Right after the Padilla debacle, I called all 3 of my congressional reps (all hardworking Dems) and expressed my ire with their tepid, old-school approach to pushing back on Trump. "Take a cue from Newsom!", I said. At the very successful, local No Kings rally I attended, I was surrounded by union members and vets, very different from the Hands Off rally. The times they are a changing.
The Dems did exactly jack, and I guess you know it. If you don't, you're too stupid to breathe. The organizers were grass roots, we're being taught how to protest and conduct ourselves by raggedy-ass kids with purple hair. People who know what the fuck they're doing and have experience doing it. The organization and coordination was world-class, they KNOW that the median age of the Great Pissed Off is now in the fifties (I'm 68, I was balanced out by a young family and their dog). The focus on safety and coordination with the cops? *Chef's Kiss!*
And the Dems? You mean Schumer sending 'very strongly worded letters' to congressional leaders? WHY is that jellyfish still there? You mean the pathetic shitweasels wanting Alex Padilla to apologize for getting the shit kicked out of him by brownshirt goons? WHY is David Hogg not our Supreme Commander Of Fucking Trump All To Hell? Oh, right, gotta play by some rules. The ones the fascists laugh at.
People need to see this primarily as a citizen movement. It takes time for people to realize they need to go out and demonstrate. This movement picked up momentum from the beginning, and the fact that turnout nearly doubled from the very noteworthy April protests is actually a rapid increase in resistance The Democratic Party is marginal to this movement and should never be at its center. They have certainly not led it. Whether it’s Democrats that turn out to run as Democrats in 2026, or independent opponents of Trump is not that important: indeed, independent participation is even better.
And let's be clear about one thing: we aren't interested in WiNnInG bAcK tHe YoUnG wHiTe MeN wHo VoTeD fOr TrUmP. We're interested in forging a broad coalition of everyone who agrees with the ideals of democracy and liberty and justice for all, not just cishet white men.
Not enough said about how Trump has shut down the free press and free speech. Bezos is a disgrace - ABC close behind. The universities are on summer break so maybe we will see something more as school starts - if we don't have martial law by then. And let us hope we still have phones and internet.
Thank god for the alternate news sources - but we really need a Congress that works for us. McConnell and Grassley have nothing to lose and they know this level of corruption is outrageous.
One aspect you didn't touch on, that I personally think is responsible for the protests not being as heavy to start this administration, was a simple choice of health care that many people in the Black communities around the country made.
This content creator, Reese Waters, has a goal of humor. However, he brings alot of truth and perspective that one won't get from The Bulwark alone. Of course there's BTC types, Daily Show type shows,etc, but it's nice to get a Black perspective.
Anyways, for years, Black people have in many ways been the backbone to almost any successful protest movement. They often don't get proper credit, get blamed and sometimes killed for violence that happens. Despite never advocating for violence.
You saw it ar all the protests early on, the crowds were very old and very white. I for one, think Black people should be wary after the BLM protests, were used by outside, bad faith actors, of all kinds, I wouldn't race back out there either.
Absolutely. I think the protests ought to put us white seniors at the front, middle, back and all throughout the protests. Let’s us use mobility scooters, golf carts and wheelchairs if necessary. They are looking for black and brown people to target, you know “Minorities are rising up to attack our country” kind of shit. I’d be wary too if I were a person of color.
The Republicrats are implementing Project 2025 at lightning speed. The Demopublicans have no Project 2026. I think that pretty well sums up the situation at present and the thing to realize is that Project 2025 took years to formulate and prepare for implementation by a ruthless T. Rump criminal enterprise. My guess is the mid-term elections will not be the watershed the Demopublicans hope for since support for the current duly elected criminal enterprise seems stuck at around 35-38% regardless of the actions taken in furtherance of their stated aims.
If the mid-terms were held today it appears that Oklahoma would once again deliver all 77 counties to the Republicrats and my guess is that similar statistics will hold in other pure Republicrat states. Combined Demopublicans and Independents voting as a bloc cannot determine the outcome of elections in this state.
