When organizers announce “no one was elected” protest at Washington’s Treasury headquarters – in response to revelation that Elon Musk’s “Doctor of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) accessed sensitive taxpayer data , the democratic lawmakers never agreed to one democratic lawmaker attend. .
But speaking lists grew when public outrage struck by Donald Trump’s brave attack on the federal government. Eventually, more than 20 Congressional Democrats, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, gathered hundreds of protesters outside last Tuesday. In the post-speak speech, they pledged to do everything in their power to stop Trump from implementing his right-wing agenda.
“There may be fewer seats in Congress,” Florida representative Maxwell Frost thundered the microphone. “But we are not in the minority. We are going to be the opposite.”
In the weeks since Trump took office, Washington Democrats have been under pressure from left to left as the president is against Congress and the Constitution as Musk is by his side. Their phone lines are flooded with angry callers begging the opposition to “do something.” And on Wednesday, progressive activists protested outside Congressional offices, demanding that Washington Democrats “treat this as a constitutional crisis.”
“When a coup is happening, you don’t hear any boring messages about tomato prices,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of an activist group that helped organize the Treasury action. . “You have to fight back.”
Democrats, who have been relegated to minority in both chambers of Congress, have limited their authority to stop Trump. But Levin said there’s more they can do to get in the way, especially in the Senate.
He urged Democrats to lead former Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who built a reputation as a ruthless tactician by stonewalling much of Barack Obama’s agenda.
“Mitch McConnell was a leader in the minority, far fewer than Chuck Schumer today. And what do you know, he never said, “I’m a minority.” I’m helpless. He challenged the Democrats, “You sprinkle Mitch McConnell and use the power he uses.”
On Wednesday, Senate Democrats set out the floor in an overnight protest against Trump’s candidate Russell Vert, who leads the White House Budget Office and the architects for Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term. held it. The office is behind the current responsibility of Trump administration orders, which freezes all federal loans and grants, opposes legal challenges and united Democrats. Vought was eventually confirmed along the party line, but activists were pleased to see the Democrats take action.
“What we see from our members is the very strong desire for Democrats to show some resolve and meet in that moment,” said the progressive group that helped organize Tuesday’s protest. said spokesman Britt Jacovich. “They want Senate and House leadership to use all the tools to fight back so they can be used to use them at their disposal.”
Some democratic senators — Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware — have said they will vote for all Trump candidates, citing the president’s “unacceptable and dangerous” actions. Masu. Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said he will place a “blanket hold” on all Trump’s State Department candidates until the administration recovers funding for USAID.
“We shouldn’t conspire to approve Trump’s candidates or Trump’s laws,” Murphy told the Guardian, and in doing so, Democrats will become a “dangerous slide towards corruption” in the Trump administration. He claimed to send the wrong message to Americans who wanted to stand up.
At House, minority leader Hakem Jeffries vowed to use Democrat leverage in a narrowly divided room to protect the federal program Trump was trying to refund. On Thursday, he introduced legislation protecting taxpayer personal data from the Doge team, denounced masks as “an unelected, immeasurable, uncontrollable billionaire doll master.”
The Democrats are also trying to get into the spotlight. Last week, Democrats in the House and Senate appeared at government agencies targeted by Doge. On Monday, they protested outside USAID headquarters in solidarity with fired and fasted workers after being denied entry from the agency building. Similar standoffs were deployed in the Ministry of Finance and the Education Division.
Trump, with the help of a mask, acted at an incredible speed. The President’s blitz of enforcement actions is part of a deliberate effort to “inundate the zone.” This is a tactic that former Trump administration strategist Stephen Bannon said was designed to overwhelm the opposition and the media.
“It’s important to you to understand that the paralysis and shock you’re feeling right now are the key,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told followers during an Instagram live last week. “They are trying to induce a state of passivity among the general public.”
But she said Democrats could flood the zone as well, encouraging supporters to continue calling members of Congress.
A big thinker on what we can do to protect civil and fundamental freedoms in President Trump. From our opinion desk.
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While Washington Democrats will adapt to new political realities, many on the left have hopes for local and state leaders.
“From immigration to climate change, access to abortion and education, everything, whether they’re in the process of progressive policies that are mitigating harm or not actually getting in DC, there are many. You can do that,” Amanda Littman said. , Executive Director of Run for Something, a progressive group that helps young people run for their local offices.
One of their recruits, Alicia Dyer, was elected in November to become the sheriff of Washtenow County, Michigan. Last month, Dyer said her office would not support federal immigration authorities.
There are also early indications that the next four years can create a new class of Democratic leaders, as happened during Trump’s first term. Since Election Day, running has shown interest in over 17,000 people being appointed, Litman said it includes 4,000 since inauguration.
The shocking forces of Trump and Musk have rekindled anti-Trump resistance. Democrats’ attorney general, freedom groups and nonprofits have already filed dozens of cases against the Trump administration and Kudji, notching a series of favorable rulings. Meanwhile, thousands of people have joined demonstrations across the country this week, spreading from Los Angeles City Hall to the US Capitol in Washington.
Protesters carried signs that denounce everything, from Trump cracking down on immigrants to attacks on transgender people and proposals to the US to take ownership of Gaza. Motivating many actions was the fear that American democracy was at risk.
“These aren’t normal,” said Isabel Storey, an Indivisible Westside LA member who helped organize the protest outside of California Sen. Alex Padilla’s office this week. “Our message to them was that they needed to close their business as usual.”
Since Trump took office, Story said he was “overwhelmed” in inquiries from people asking how he could get involved and make a difference. She said that Trump’s first administration had knocked on her door a few years ago and said, “Are you doing anything now?”
That’s the same question as progressive activists returning to Washington’s party leaders. The story tells her, although she is a strong supporter of both California Democratic senators, she and her daughter stood outside Padilla’s office on Wednesday, saying that he and his colleagues “as much as they can to impose this coup.” I will do something.”
At one point, she was almost emotional as she considered her interests if she wasn’t successful. “I started crying as I watched her daughter think. I didn’t want her to grow up in a dictatorship.”
