If we had the Resistance Movement 2.0, we could have been hit with much needed energy this week.
On Tuesday evening, about 20 Democrats from Congress gathered on the eastern stairs of the U.S. Treasury Department's DC headquarters, garnering hundreds of protesters against Elon Musk. Specifically, they were protesting at President Donald Trump's request, against his breakup of federal workers and the rapid acquisition of access to government payment systems. “No one chose Elon!” I read the poster they brought.
“The crisis is here,” declared Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas. “I know some of the y'all's people are frustrated and you've been saying, 'Where is the Democrats, where is our leader?” Well, I'm here to tell you that we've never left. We are here. I also intend to make sure they support the law. We are not going to sit while you go ahead and sec our constitution. ”
While the protesters remained outside, a group of senators and representatives tried to enter the building. They were rejected.
This week's stunt was not the first time Democrats tried to choose to fight Trump and Musk.
For at least the last three weeks, embarrassing questions Crockett called have defeated the Democrats. Where was the opposition's response to Donald Trump?
When he took office, the Democrats looked like flounder. When Democrats signed a surge in controversial executive orders that directly challenge Congress, the Constitution and the courts, where they held press conferences, went to cable news, and worked together to find a common foundation. But Trump controlled media coverage and public attention. He tried to consolidate power, ordered a freeze on government spending, delegating Musk and his so-called government efficiency, daily cabinet hearings and confirmations.
If Democrats felt an urgent feeling, it didn't come across the public. And the absence of a massive, well-organized anti-Trump protest only added to the uncertainty that new resistance would emerge. Those looking to organize a Democratic activist base wondered whether leaders would decide to set up a position.
The first few weeks of Trump's second presidency were far from 2017. Like a women's march, supported by massive rage and massive public demonstrations, Democrats felt that the counterattack was being ordered more strongly. Around this time, eight years ago, major protests developed across DC and across the country in response to Trump's first attempt at banning Muslims. And that energy lasted at least by mid-term 2018.
However, none of the movements have appeared again since November. Trump's avalanche of movement made it difficult for others to break through. And the party was unable to agree to the central point or message.
But it may be changing slowly. This month, the fuss of the US International Development Agency (USAID), the independent federal agency responsible for international development and relief, and those who actually manage the flow of funds from the Treasury may have provided an initial glimpse. The ongoing battle of unbelievableness could have been a first glimpse. A new form of Trump's resistance.
As Musk and other Trump loyalties continue to rebuild administrative agencies, dismantle the agencies and take over major offices, Democrats (both elected and grassroots) seem to be finally jumping into action.
In Congress, they embrace political and procedural theatres. Outside of the government, the party has new leadership and potentially new strategies. And progressive activist groups and activist groups have been mobilized since this week for protests and demonstrations in the capital with specific targets, Musk and Trump's billionaire boosters.
It's unexpected that an internal disconnection of the federal bureaucracy could be the beginning of a new movement, but Democrats do Any The fight was the basic question of liberal activists.
“If we don't create friction, Americans don't know exactly how bad or how dangerous this is,” Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the Progressive Organization Group, told me. “Many people have no personal, deep beliefs about the separation of authority between Congress and the President or the division of constitutional authority. They understand that something is in crisis. The way is for people to tell them it's a crisis.
“From our perspective, Democrat leadership was not playing a truly important communication role that signaled in a variety of actions that were necessary and/or normal business. [On Monday] I think I saw something change. ”
It may have taken a minute. But is this ultimately a growing anti-Trump resistance?
What does resistance 2.0 look so far?
The first signs of these new resistance efforts came in response to what is happening in an organization that most Americans really understand: USAID. Musk and his agent targeted USAID last week for cutting and restructuring. And now it's basically falling apart.
Independent agency employees are told Sunday night not to show up to work at DC headquarters on Monday, fearing that the agency will be shut down for good. The news has been revealed that Doge has issued payments and accessed the federal system to check the flow of federal funds, giving a significant amount of power to a small number of Musk staff. was born.
Beyond the Democratic popular vote and the loss of Trump's popularity, two major challenges to current resistance are institutional and material.
