WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE US NOW
and what we can do about it
Recently I was invited to speak at an international conference of women’s organizations, given ten minutes to address what is happening in the US now politically, socially, and spiritually. Quite an assignment! I’ll share with you some of what I said – and welcome your ideas on how you would have done that assignment.
1. There is a major drive by Trump for complete consolidation of power, crushing any centers of power that might challenge him, and crushing any dissent.
Trump is going after news media, Law firms, universities, and nonprofit organizations to scare them into submission or wipe them out.
Women are also under attack, from the push for a national ban on abortion (already severely restricted in many states), to an attempt to take away the ability of women to vote (the SAVE Act would create a hurdle for people with name changes - including most married women - by requiring them to secure updated documentation to register to vote, has already passed the US House and is pending in the Senate).
ICE brutally attacks immigrants. His goons have even attacked elected officials – including a mayor who showed up to investigate an ICE facility, and a US senator wrestled to the ground at a press conference.
He’s stirring up his followers to attack anyone he sees as an opponent, including violence and assassination.
Remember the attack at the home of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, when a man invaded her home and smashed her husband’s skull with a hammer. In June Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in Minnesota were assassinated in her home, and another legislator seriously wounded.
There are various lists on steps towards fascism, and whichever one you use, Trump is well down the road.
2. Trump’s drive for the powers of a dictator is helped by two things:
A. Most people don’t believe the US system of checks and balances would allow the rise of a dictator. They are wrong. It CAN happen here – and it IS happening here! More people need to wake up and take action.
B. The lack of pushback by Congress. The president is taking powers that belong to congress (the power to declare war, set tariffs, establish the budget, oversee government agencies), and not getting much fight from Congress.
Why?
Republicans are caving to Trump out of fear. He threatens to primary them - run a candidate against them in the next election, if they challenge him. They are also afraid of physical threats to their personal safety and the safety of their families including their children.
The Democratic party lacks clear direction and strong leadership nationally.
- Minority leader in the Senate (Sen. Chuck Schumer) and in the House (Rep. Hakeem Jeffries) are either unwilling or unable to fight back. The chair of the Democratic National Committee Ken Martin is new to the job, which he won after a big fight in party, and he has not united the party after winning.
- We do have some great leaders speaking out – notably Rep. Jamie Raskin in the House (MD) and Senators Elissa Slotkin (MI) and Chris Murphy (CT). See the five courageous Congressmembers – all military veterans - who issued the video reciting the military code saying soldiers should not obey an order that is unlawful. Even though what they said is in the Uniform Code of Military Conduct, Trump has called them traitors who should be hanged, unleashing his followers to hound them with hundreds of death threats.
3. We know that Trump isn’t the only problem.
A. There has been a concerted effort for 50 years to undermine majority rule in the US. Some wealthy extreme libertarians realized their draconian agenda doesn’t appeal to Americans, so they decided to change the rules to make it easier to implement their agenda. For the full story, read Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean, essential reading for every American. Their effort to change the rules has led to removing limits on campaign spending, gerrymandering, and undermining voting rights, among other things.
B. The Russians are meddling in the US (and Europe). Trump relied on Russian President Putin to win in 2016 and the Russians have been interfering in our business ever since.
C. Project 2025 was a massive undertaking by a wide range of extremists intended to take advantage of a Trump second term to push an extremist agenda.
D. Billionaire Peter Thiel is the scary mastermind and paymaster behind JD Vance, a power hungry chameleon who would become president if anything happens to Trump. Thiel owns Palantir, a mass surveillance company that can be used by ICE and the military.
4. FIGHTING BACK: What we can do
A. Signs of HOPE are emerging.
Trump’s approval rating is dramatically dropping. A recent Gallup poll shows his approval rating down to a measly 36%. Two of the key reasons for disapproval are 1) Affordability (although Trump blamed Biden for rising prices, many prices are worse now with his tariffs), and 2) Immigration as Americans don’t like the aggressive and violent way he’s handling immigrants.
Some Republicans are beginning to stand up to Trump. US Representative Marjorie Taylor Green split from Trump predominantly over healthcare, and is leaving the House. Republican legislators in Indiana resisted intense pressure from Trump to redraw district lines, resistance that would have been unthinkable earlier this year. The legislators were responding to great organizing by the people of Indiana, showing once again it pays to speak out.
Democrats won big in the elections last month, with a blue wave going from Virginia and Maryland to Mississippi and California.
B. Our pro-democracy movement is growing.
We know the key to stopping an authoritarian is widespread non violent resistance. See Gene Sharp’s classic book From Dictatorship to Democracy and others. With the group Indivisible leading the way, MANY organizations are mobilizing. The No Kings rallies have grown from 3 million to 5 million in June and 7 million in October, the largest protest in US history.
C. We can – and must - elect Democrats in the 2026 election!
I’ve written about my work with the Electing Women Alliance which has raised over $33 million for Democratic women candidates. We supported Abigail Spanberger the governor-elect of Virginia and Mickey Sherrill governor-elect of New Jersey since they first ran for House, for reelection, and for governor. We raised $1 million for Spanberger. Plus we supported 10 women running for Virginia state House Delegate, to flip red to blue – and WON ALL TEN!
In 2026, we’ll be working to win a Democratic majority in the US House, to put a brake on Trump, and to elect some US Senators, state Attorneys General, and more. To join our group and find out which candidates we think are worth supporting, go here.
D. Ultimately we need to address the deeper roots of the problem.
A big majority of Americans are experiencing economic hardship. Both parties have been complicit in the hollowing out of the middle class, and giving tax breaks and subsidies for millionaires and billionaires. We must lighten the economic burden on so many Americans, and return to more fair taxes and other policies. We must reign in the abuse of corporate power.
Too many Americans have been inattentive to politics and government for too long. We need to let go of the excuses, “My vote doesn’t matter”, or “There’s no difference between the candidates” or “It doesn’t matter who wins.” I have heard all of these excuses and they are not true. Don’t say them, and challenge anyone you hear saying them. We need to take responsibility as citizens to register and vote at a minimum, and hopefully get involved in a campaign to help someone courageous enough to run in this difficult environment. Democracy is not a spectator sport; get on the field!
Final thought
The Nobel-winning scientist Prigogine studied how systems shift. He said “When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the system to a higher order.” Most systems are in equilibrium most of the time, and things go on as usual. Then there are hiccups and anomalies that grow into chaos and it looks like the whole system is breaking down. At a time of disequilibrium, a small group can catalyze a whole systems shift.
Let’s be that small island of coherence with a vision of a better world, hold that vision and work towards it, and help the whole system to shift
