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Democratic states prepare to be on front line against Trump’s policies

Democratic states prepare to be on front line against Trump’s policies


In 2016, the resistance to Donald Trump mobilized in less than a week. On election night, the rallying cry was #resist. Three days later, protests erupted across the country. Democratic America protested against plans to deport 11 million illegal immigrants. The New Yorker saw the dawn of an era of “civil disobedience.”

Nothing of the sort has materialized today. Since November 5, there have been no large-scale protests in response to the Republican triumph. Trump’s outright victory has wiped out the Democratic base. The speed and brutality of his cabinet appointments has left activists feeling numb, even though associations like Indivisible, born out of the 2016 Democratic defeat, have begun holding conference calls to reflect on the aftermath of the election.

Facing up to the ‘dangers of authoritarianism’

A few individual gestures have emerged here and there, including a few calls to boycott X to protest against Elon Musk’s pervasive influence. However, the scope of these initiatives remains to be measured. “The circumstances and tactics will necessarily be different from the anti-Trump resistance of 2017,” said Robert Kuttner in left-wing magazine The American Prospect. Back then, grassroots mobilization set in motion a movement that helped Democrats win the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. “This time will be harder,” wrote Kuttner.

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As they did eight years ago, Republicans once again control all the levers of power, from the presidency to both houses of Congress. If there is to be political opposition to the Trump administration’s plans, it can only come from the states. Since 2010, Republicans have maintained a dominant position, controlling the governorship and both legislative houses in 23 states, while the Democrats control 15 states. Out of 50 governors, 27 are Republicans and 23 are Democrats.

Already, the “blue” states – Democrats – have entered a race against time to sanctuary their immigration, abortion and environmental legislation before Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. On November 13, Governors JB Pritzker (Illinois) and Jared Polis (Colorado) announced the formation of a coalition of “Governors for Safeguarding Democracy.” The group will work to confront the “dangers of authoritarianism and the undermining of democratic institutions,” they explained. A mission that will “require proactive and robust efforts at the state level,” said Jared Polis.

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