.
Now, we have a president who flagrantly abuses us with his personal whims on an almost daily basis. He does not respect constitutional boundaries, does not respect any rule of law, except how he personally perceives it to be.
My friends, I am not overstating it to say we are at our most perilous time in saving our constitution, in saving American democracy, in securing for future generations the blessings of liberty and opportunity and personal freedoms since the adoption of the Constitution in 1788. Well, you might say, “Well, what about the Civil War?” Weren’t we in danger then of losing it?
Well, yes, we were. But I think we’re in more danger now. Why?
Because at the time of the Civil War, we were blessed with the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, whose moral compass pointed him to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence for all Americans. Abraham Lincoln made America a nation that would always strive to be more inclusive and democratic.
So, contrast Lincoln and Trump.
Lincoln with malice towards none, with charity towards all. Trump with malice towards my opponents…and with charity towards none. Trump is the classic bully. He is making a mockery of any sense of civility and respect for those he would disagree with.
‘Somali people are garbage.’ Press people who ask tough questions are stupid or pigheaded. I wonder what we call Doug Burns (Doug is an Iowa journalism legend who was the former co-owner of the Carroll Times Herald, which was in his family for 93 years. He’s a fellow Iowa Writers Collaborative Member who writes at The Iowa Mercury) ....opponents are “guilty as hell,” and he instructs his hand-picked prosecutors to indict them without any evidence.
Trump orders the killing of drug runners, those at the lowest level of drug smuggling, but pardons the former president of Honduras, who sat at the top of the drug smuggling empire and raked in hundreds of millions of dollars, and was convicted by a jury in New York and sentenced to 45 years of prison. He gets pardoned…
Trump’s pardons favor the rich, his supporters, and those convicted of financial crimes as though these were victimless crimes and of no importance. Trump and his team of dedicated modern-day Nazis and fascists are transforming America from a caring, inclusive, diverse, and respected nation, moving America, from yes, even Ronald Reagan’s shining city on a hill, moving us to a mean, loathsome bully on the top of the heap.
His most ardent supporters, podcasters, and social media friends use violent, degrading language to make their points of argument. Megan Kelly, right-wing podcaster, said, referring to the boat, one of the boats that was destroyed in the Caribbean, and there were a couple of survivors hanging on. This is what she said about that. Quote, I really do kind of not only want them killed in the water, but I’d really like to see them suffer. I would like Trump and Hegseth to make it last a long time…so they lose a limb and bleed out.
Oh, if only we could bring back the Roman Colosseum and the games, huh? Wait. Wait. Next year, Trump is highlighting in Washington D.C. on our 250th anniversary, what? Cage Fighting. Cage Fighting. Two people in a cage, like animals.
And their only goal is to see how much injury and damage they can inflict on another human being. That’s going to be the sport, the sport for our 250th anniversary.
The first clue that I got that this new Trump administration was going to attempt to change the very character of American society was the result on the American movement towards more diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout American businesses, government, and education.
As you heard, as one who led the fight for more inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of our country’s life, I couldn’t believe how quickly businesses and educational structures gave in to the president’s attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity, that’s always been our strength.
And all my travels around the globe, and all the times I was in public office, the one thing that appealed to people was how we in America, different religions, creeds, and national origin, could live together and have a good society. It was always one of the magnets. And one of the things that people said, that’s what we should do in our country too. The diversity was our strength, equity, fairness, and justice.
To achieve fair outcomes and opportunity for all. I thought equity was part of what we were about. Inclusion. Paul Wellstone, former senator, close friend of mine. Said it best.
He said, “We all do better when we all do better.” I have to add here how proud I am of the president of Drake University. Early this last spring issued a statement saying that Drake University will continue steadfastly supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion…
So I believe we’re in our country’s long history now at a point where we will either continue to perfect and enlarge our democratic ideals and protections, or we will give in to the siren song of totalitarian leaders. I think we’re at the brink. To repeat what Thomas Paine wrote during the long winter of Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge. These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country. But he that stands by it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. Now is our time to stand by the America of democratic ideals and rule of law.
