Trump Won. Now What? A Guide for the Resistance.

The author, when asked “how’re you doing?”

So, Trump won the 2024 election. And frankly, it wasn’t even that close. It was pretty clear that many US voters watched a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden and said to themselves — “yeah, that guy sounds like the right guy to run the country”. They may have said to each other that it wasn’t really about shooting journalists or imprisoning political rivals or destroying trans people or taking away women’s autonomy. That Project 2025 was just political rhetoric, not something that was actually going to happen, that we weren’t going to see a ban on porn, or a cut to LGBTQ+ health programs, or the destruction of the Department of Education. That when the president of the Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, described the country as being “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” he was just being passionate. “It’s just about the economy,” these Trump supporters said, and I genuinely think they believe it, probably in part because financial education isn’t something we prioritize for our populace.

“It’s just about the economy”. Now where have we heard that before?

I understand the reality of the shit hole we’re in fills many of us with utter despair, grief, anger, terror. That’s valid and real and I think a lot of people are offering wonderful pieces holding space for those feelings and giving some tips on next steps — read this piece by Kai Cheng Thom, or this one by Rebecca Solnit, or listen to Ashtin Berry or Kim Kelly. Hell, I’ve written some things you might appreciate, like how to ask for help, or how to comfort a suicidal friend, or how the fuck we lost Roe V Wade. (along with some organizations to help with abortion access and trans rights in states that need it most).

I’ve been fielding a lot of questions asking “What do I do next?”, “How do I keep going?”, and of course unintelligible screaming. I get it. So I’m writing this, for me just as much as I’m writing it for you. This isn’t going to cover everything I think people should be doing, but it does cover some major things I think we could be doing. You might put these things on a different timeline than I do, especially depending on where you live and your marginalizations. Feel free to use what works, and dispose of the rest.

The Next 24 Hours:

• Listen to music that feeds your mood. Whether you’re sad, angry, determined, confused — whether you need soothing, or need to get your feelings out, listening to music that reflects your inner emotions, really sitting in that feeling, helps to look it in the face and acknowledge it, so it’s easier to let go when it’s not serving you. I’m listening to this playlist I made for protests and annual Fourth of July parties.
• Make sure to eat and hydrate, and try to get rest on a schedule. I know I’m anxious, and when I’m anxious it’s really hard to remind myself that I’m a human and that I need water and food to live. But if I make sure to eat some decent food, and stay hydrated, I find that my mental state stabilizes, certainly more than it manages without those things. I also set an alert on my phone to remind me to eat at least twice a day, and to go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you’re sober, do your best to stay that way (and connect with others also struggling!) You want to be at your most capable.
• Take time away from the internet. We’ve all been very effectively programmed to be attached to the internet at all times, but it can be detrimental to your mental health (and frankly, your eyeballs) to doomscroll. I personally use tools that limit my screen time after midnight to a podcatcher, reading books on my Kindle app, and Sudoku. I can still click through if I really need to, but it nudges me to take a step back. You can also use these tools to take a set amount of time away from social media, or to set an amount of time you can scroll. Whatever bad things are happening can wait for a few hours. And please for the love of god don’t burn yourself out yelling at people online!!
• See your loved ones, in person if possible. Schedule a potluck, or play a board game, or go out and play pool. Go to the park. Go for a walk. Seeing people in person is seemingly good for your health, as long as you are balancing that with being covid conscious. If you can’t see them in person, play a game online, or have a watch party, or just chat on the phone. Remind yourself that you have people around you, and that you aren’t alone.
• Engage in joyful movement. This is something I really struggle with when I’m stressed, and it’s one of the things that most effectively helps me manage my anxiety and stress! Whether you hit the gym, go for a swim, take a hike, walk a dog, cycle somewhere, dancing, doing some mindful yoga… engaging in some movement that feels good will help give you some positive brain chemicals, and tire you out a little (which can help a lot with sleep). I sometimes do this workout, which is a lady and her elderly mom, with occasional visits from their adorable cat! It doesn’t have to be intense to be helpful.