There's a class in journalism school: Mealy-mouthed Euphemism To Avoid Controversy. I guess alt-media is the new Journalism? It's actually closer to what the Founders experienced in their time, there was no "media" and The Press was not dominated by gigantic corporations, it was mostly miscreants like Ben Franklin who had part-time access to a printing press for their broadsheets.
I still say that the Democratic Party is not really the problem. The problem is the right wing media apparatus and Former Republican politicians. Do fiats from the dear leader at 2 or 3 am on his own personal ‘ Truth’ platform represent government policies now. Are we now expecting any Trumplican to criticize or push back against the Dear Leader! We still have not reached that red line that he has crossed that is a step too far for the Trump political supporters. What should Democrats do when our country has reached this point.
The answer is not to out-Trump Trump. The Democrats may have pushed things too far in the past, but the former Republicans are the ones embracing authoritarianism.
I agree, the Democratic Party is not the problem. It's worse than that, its lifeless carcass is lying across the road, impeding any progress we might make. We get 'strongly worded letters' and calls for Alex Padilla to apologize for bruising the fists of thugs, and your answer is to not out-Trump Trump? Oh, ok. I guess we won't brutalize people, rip apart families and threaten to use the military to slaughter citizens. Mission accomplished.
Gut the Democratic Party for parts and build something new. Oops, too late, already happening.
The Democratic Party needs to demonstrate individual and collective courage. The need to be involved, energetic, vocal, and focused on publicly denouncing Trump and Republican Party policies and actions. There should be no muted or cautious statements. The Democratic Party leadership should engage in forceful and dramatic resistance. The resistance should be loud, persistent, and unwavering. It must capture and dominate media coverage with daily denunciations of Trump, the Republicans, and MAGA. It will take much effort to convince ALL of America that our democracy is being systematically destroyed, and the destruction will affect all of our lies.
Re: "But activists on the left also acknowledge that their side has changed, too."
They have changed (a little bit) and need to change a whole lot more. If they can emphasize the corruption of having the richest people in the world feeding from the government trough while the poorest among us lose their benefits, that's a winner. If they can talk about how wrong it is to have the military -- which is supposed to be outwardly facing -- acting like police, that's a winner. If they can keep some focus on the sheer stupidity, incompetence and malice of the people Trump has put in charge of everything, that's a winner.
If they keep trying to talk about how great having trans people playing women's sports, well, they'll get what they've gotten and we're all screwed.
Isn't this trans things a strawman at this point? Hardly any Dems are focusing on the occasional trans crossover into women's sports. Unlike MAGA, Dems are not an authoritarian party that can prohibit the politically-out-of-touch advocates from saying anything. I hope you're not suggestion that as long as ONE person in the D world says they're cool with trans women in women's sports, that tips the scales in favor of the authoritarian.
You're not on the right side of this issue. Neither is the party that wants genital inspections to verify eligibility. There's some nuance here, with regards to which sport, what age, what level (for rec leagues inclusivity is more important than fairness), and what degree of medical transition has ensued and when it began, and that's why it should be left to the relevant sports governing bodies to decide, not ignorant, bigoted politicians.
I take your point. In fact, governing bodies in many sports have come up with intelligent ways to deal with this issue. However, in the political realm, nuance on this issue is not possible for another 4 years.
Who's doubling down on it? More than half of Republicans think the 2020 presidential election was stolen, absent any proof whatsoever. The anti-trans rap against Democrats is 'sticky' absent real advocacy from the overwhelming majority of Dems. Reminds me of the ongoing myth that Republicans are more financially responsible and better for the economy than Democrats, in spite of almost all the evidence. Anyone have an opinion on Kansas' failed experiment with tax cuts?
Not only that, but so many of them were saying COVID-19 was no worse than the flu and that mask/vaccine mandates and social distancing represented "tyranny". So many of them are now on board with defunding the NIH, NSF, NOAA, etc. There is a rising tide of anti-intellectualism and these people are just plain STUPID. It is not worth the effort to attempt to win the votes of these cretins. That's what I'm saying.
