If there’s one universally accepted truth in the modern age, it’s that sequels suck. And Trump 2.0 will be no exception. Trump takes office with a plan to institute the worst parts of Project 2025. He’ll be enabled by a judiciary packed with right-wing ideologues and congressional majorities stacked with MAGA foot soldiers. He intends to take full advantage of the impunity the Supreme Court has given him.
But Trump winning with under 50% in a single election does not give him the right to govern as a dictator, nor does it mean American democracy is dead. Ordinary people can organize themselves to block Trump’s attacks, break MAGA’s political strength and build a winning majority coalition.
Fascists and their ilk want us to believe we’re alone and powerless.
We know because we’ve seen it before. In 2016, we wrote the Indivisible Guide to demystify how Congress works and help folks organize locally to fight back against the Trump agenda. It went viral and inspired thousands of “Indivisible” groups that would go on to help save the Affordable Care Act. In the 2018 elections, those groups helped take back the House of Representatives with the largest popular vote margins for a midterm in the history of the republic.
Many Americans are upset and scared — and perhaps even taking a break from the news. But they are also determined. They want to do their part to protect their family, their neighbors and democracy. While Trump 2.0 and the world are different, we’ve learned a lot from working with the Indivisible movement over the last eight years, so here’s our advice to those Americans on where to begin.
We start by coming together. Fascists and their ilk want us to believe we’re alone and powerless. As historian Timothy Snyder recently observed, “They want you to be alone. Nobody is going to fix this alone. That’s not how this works.” Even the most capable individuals lack the power local, organized groups possess. Forming or joining local volunteer associations of like-minded Americans where we live, like an Indivisible group, is the basis for everything else we can hope to achieve in this period.
Once your group is established, it’s time to pick your targets. Trump wants us to believe that the presidency is all-powerful, but that’s false. Political power overlaps between local, state and federal elected officials, all of whom need votes to get re-elected. No matter the region, at least some of these officials will be ripe targets for influence. Your groups’ power comes from your ability to either support or be a real pain in the butt to those elected officials. That power can be wielded to get them to hold off the harms of Trump 2.0 or face political consequences.
What, more specifically, can we hope to achieve? As we lay out in our new guide, there are four big things:
- First, we can stop, stall or blunt some of the worst of what’s to come from Congress and the White House.
- Second, we play hardball in the cities and states where Democrats have power to fight back and protect our communities.
- Third, we can protect election infrastructure in swing states to make sure a 2028 election actually takes place.
- Fourth, we can limit some of the harm that is coming for us, our neighbors and our families.
Not every strategy or tactic will work for everyone everywhere. But each of us will have a role. Think of it as a giant national pro-democracy team — some of us are playing offense, some are playing defense, but we all need to play our part.
We’re not going to lie: This is a lot of work.
Sound impossible in this new era? Well, we’ve already seen one pressure campaign work just this week. Republicans in Congress tried to fast-track a bill that would have increased Trump’s power to target nonprofit organizations. Many Democratic members of Congress were poised to stand aside and let it happen, but a wave of calls to their offices pushed them to take a stand and block the bill. Is it enough? No. Did we do some good for our democracy? Damn right we did.
We’re not going to lie: This is a lot of work. It’s going to take a lot of us to do it, and that’s why leadership in this moment must come from regular people, not just politicians. Elected Democrats will need our encouragement, support and cajoling to find their spines and fight back. Elected Republicans can and must break with MAGA or be held accountable for the harm they cause.
If we all tap into the power we have in every corner of our country, we can blunt the damage of Trump 2.0 as we build toward a win in the 2026 midterms. Our country is on the brink, but working together we can live to fight another day.