When Donald Trump was elected to his first term, the Democratic opposition coalesced into something that soon became known as “The Resistance.”
The Resistance was somewhat ill-defined but was mostly understood to mean liberal Americans who reacted mostly to Trump in an online manner, often with the hope that someone or something — mostly Special Counsel Robert Mueller — would come to save them from Trump.
At one point, it even extended into the Trump Administration itself:
Anonymous NYT oped: “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration; I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” https://t.co/khZ2KL7IeF
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 5, 2018
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In all, The Resistance succeeded in defeating Trump in the 2020 election, although he of course, came back to win four years later. And since then, there’s been a lot of worry, among Democrats, about whether the anti-Trump energy is still there, eight years later. Part of it is that Trump won decisively, including the popular vote and part of it is that with the criminal cases dismissed and the Supreme Court having instituted presidential immunity, the hope of Trump being punished for his crimes is mostly dead.
Trump is a lame duck. In his first term, Democrats organized ourselves around opposing Trump. That strategy was effective for a long time, but it had some long-term consequences. This time, we need a new, less Trump-focused approach. https://t.co/mFMy7GN7k5
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) December 4, 2024
One figure, former Obama Administration staffer and Pod Save America podcast host Dan Pfeiffer has authored a Substack post, looking at the possible way forward for what was formerly known as “The Resistance.” The title of the post is “Resistance 2.0: A New Approach for Trump’s Second Term.”
“Currently, there is scant evidence of the massive counter-mobilization that defined the ‘Resistance,” Pfeiffer writes. “There are no plans for a massive march on Washington tied to Trump’s inauguration. Tens of thousands of people won’t flock to airports at a moment’s notice to protest a Trump executive order.”
So what should Trump opponents do, starting in 2025?
Pfeiffer suggests abandoning the word “Resistance,” describing it as “cringe.” He also calls for Trump opponents to remember that Trump is now a lame duck, and that “defeating” him is no longer the goal. And he also warns that the Democratic brand has “degraded.”
“We have to stand for something bigger than opposition. Our messaging cannot be so Trump-centric. We must discuss the Republican Party writ large,” he says. “Our task is two-fold: rebuild our brand and define the Republican Party. There will be opportunities galore in the coming months and years, but for now, feel free to revel in the idea that Donald Trump is the lamest of ducks and we don’t have to talk about him 24-7 anymore. We have more pressing priorities.”
Photo courtesy of Political Tribune media library.