Well, it comes up in every focus group anyone does, doesn’t it? It’s not an issue that I care about, but it worked great for Trump, right? “She cares about they/them. He cares about you.”
Yeah, and there were the same "concerns" when racial integration in sports was the issue of the day, and the right has always (at least since the Southern strategy) attempted to exploit bigotry as a means for getting votes. The answer does not lie in pandering to ignorance and bigotry, but in explaining that the advantage for trans girls on HRT/puberty blockers is minimal, and that the camaraderie they need is a much more important consideration, given the much increased depression and suicidal ideation in this population.
Bingo. "When you start too explain, you've lost." Stop explaining. Stop all the poll-tested bullshit. Even Sarah, the Grand Empress Of Polling And Focus Groups, understands and talks freely about their limits.
Most voters, we discovered recently, are 'Low Information', stupid, or both. They need something to either be inspired by (Kennedy) or terrified of (Trump). Give it to them, anything, good and hard. Don't try to appeal to their intellect, there isn't any. Paint a vivid picture for them of what their lives are and will be under a fascist regime, pummel them with it relentlessly. Take advantage of the many opportunities to mock Trump's incompetence. Do not apologize. Do not send any 'strongly worded letters'. Monkey-wrench the mechanisms of government, because all you're doing is helping them accelerate their own failure. Fuck them up.
Fantastic news from political scientist and professor Erica Chenoweth (known for the 3.5% rule) said in a the most recent PSA episode that so far we have turned out more in this Trump term than the prior one.
I know some progressives are still mad that Harris brought Liz Cheney along on a couple of campaign events, but I hope they get over it. I think it's important to make clear that the resistance is not just from progressives. The organizers' messaging around No Kings focused on broad principles which most of us find appealing. I wonder if there will be a way to bring in more economic as well as racial diversity as Trump makes things worse. Can "affordability" become a protest march issue?
Protest is avocational, the government officials are on the payroll. It's hard to sustain resistance in one's spare time. The state has the instruments of power to discourage assemblies and opportunists, however motivated, will imbed within large groups. Provocateurs raise the risk of violence. Observing international protests, one notices that governments can wait for the initial ferver to wane and pick off the stragglers.
The nature of Trump's electoral success drove us into a despondent crouch. Watching the news was dispiriting. The Democratic Party response only reinforced despair. Time and exposure to the scope and depth of Trump's depredations have reinvigorated our resolve.
The timing of No Kings was fortuitous. Several events coincided to underscore our repulsion to this administration. Polls suggest an erosion of the appeal of the MAGA project. Trump campaigns on resonant diagnosis and governs repugnantly. Exposure reminds vacillating Americans why they are repelled.
Yeah, I guess you're right. It's impossible to turn the fascist tide because we're just citizens and the government officials can wait us out. That's why the US still occupies South Vietnam. Or women still don't have the vote. Or gay people can't get married.
Yeah, let's definitely not get too giddy that Trump's parade was a damp squib (complete with passive aggression and malicious obedience by the military) on the very day that 5 Million+ citizens showed up to give him all the respect he deserves. Nothing to see here, return to your homes.
Since dems seem to be holding their fingers up to the wind to see which way they should go, does anyone know how many dem lawmakers actually attended No Kings protests? At least on Substack I have not seen anything mentioning dem lawmaker attendance.
Woshy washy Dems are always on board until they aren't. I guess you have more intel on who attended than AI does, 'Yes, several Democrat politicians attended the "No Kings" rallies, ' Several...
Right after the Padilla debacle, I called all 3 of my congressional reps (all hardworking Dems) and expressed my ire with their tepid, old-school approach to pushing back on Trump. "Take a cue from Newsom!", I said. At the very successful, local No Kings rally I attended, I was surrounded by union members and vets, very different from the Hands Off rally. The times they are a changing.
