April Fools’—Except He’s Not Kidding

The joke's on us.

There was a time when the spirit of April Fools—that lighthearted mischief and playful humanity—found its way into the White House. Whether or not it was April 1st, presidents would pull pranks, share a laugh, and remind us that even the most powerful office in the world could still have a sense of humor and heart.

President Reagan once joked during a mic test that he'd outlawed Russia and we would start bombing in five minutes. It triggered a red alert. Oops! President Obama once surprised everyone with a "kid President" address on April Fools. President Johnson would drive his guests around his Texas ranch and into a lake, pretending the brakes had failed. It turns out that his car was an "amphicar" that turned into a speedboat.

It was harmless. Silly. Occasionally tone-deaf, but never actually dangerous.

But today, April 1, 2025, feels different.

This week, President Trump, now in his second term, said…he wasn't joking about ruling out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House.

The irony is that many of you may still be thinking this is all just that, a "joke." But the truth is that it's another wink to his fervent base. Another nudge at the edge of democracy.

If you've been paying attention, you know this isn't a joke. It's a test. And we've seen this before. Let me be clear: many didn’t take him seriously the first time. So I'm asking you to do so this time.

President Donald Trump has never hidden his disdain for constraints—legal, ethical, or constitutional. From the earliest days of his business empire to his rise in politics, he has consistently chosen control over compromise, loyalty over law, and spectacle over substance.

In 2016, he flirted with refusing to accept the election results.

In 2020, he did more than flirt, he tried to overturn them. He called election officials. Filed baseless lawsuits. Summoned a mob.

He never conceded. He never intended to.

Now, he's back in power surrounded by loyalists, emboldened by the silence of those who know better, and already testing how far he can push the boundaries.

So when he hints at serving more than two terms, believe him.

When he jokes about ignoring the Constitution, take him at his word.

Because this is how authoritarianism works: not with declarations but with drift. Not with tanks in the streets at the onset, but with smirks and offhand comments at the podium or on a call that hint at what's coming.

And the people who have lived through this before, in other countries, under other strongmen, will tell you: the moment the public stops taking it seriously, democracy begins to slip away. But it's not too late.

The good news is, we're not naïve anymore. We know the playbook. We know what it looks like when a leader uses humor as a smokescreen for ambition. We know what it costs when we laugh and look away. And more importantly—we, the people, know how to fight back. Not with violence. Not with fear. But with vigilance, courage, truth, and most importantly—the refusal to normalize any of this.

This April Fools' Day, let's stop pretending it's all just noise. Let's stop hoping someone else will stop him. Let's stop underestimating a man who has repeatedly shown us how far he'll go.

This isn't about panic. It's about preparation. This isn't about being anti-Trump. It's about being pro-rule of law and being America. It's about understanding that power, when concentrated in one person who refuses to let go, can undo centuries of progress in a fraction of the time.

If someone tells you not to worry and that it's all a joke ask them: What if it's not? Because the people who built this country didn't do it by laughing off danger. They did it by standing up.

On that note, Happy April Fools' Day! Let's celebrate it not with denial but with clarity. Let's not laugh off danger but remember the power of truth, action, and community. We've made it through hard chapters before. We can do it again. Because the promise of America isn't just something we inherit, it's something we build together every day.

So go ahead: smile, share a prank, find moments of joy. But stay engaged. Stay grounded. And stay in the fight.

Because the biggest fools today are the ones who think we're not paying attention.

More soon…

Olivia