Trump, Musk, and Democracy - What We CAN Do
Since most of us have an excess of rage, anxiety, and looming despair over the plight of our democracy, I figured I’d start a list of things us ordinary citizens can do to fight the Trump/Musk coup (and let’s not forget the suspiciously quiet but no less dangerous Vance). Here are several things I’ve sourced from @sharonsaysso, Indivisible, and r/twoxpreppers, among other places.
Call it what it is: A soft coup. This isn’t just governance - it’s a strategic, unprecedented dismantling of democracy.
Expose the speed. Many Americans don’t realize how fast the damage is happening. Make them see it.
Their attempted coup is still fragile - make them fight each other on social media, at the dinner table, in the House and Senate, on TV and talk radio. Start with traditional GOP types vs. MAGA extremists. Old GOP Republicans (McConnell and Bush types) are still uncomfortable with some aspects of Trump. Example: highlight how Vance is pushing radical economic nationalism - something traditional GOP members don’t fully support. Ask GOP friends if they really want someone with enormous personal foreign debts having absolute power over the US treasury payment system (and then encourage them to call their R Senators). Etc
Anytime they turn on each other, the slightest infighting or doubt or fissure, amplify it. If a Republican Senator seems hesitant about a nominee, repost it all over social media. If a Republican has conflicting tweets or statements or even a facial gesture that seems questioning, emphasize it. When Fox News questions something, make a big fucking deal out of it. Spread any infighting or doubts around like glitter on my preschooler’s craft project (ya know, all over the fucking place so they’ll be cleaning up that shit for years - the internet lives forever).
Everyone should be making 3 phone calls per day - 1 each to our Senators Cantwell and Murray, and 1 to our Representative MGP. Calls are more effective than anything else. Officials get a list at the end of the day from their staff with the total calls received and top 2-3 issues they were about. They don’t get the same for web/email, and paper mail usually goes straight to recycle. Keep your calls short and direct so they know exactly which issue(s) to tally you for and then free up the phone line for someone else. This week we’re asking them to oppose the nomination of Russell Vought. We need to make ourselves heard - their jobs are on the line if they don’t represent our voices. Fill their voicemails, follow up with a website contact form, and exhaust them with our ability to channel our inner Roy Kent (cause we’re here, we’re there, we’re every-fucking-where!).
Specifically for Cantwell and Murray, we must demand that they and all Democrat Senators block unanimous consent, demand frequent quorum calls, and vote as blanket opposition. Republicans can’t conduct official Senate business without 51 seats filled if a quorum is demanded by any Senator. No more “across the aisle” nice guy - force debate, force votes, force each and every Republican to be on the record confirming nominees. Make everything a procedural minefield. We want chaos at every turn for Republicans. The Senate should look like Fred and George Weasley lit up their entire stash of fireworks before putting a poltergeist in charge of future mayhem. Make it dangerous to be a GOP voting with MAGA, especially anyone facing re-election in swing districts during 2026 midterms. If just one Republican breaks rank because of the heat - boom - no confirmation. We succeeded!
Highlight Trump’s past betrayals. He’s going to screw over his own allies - use that to break trust within the movement. Pence refused one (unconstitutional) demand and Trump dropped him like a hot potato. He’s cleaning out the FBI, a notoriously conservative department. Trump and Musk will also toss them aside soon enough anyway.
Keep pointing out hypocrisy, large and small. Mom, we both want the government to be more efficient and fiscally responsible, but don’t you agree that a self-admitted illegal drug addict with enormous foreign debts shouldn’t have ultimate control of the US Treasury payment system and your SSN? (WSJ) My fellow millennials didn’t sit through D.A.R.E. just to let this opportunity slip by lol. Dad, you teach Sunday school and know the Bible says let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Our word should mean something. So it matters to me that Vance tweeted in 2016 that he was “a never-Trump guy” and goes “back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a–hole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad or that he’s America’s Hitler.” But soon after, Vance quietly deleted everything to be his Vice-President. Is it just for the power and love of money? (PBS) Sure neighbor, I love free speech too! But do you know that Musk bans critics on X which makes him anti-free speech?
Support state-level lawsuits. Democratic AGs are suing Trump already - amplify their efforts. Along with this expose judiciary corruption. If a judge lets Trump or Musk get away with crimes, we need public outrage.
And finally, never believe the fight is lost - it’s only lost when we quit. Musk has a tiny dick ego and quits anything when he can’t maintain control or isn’t perceived as a serious thinker (OpenAI for example). Publicly make Musk look stupid and highlight his failings - like how all his “brilliant” code was scrapped and rewritten by good engineers during the Zip2/PayPal merger. Share his falling stock prices. Etc Trump is a narcissist with the attention span of a gnat, so if we can delay his actions through Congress, lawsuits, dividing GOP vs MAGA, social media, etc, he’ll keep getting bored/distracted and focus on some other BS (it’ll still be bad, but it’ll keep stuff from getting too entrenched).
”The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” - Edmund Burke 1795