Now we need not take up arms or incite unlawful activities, nor do we need to respond in kind to the bullies and the MAGA believers.
Number one, we need to ensure that forthcoming elections will not be tampered with at every local level and at the national level.
Number two, that we will bend every effort to ensure the registration of every eligible voter and that those voters are able to get to the polls or cast an absentee ballot.
Three, we need to discuss plainly and openly about civility and decency, and dignity…I think this is something I’ve been hoping to encourage through the institute and at Drake University. In other words, let’s elevate the discussions. Let’s not get down in the gutter. Let’s let’s start pointing out not how bad people are, but how bad the speeches, what the words are, what they mean, how they inflict injury upon people. And let’s see if we can’t get people using better language in our discussions and in our debates.
Fourth. Remember that the Trump mandate is very thin. Trump received 77.3 million votes or 49.8%. Harris received 75.02 million votes or 48.3%. A very thin mandate.
We have a claim also. Those of us of our political or philosophical beliefs in democracy and rule of law, we have almost the same thing. That’s what Trump has on his side. So a very, very thin margin. Keep that in mind.
Five. Farm families and rural families are feeling the brunt of misguided and injurious trade, tax, and fiscal policies. We need to engage with our farm families and our rural citizens to discuss a better way forward along the lines of which I’ve just discussed.
As I said, one of the reasons I wanted to be here is to impart to you how close I think we are to losing our democracy. It won’t happen tomorrow. It won’t happen tomorrow.
Bit by bit it will start to go downhill, and people then will turn to totalitarian-type of figures to tell us how to live, what to read, what to see, what to believe. That’s not the America that our forefathers and those people who fought that revolution and wanted us to have we have with all our faults, with slavery, with our involvement in the various foreign affairs, our terrible involvement in Vietnam. And our terrible involvement in Iraq. And other things, yes.
Yes, we’ve had our bad points. But overall, the constant striving of America has been to be better. To enlarge the concept of democratic ideals, respect for human rights, respect for those who may be different from us in religion, for national origin, race, color, creed.
That’s been our constant striving. We’ve never quite reached the old goal and maybe never will because of human nature. But sometimes it’s in the striving and in setting the goals that’s important.
Having a goal is really what makes life important and makes life meaningful. So let’s keep that as a goal. I will also add this.
No person who is serving in the Congress or the US Senate who has not raised his or her voice and vote against the unlawful, tyrannical, cruel, and bullying actions of Donald Trump should not be re-elected. And that goes for a Democrat as well as Republican.
unclear…wonderful. (Harkin is signing for the deaf) It’s a beautiful symbol. Well, there’s another one, isn’t there? Some of you know what that is. It’s literally letter I l y u. I love you. I love all of you. Thank you. Have a great Christmas. Happy New Year...
The entire event, including Harkin’s speech, was filmed by the Iowa Farmers Union, and it will be posted soon. Check it out at their website and on their Facebook page.
I managed to capture the last minute or so of Harkin leaving the stage on video. Please feel the moment by watching. Please be there with us.
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I’m a proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Please check out our work here. I also publish Cedar Creek Nature Notes, about Violet the Dog and my adventures on our morning walks at Cedar Bluffs Natural Area in Mahaska County, Iowa.
As someone who witnessed these remarks along with you, Bob, Senator Harkin's comments
were well chosen. He emphasized not only civil liberties, but civil discussion. He stressed accountability. He stressed the vital matter of a diverse society. I had the fortune to have a short chat with Senator Peter Welch of Vermont at the IFU conference and mentioned Senator Harkin. They did not serve together, but Welch said to me that Tom Harkin is one of his heroes. It's an overused term, but here, it fits.
I have heard many speeches by Tom Harkin over the years. I was inspired and motivated by all of them. Harkin served five terms from Iowa in the US Senate. That's right. Iowans elected an unapologetic liberal senator to five terms. We are told Iowa has changed and Democrats can no longer win state wide races. Iowa politics HAS changed. The Iowa Democratic Party doesn't have leaders like Harkin anymore and they can't win state wide races. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?