The media are filled with pointless hand-wringing about the second Trump presidency. The threat from Trump is evident. Some people are demoralized and despondent. It’s easy to sit back. Just absorb the blows. Don’t respond.
What’s the use of worrying? The founders of the United States, for all their flaws, understood that action worked better than analysis. Following their example, activism in the United States today must have one goal: to Save The American Republic (STAR). We must understand the aims of Trump and his MAGA movement, then riposte in an effective manner. Here are eight ways, one for each abysmal year of Trump’s presidency, to struggle for American democracy and the rule of law.
—Trump and his MAGA movement believe they won a victory for the ages. They want to make the rest of us feel hopeless. They want to neutralize opposition. They fear their opponents can be effective. Allow them to behave this way. Let their hubris be their downfall.
—Trump is spewing executive orders. He seeks to confuse, distract, and overwhelm Americans. Activists should see through the storm of apparent activity. They need to understand that Trump is turning back the clock—on civil rights, women’s rights, racial justice, workers’ rights, and immigrant rights.
—Trump menaces the right to free speech. He demands an apology from Bishop Mariann Edgar. He has launched lawsuits against TV stations. Activists must speak up and often. Don’t hold your tongue, let it loose.
—Trump humiliates people. Trump and his MAGA movement revel in their cruelty, whether to migrants, women, or minorities. They denigrate their own voters with their betrayals. Activists should welcome former Trump supporters and ex-Republicans without judgment. Trump’s opponents must be the moral opposite of the MAGA movement.
—Trump talked about the economy during the election campaign, but his orders wage culture wars. He made false promises, which he’s retreating from. Activists mustn’t let him forget. Instead, they should stand up for American families and workers.
—Trump and the MAGA movement make every issue sound like a fight to the death. They want people to feel that the stakes are too high for opposition. In response, activists must break down their campaigns into simple, small actions. Enable Americans to protest without fear or excessive effort. The easier anti-MAGA activity becomes, the more of it there will be. This struggle will take years.
—Trump loves attention. His MAGA movement fawns on him. The next four years will be a Washington D.C., media-obsessed, melodrama. Instead, activists must think locally. Trump’s opponents must build effective networks that make a difference to people’s lives in their area. In time, these local activist groups can become a national movement.
—In his last speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr defined today’s cause “All we say to America is: to be true to what you said on paper.” That’s the essential goal, asking America to be true to its promise.
—Andrew Apostolou is a British historian.
