I think they’re getting it

Are Democrats alive and kicking? At long last???

Can I just start by saying that these past few weeks have been utterly ruthless? As a matter of self-preservation, I’ve been trying to focus on what I think is important, or actionable, and trying not to hyperfixate on aspects of Trump’s presidency that feel designed to overwhelm, or flood the zone, but that have no chance of taking hold. That is, after all, Trump’s stated strategy, as outlined by his former advisor, sentient toe crust Steve Bannon.

But goddamn it’s been hard. Unlike Trump 1.0, everything feels actionable in a way it maybe didn’t as much before. MAGA Members of Congress are even more emboldened than ever, attacking immigrants, attacking people of color, gleefully using transphobic slurs during congressional hearings, all while enthusiastically handing over our sensitive data to Elon Musk and his 19-year-old broccoli-headed lieutenant BigBalls (yes, this is a real person). Part of the reason is that we have even fewer levers for accountability — not only are we living in a GOP trifecta, one made up of not just partisans but MAGA loyalists, but we’ve also completely lost access to a functional court system that delivers verdicts based on a fair adjudication of the law. Instead, we have a judiciary that is also stacked with Trump acolytes more interested in delivering political wins to him than they are in preserving what’s left of our democracy.

The media, theoretically an institution that exists to hold those in power accountable, seems disinterested in accurately describing the stakes — just see this headline from the NYT about Trump’s rampant lawlessness:

“Opened the throttle”? What am I, a gear head? Just say he’s violating the constitution, because that’s what he’s doing! Example: Birthright citizenship is clearly in the constitution and it’s not up for debate. And even if it were, which it isn’t, the president can’t overturn a constitutional amendment with an executive order. So say that. Here’s another: it’s literally illegal for Elon Musk, who was elected by no one, to turn off payments to programs that Congress has elected to fund just because he personally doesn’t like them. SO SAY THAT. Don’t make people bust out the dictionary in the middle of a constitutional crisis.

How could you not spiral in these circumstances? Especially when it felt like Democrats were also willing to give up on the idea of serving as a true opposition party, despair felt like a very solid option.

But believe it or not, and I kind of can’t, the Democrats seem to be showing signs of life??

It started last week during the confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — who you know as an anti-vaxx, anti-science, humanoid leather bag who Trump nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

First things first: it was great if you hate RFK, Jr., which I do. A great deal. That freak got walloped into oblivion by every Democrat on the committee. Elizabeth Warren rocked him so hard he had to wipe his eyes after she was done questioning him.

I also rather enjoyed Maggie Hassan, a lesser-known Democratic senator from New Hampshire, who laid out the inherent cynicism in RFK’s candidacy for a MAGA cabinet position pretty plainly:

It was an incredibly satisfying display of humiliating someone using their own words against them. Sure, it appears he’ll ultimately be confirmed (despite Mitch McConnell of all people expressing concerns — recall that, in addition to being sent to earth by Satan to punish me, he is also a childhood polio survivor who has some questions about RFK’s interest in taking the polio vaccine off the market), but at least Democrats executed a plan with energy that successfully expressed the stakes of allowing someone as unhinged and unqualified as RFK, Jr. to take over one of the most critical agencies in government. That counts as “doing something,” and is certainly better than the alternative, which was Chuck Schumer engaging in a multiple-post thread on social media about the cost of tomatoes or Hakeem Jeffries tweeting about Jesus.

Anyway, back to the good stuff. This week, after Elon effectively took over operations of the Treasury Department and shut down USAID, Democrats really started to awaken to the idea of fighting back. Members of Congress and activists rallied outside Treasury, and tried to enter the building to see how widespread Elon’s takeover really was. They yelled, they fought, they did everything in their power. Soon after, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced he’d put a blanket hold on Trump’s State Department nominees until normal operations were restored at USAID. Then, last night, Senate Democrats held the floor overnight to protest the nomination of Russell Vought, a chief architect of Project 2025, and Trump’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget (a small agency you may not have heard of but which has tremendous power to administer the federal budget).

Yes, Democrats’ power is extremely limited currently. But delay is a tactic. Making noise is a tactic. Leveling with the American people about the stakes is a tactic. Laying down dead because you might lose the ultimate vote is not an option. This is the energy we requested. This is what people want to and need to see as our government is slowly taken over by a fake agency named after a 15-year-old meme: that someone gives a shit, and that someone is fighting even with long odds.

So, my take as your favorite Swamp Person is this: good job! Wayyyy better than the tomato thing. Keep it up! I will yell at you if you stop!

For me, I know it will take concerted effort to keep myself focused and out of the spiral. But we can do it by channeling our energy into tangible actions — we can help Dems keep the spine they’ve grown over the last week by showing up, too. Check out my old stomping grounds Indivisible for more about how to plug in to actions across the country, not just here in DC.

Hang in there. This is going to be an extremely long 4 years.

As a reminder, if you see your Member of Congress capitulating to the Trump administration, feel free to give them a call at (202) 224-3121. Call early, call often! And remember: not all resistance actions need to be directed at Congress. Find ways to stay engaged with your community, your neighbors, your friends. Find volunteer opportunities! Whatever it takes to stitch back together our ragged society!

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Meanwhile, feel free to follow me on BlueSky, and check out my podcast, Text Me Back, that I host with my best friend Lindy West!