Celebrating the heroes of the resistance

Don’t despair. Join these bright lights combatting the MAGA darkness.

Being a realist today means recognizing that our democracy is in severe peril. But being a practical optimist means grasping tightly to the possibility that people of decency can rescue us from a Trump dictatorship.

Here’s to the fighters on our side.

Everyday people

A resistance movement is made of actions big and small.

In June, Alejandro Orellana handed out face shields and bottled water to people protesting the Trump regime’s immigration raids in Los Angeles. In retaliation, the FBI raided Orellana’s home and arrested him. “Federal agents broke down my door, smashed my window, and detonated flash grenades in my home,” he said. Orellana was charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders – a charge that the feds later dropped after apparently realizing it came across as rank intimidation.

Other activists take videos of ICE brutality or protest at job fairs where Trump’s goon squads are being recruited. Friends of the Everglades is challenging Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention camp in court.

Millions of Americans have attended pro-democracy protests, including the No Kings rallies in June that were promoted by grassroots movements such as 50501 and Indivisible. Plus there’s the Tesla Takedown campaign, which is punishing Elon Musk for his role in the vandalism of our government. Pushing back against authoritarianism can be even simpler than that: Fans at a Washington Spirit soccer game chanted “Free D.C.” to protest Trump ordering the military into the city.

Meanwhile, victims of Trump’s sex predator friend Jeffrey Epstein are bravely denouncing Trump’s cover-up of records and his favored treatment for Epstein's child molester girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Politicians

The Democratic Party’s overall response to MAGA fascism has been underwhelming. But some prominent Dems have met the moment, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and Sen. Chris Murphy. Trump’s outrageous attempt to steal five Texas congressional seats through gerrymandering seems to be awakening many other Democrats.

And let’s not forget the politicians beyond our borders – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum – who remind us that North American leaders don't have to be unhinged criminals.

Scholars

While some universities surrender their academic freedom to right-wing extortion, college professors who understand authoritarianism are inspiring us. I’m thinking of Heather Cox Richardson, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and Timothy Snyder. As Trump tries to turn the Smithsonian Institution into a fantasyland that disappears facts, we’re counting on historians there and elsewhere to resist.

Media

Some major corporate media are bending to Trump, but principled journalists are showing their backbones. Unfortunately, their courage sometimes causes them to become former employees. I’m thinking of ex-ABC reporter Terry Moran and ex-CNN anchor Jim Acosta.

Other prominent truth-tellers still have jobs and refuse to comply in advance. Some fearless news outlets include The Guardian, ProPublica, The New Republic, MeidasTouch, and Courier (which sponsors this newsletter). One of my favorite journalists is Kai Ryssdal, host of the popular “Marketplace” program heard on many public radio stations. His Bluesky account includes obvious truths that seem brave only because of the general media cowardice.

Heroic work is also being done through the comedy of late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel as well as Trey Parker and Matt Stone of “South Park.” Fascists hate being mocked. So we should do it often.

Moral leaders

It seems like a long time ago when the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., asked Trump during a post-inauguration prayer service “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” including LGBTQ people and immigrants. Trump insulted Budde and ignored her plea, of course. But other moral leaders are still demanding decency.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign is making a difference at a time when Republicans are pushing more Americans into poverty. And members of the Interfaith Alliance, led by Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, denounced Trump’s “federal task force that focuses exclusively on discrimination against Christians rather than discrimination against all religions.”

Business people

Some corporate execs have sucked up to Trump because they care more about their bank accounts than their own self-respect or our democracy. But other corporations have resisted pressure on issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Among them: Costco, Levi’s, John Deere, and Goldman Sachs. Shareholders of 30 major corporations have voted to reject anti-DEI proposals during the 2025 proxy season, according to a tally by Impactivize, an organization founded by Nancy Levine Stearns. An Axios survey found that companies that kept DEI commitments saw higher reputation scores.

Lawyers

Another area of capitulation, the legal profession, is also the scene of heroism. Law firms such as Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block have successfully challenged Trump’s shakedown schemes. And a new non-profit law firm called the Washington Litigation Group is targeting Trump’s abuses of power.

Then there’s Danielle Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney who resigned rather than dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams after he agreed to aid Trump's immigration crackdown. Also thanks to all the lawyers fighting against the deportations of people for supposed offenses as minor as writing an op-ed about Gaza in a student newspaper. And let’s, of course, hail Marc Elias, the leading court combatant against Republican voter suppression.

Here are five ways for all of us to join the resistance:

1. Make donations to these heroes.

2. Attend protests. They matter.

3. Reach out to your lawmakers – especially if they’re pro-MAGA. Let them know you’ll work to defeat them unless they stop taking orders from Trump.

4. Discuss politics with family and friends, especially if they’re Trump-leaning but might be persuadable. We need to keep bad-mouthing Trump and driving his poll numbers down.

5. Stay healthy, hydrated, and hopeful. George Orwell noted that “whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible.” But they’re not invincible. With your courage, we can win this thing.

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