It presented elected Democrats, organizers and grassroots activists with a new starting point for media coverage, public scrutiny and goodwill against Trump.
On Monday, around 12 Democrats, hosted by Virginia Rep. Don Bayer and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, came down to USAID headquarters in downtown D.C. to point out the issue. They had a rally that had joined a small group of protesters who gathered early in the morning and turned to improvised press conferences to call for “illegal” power grabs. ”
They accepted the high stakes speech and they clearly laid out the stakes. The acquisition of Musk's federal workforce and federal payment system was a “constitutional crisis,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. Musk and Trump “were trying to take Congress away from constitutional power. [who] Minnesota Sen. Ilhan Omar added.
They then tried to enter the federal agency and confirmed that the cameras were denied access, as New Jersey Senator Andy Kim did a few hours ago.
The morning demonstration was of course a political theatre act, but it's like a bold, voluntary action that many liberals have called for acceptance of party leaders as President Trump continues to oust the federal government. They continued on Tuesday, and evening protests at the Treasury Department were organized by progressive groups Moveon and Indivisible, with House Supervisory Committee Democrats, Elizabeth Warren and minority leader Chuck Schumer. Such Senate Democrats have made it possible to enter the Treasury building.
Beyond the Democratic popular vote and the loss of Trump's popularity, two major challenges to current resistance are institutional and material.
Trump's party controls much of DC's power, and with the enormous amount of his actions, he was able to overwhelm everyone: the masses, the press, the Democrats. He made blatantly unconstitutional moves, including ending birthright citizenship, and legally suspicious efforts to rebuild the federal government and the workforce. He also began a flashy and controversial battle over borders, deportation, tariffs and membership in international organizations. Democrats often responded with such limited tools, making it difficult to oppose one particular thing.
“Shock and adoration are designed to demobilize,” Greenberg told me. “It's designed to move the goals and move really, really fast before people can fight against everything that's going on. And for us, the way you deal with it is, this is what you can do. It's about revealing that they're all part of one shared story. Everything they're doing is part of a comprehensive set of confusion, cruelty, corruption and unconstitutional. It supports Trump Give it back to the billionaires.”
This makes USAID and the Treasury even more interesting. They are happening because the Democratic device is showing signs that focus and use limited institutional power to hold Trump's agenda and more clearly lay out how to confirm his actions. Masu.
Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Van Hollen of Maryland have put a “blanket hold” to the Senate's nomination to slow the confirmation process until USAID returns to normal and Doge's efforts backwards. He said he would put it. Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester said she would oppose all Trump Cabinet candidates from now on. Van Hollen also told The Wall Street Journal that he is working with legal nonprofits to prepare a federal lawsuit to block the closure of USAID. Specific executive orders and other targeted legal challenges for the pure federal workforce continue.
In the House, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has issued a new roadmap to house Democrats outlining oversight and resistance priorities. A communication strategy to bring all of this directly to the components. Other Democrats are offering more specific options for the party to flood the zone in response to Trump's attempts to avoid Congress on tariffs and federal spending.
Conclusion: Democrats in the government need to come out and say something to them in front of the public to gather their eyes, attention and goodwill from the public who are now quite upset with them. It seems he is learning.
And finally, there is mobilization on the streets as well.
An array of musk-related protests has already been planned for the rest of the week. The demonstration is planned for the entire week in front of the Human Resources Administration, but there are more demonstrations at USAID headquarters. On Wednesday, former USAID and State Department officials protested outside the Capitol. And organized federal workers will meet next week at Capitol Hill.
Whether any of the films is still unknown – last week's poll suggests that Americans are rapidly souring musk and clumsy as Trump's approval ratings begin to hit.
After months of fire, these democratic actions, and the change in impressions of Trump and Musk, are at least a sign of life where working opposition may still emerge.
Still, even the rallies at the Treasury provided harsh reminders that Democrats had more work to do. They looked confused as Florida Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost gathered colleagues for a final chant for his social media followers. “What do you need?” Frost called out. The reaction was a garbled confusion.