The Dems did exactly jack, and I guess you know it. If you don't, you're too stupid to breathe. The organizers were grass roots, we're being taught how to protest and conduct ourselves by raggedy-ass kids with purple hair. People who know what the fuck they're doing and have experience doing it. The organization and coordination was world-class, they KNOW that the median age of the Great Pissed Off is now in the fifties (I'm 68, I was balanced out by a young family and their dog). The focus on safety and coordination with the cops? *Chef's Kiss!*
And the Dems? You mean Schumer sending 'very strongly worded letters' to congressional leaders? WHY is that jellyfish still there? You mean the pathetic shitweasels wanting Alex Padilla to apologize for getting the shit kicked out of him by brownshirt goons? WHY is David Hogg not our Supreme Commander Of Fucking Trump All To Hell? Oh, right, gotta play by some rules. The ones the fascists laugh at.
People need to see this primarily as a citizen movement. It takes time for people to realize they need to go out and demonstrate. This movement picked up momentum from the beginning, and the fact that turnout nearly doubled from the very noteworthy April protests is actually a rapid increase in resistance The Democratic Party is marginal to this movement and should never be at its center. They have certainly not led it. Whether it’s Democrats that turn out to run as Democrats in 2026, or independent opponents of Trump is not that important: indeed, independent participation is even better.
And let's be clear about one thing: we aren't interested in WiNnInG bAcK tHe YoUnG wHiTe MeN wHo VoTeD fOr TrUmP. We're interested in forging a broad coalition of everyone who agrees with the ideals of democracy and liberty and justice for all, not just cishet white men.
Not enough said about how Trump has shut down the free press and free speech. Bezos is a disgrace - ABC close behind. The universities are on summer break so maybe we will see something more as school starts - if we don't have martial law by then. And let us hope we still have phones and internet.
Thank god for the alternate news sources - but we really need a Congress that works for us. McConnell and Grassley have nothing to lose and they know this level of corruption is outrageous.
Even the Republican Senators are like slugs that just move away from heat or cold. There's no backbone or soul left in any of them
Hi @laurenegan ,great job as always.
One aspect you didn't touch on, that I personally think is responsible for the protests not being as heavy to start this administration, was a simple choice of health care that many people in the Black communities around the country made.
https://youtu.be/2jL-VmWV5D8?si=W3cS8ETBoJKBQa-r
This content creator, Reese Waters, has a goal of humor. However, he brings alot of truth and perspective that one won't get from The Bulwark alone. Of course there's BTC types, Daily Show type shows,etc, but it's nice to get a Black perspective.
Anyways, for years, Black people have in many ways been the backbone to almost any successful protest movement. They often don't get proper credit, get blamed and sometimes killed for violence that happens. Despite never advocating for violence.
You saw it ar all the protests early on, the crowds were very old and very white. I for one, think Black people should be wary after the BLM protests, were used by outside, bad faith actors, of all kinds, I wouldn't race back out there either.
Absolutely. I think the protests ought to put us white seniors at the front, middle, back and all throughout the protests. Let’s us use mobility scooters, golf carts and wheelchairs if necessary. They are looking for black and brown people to target, you know “Minorities are rising up to attack our country” kind of shit. I’d be wary too if I were a person of color.
The Republicrats are implementing Project 2025 at lightning speed. The Demopublicans have no Project 2026. I think that pretty well sums up the situation at present and the thing to realize is that Project 2025 took years to formulate and prepare for implementation by a ruthless T. Rump criminal enterprise. My guess is the mid-term elections will not be the watershed the Demopublicans hope for since support for the current duly elected criminal enterprise seems stuck at around 35-38% regardless of the actions taken in furtherance of their stated aims.
If the mid-terms were held today it appears that Oklahoma would once again deliver all 77 counties to the Republicrats and my guess is that similar statistics will hold in other pure Republicrat states. Combined Demopublicans and Independents voting as a bloc cannot determine the outcome of elections in this state.
Quick fact check. According to Indivisible, there were 2,169 events Saturday, not hundreds.
The media likes to say hundreds when they mean thousands, especially with regard to numbers associated with anti-Trump protests.
Saturday morning I was still reading headlines like "thousands expected for nationwide protests" WTF?
There's a class in journalism school: Mealy-mouthed Euphemism To Avoid Controversy. I guess alt-media is the new Journalism? It's actually closer to what the Founders experienced in their time, there was no "media" and The Press was not dominated by gigantic corporations, it was mostly miscreants like Ben Franklin who had part-time access to a printing press for their broadsheets.
I still say that the Democratic Party is not really the problem. The problem is the right wing media apparatus and Former Republican politicians. Do fiats from the dear leader at 2 or 3 am on his own personal ‘ Truth’ platform represent government policies now. Are we now expecting any Trumplican to criticize or push back against the Dear Leader! We still have not reached that red line that he has crossed that is a step too far for the Trump political supporters. What should Democrats do when our country has reached this point.
The answer is not to out-Trump Trump. The Democrats may have pushed things too far in the past, but the former Republicans are the ones embracing authoritarianism.
I agree, the Democratic Party is not the problem. It's worse than that, its lifeless carcass is lying across the road, impeding any progress we might make. We get 'strongly worded letters' and calls for Alex Padilla to apologize for bruising the fists of thugs, and your answer is to not out-Trump Trump? Oh, ok. I guess we won't brutalize people, rip apart families and threaten to use the military to slaughter citizens. Mission accomplished.
Gut the Democratic Party for parts and build something new. Oops, too late, already happening.
The Democratic Party needs to demonstrate individual and collective courage. The need to be involved, energetic, vocal, and focused on publicly denouncing Trump and Republican Party policies and actions. There should be no muted or cautious statements. The Democratic Party leadership should engage in forceful and dramatic resistance. The resistance should be loud, persistent, and unwavering. It must capture and dominate media coverage with daily denunciations of Trump, the Republicans, and MAGA. It will take much effort to convince ALL of America that our democracy is being systematically destroyed, and the destruction will affect all of our lies.
Re: "But activists on the left also acknowledge that their side has changed, too."
They have changed (a little bit) and need to change a whole lot more. If they can emphasize the corruption of having the richest people in the world feeding from the government trough while the poorest among us lose their benefits, that's a winner. If they can talk about how wrong it is to have the military -- which is supposed to be outwardly facing -- acting like police, that's a winner. If they can keep some focus on the sheer stupidity, incompetence and malice of the people Trump has put in charge of everything, that's a winner.
If they keep trying to talk about how great having trans people playing women's sports, well, they'll get what they've gotten and we're all screwed.
Isn't this trans things a strawman at this point? Hardly any Dems are focusing on the occasional trans crossover into women's sports. Unlike MAGA, Dems are not an authoritarian party that can prohibit the politically-out-of-touch advocates from saying anything. I hope you're not suggestion that as long as ONE person in the D world says they're cool with trans women in women's sports, that tips the scales in favor of the authoritarian.
You're not on the right side of this issue. Neither is the party that wants genital inspections to verify eligibility. There's some nuance here, with regards to which sport, what age, what level (for rec leagues inclusivity is more important than fairness), and what degree of medical transition has ensued and when it began, and that's why it should be left to the relevant sports governing bodies to decide, not ignorant, bigoted politicians.
I take your point. In fact, governing bodies in many sports have come up with intelligent ways to deal with this issue. However, in the political realm, nuance on this issue is not possible for another 4 years.
I wish it was, but every focus group Sarah does brings it up. I don’t know what the answer is, but it can’t be doubling down on it.
Who's doubling down on it? More than half of Republicans think the 2020 presidential election was stolen, absent any proof whatsoever. The anti-trans rap against Democrats is 'sticky' absent real advocacy from the overwhelming majority of Dems. Reminds me of the ongoing myth that Republicans are more financially responsible and better for the economy than Democrats, in spite of almost all the evidence. Anyone have an opinion on Kansas' failed experiment with tax cuts?
Not only that, but so many of them were saying COVID-19 was no worse than the flu and that mask/vaccine mandates and social distancing represented "tyranny". So many of them are now on board with defunding the NIH, NSF, NOAA, etc. There is a rising tide of anti-intellectualism and these people are just plain STUPID. It is not worth the effort to attempt to win the votes of these cretins. That's what I'm saying.
Oh, you gotta get transphobia in there somehow, don't you.
Well, it comes up in every focus group anyone does, doesn’t it? It’s not an issue that I care about, but it worked great for Trump, right? “She cares about they/them. He cares about you.”
Yeah, and there were the same "concerns" when racial integration in sports was the issue of the day, and the right has always (at least since the Southern strategy) attempted to exploit bigotry as a means for getting votes. The answer does not lie in pandering to ignorance and bigotry, but in explaining that the advantage for trans girls on HRT/puberty blockers is minimal, and that the camaraderie they need is a much more important consideration, given the much increased depression and suicidal ideation in this population.
In this political climate, if you're explaining this kind of thing, you're losing. Witness how effective trying to explain "Defund the Police" was.
Bingo. "When you start too explain, you've lost." Stop explaining. Stop all the poll-tested bullshit. Even Sarah, the Grand Empress Of Polling And Focus Groups, understands and talks freely about their limits.
Most voters, we discovered recently, are 'Low Information', stupid, or both. They need something to either be inspired by (Kennedy) or terrified of (Trump). Give it to them, anything, good and hard. Don't try to appeal to their intellect, there isn't any. Paint a vivid picture for them of what their lives are and will be under a fascist regime, pummel them with it relentlessly. Take advantage of the many opportunities to mock Trump's incompetence. Do not apologize. Do not send any 'strongly worded letters'. Monkey-wrench the mechanisms of government, because all you're doing is helping them accelerate their own failure. Fuck them up.
Fantastic news from political scientist and professor Erica Chenoweth (known for the 3.5% rule) said in a the most recent PSA episode that so far we have turned out more in this Trump term than the prior one.
I know some progressives are still mad that Harris brought Liz Cheney along on a couple of campaign events, but I hope they get over it. I think it's important to make clear that the resistance is not just from progressives. The organizers' messaging around No Kings focused on broad principles which most of us find appealing. I wonder if there will be a way to bring in more economic as well as racial diversity as Trump makes things worse. Can "affordability" become a protest march issue?
We have been protesting for months but the press has ignored it. Check out 50501 movement.
Protest is avocational, the government officials are on the payroll. It's hard to sustain resistance in one's spare time. The state has the instruments of power to discourage assemblies and opportunists, however motivated, will imbed within large groups. Provocateurs raise the risk of violence. Observing international protests, one notices that governments can wait for the initial ferver to wane and pick off the stragglers.
The nature of Trump's electoral success drove us into a despondent crouch. Watching the news was dispiriting. The Democratic Party response only reinforced despair. Time and exposure to the scope and depth of Trump's depredations have reinvigorated our resolve.
The timing of No Kings was fortuitous. Several events coincided to underscore our repulsion to this administration. Polls suggest an erosion of the appeal of the MAGA project. Trump campaigns on resonant diagnosis and governs repugnantly. Exposure reminds vacillating Americans why they are repelled.
Yeah, I guess you're right. It's impossible to turn the fascist tide because we're just citizens and the government officials can wait us out. That's why the US still occupies South Vietnam. Or women still don't have the vote. Or gay people can't get married.
Yeah, let's definitely not get too giddy that Trump's parade was a damp squib (complete with passive aggression and malicious obedience by the military) on the very day that 5 Million+ citizens showed up to give him all the respect he deserves. Nothing to see here, return to your homes.
Since dems seem to be holding their fingers up to the wind to see which way they should go, does anyone know how many dem lawmakers actually attended No Kings protests? At least on Substack I have not seen anything mentioning dem lawmaker attendance.
What are you talking about? I see a handful of red state or district Democrats like Golden in rural Maine who are hesitant. Everybody else is on board
Woshy washy Dems are always on board until they aren't. I guess you have more intel on who attended than AI does, 'Yes, several Democrat politicians attended the "No Kings" rallies, ' Several...