The Next Week:

• Lock down your online presence. We know that social media sites and web browsers aren’t to be trusted not to sell us out, so learn how to be online in the safest way possible. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a guide for surveillance self-defense that’s a great place to start and should cover most of the concerns for the average person.
• Learn some basic operational security. Elle Armageddon wrote some really helpful pieces on operational security that go into the basics for protesters — I would consider doing at least some of them even if you never go to a protest. You might not know that a cop can use your fingerprint or face to get into your phone without your consent, but they can — put a pin on it!
• Talk to the folks you live with about crisis plans. What is the risk to you and yours at your workplace? At your home? Do you need to think of an escape plan if things go pear-shaped? You want to start talking about where your line is before things get so bad you can’t maneuver. I know I see a lot of people talking about moving abroad, but as someone who did it, it’s pretty difficult! If that’s on your list of possibilities, start to figure out how to do that and what it’ll take now, before it’s at a crisis point. The more time you have to prepare, and the more adaptable you can be, the more successful your strategy will be. Make sure your loved ones are on the same page. If it’s safe to, consider doing this with neighbors too.
• Make a go-bag. I mean, this is a good idea generally, because climate change disasters from fires to floods are going to keep happening. They may well get worse. It’s also helpful to have in case of civic unrest. Having a packed go-bag and a plan makes me feel a lot more confident that if the shit hits the fan, I know what I’m going to do.
• Assess your capacity and your capability honestly. This is going to be a fight that goes for the long haul, and you’re going to have to pace yourself! I know it’s tempting to do all the things because it feels like you have to do something — but if you burn yourself out, and become even more traumatized, it can take you out of the fight completely. We don’t want that. I know that I’m not going to be able to do multiple 8-hour days in the streets as a medic now because I have nerve and knee damage from last time — so instead of pushing myself and ending up bedridden in pain, I’m finding other ways to contribute (like writing this guide). There are so many ways to create solidarity and resistance, that feature different skill sets — we need everyone to pitch in. Many hands make light work!

The Next Month:

• Educate yourself! There are many topics to read about to help you understand what’s happening. You can learn about the rise of evangelicalism in politics, about past community organizing groups, their successes and where they fell short, the experiences of a marginalized group you aren’t a part of, forms of resistance through the years, prison abolition, etc. Some publishers to check out in particular include AK Press, PM Press, and Seal Press; some websites include the Anarchist Library, the Activist Handbook, INCITE!, the Citizen’s Handbook, and the Commons Social Change Library. You can do this on your own, or form a reading group to discuss something in particular.
• Find local groups already organizing and pitch in. You don’t have to be on the front lines at a protest to really make a difference. Volunteer with a local soup kitchen, or an animal shelter, or a women’s shelter, or a land back initiative, or a community farm! In my area, there is a website that can keep you informed about various nonprofits with volunteer opportunities — google the name of your area and “nonprofits seeking volunteers”, and you’ll find them! Choose a cause that matters to you, undercommit (you want to pace yourself, it’s better to do less but do it consistently than do too much and burn out), and then show up. Oftentimes, I’ve found other people who are looking for opportunities to organize and resist by working alongside groups already out there doing the work. Many groups came into being because of mutual aid needs!
• Get your paperwork in order. You may have already done this when doing your go-bag, but if you can swing it, you probably want to have a passport, appropriate ID, a birth certificate that matches your name and gender presentation, a marriage certificate, power of attorney, a living will, pet records, medical information for prescriptions or medical needs. Having these things all in one place (I chose a lockable fireproof bag) will help your peace of mind if something happens, and having a loved one with knowledge of where it is and how to access it will also be a relief for them if it’s needed.
• Get to know your neighbors. You don’t have to talk about Trump, or tell them your political leanings, just get to know them some. It’s helpful to know each other so you can look out for each other, share supplies and stories, and stick up for each other as neighbors, if not as political allies. Knowing your neighbors means being able to converse a little easier if conflict arises, it means that they’re a little more likely to look out for you, and you never know — you might actually make a friend who is happy to catsit in exchange for some baked goods, or who will lend you a tool to fix your car.

This isn’t, of course, a be-all, end-all of what to do in a crisis, but it’s a beginning. The thing is, despair and fear are often lonely, and they lead to individualism. That’s something that the Trump supporters have in abundance. As tempting as that path may be, to succumb to fear and despair, I see it all too often lead to decision paralysis, self-harm, avoidance, and nihilism. We can all have a little bit of that, as a treat, but we can’t let it take us over or we won’t make it out alive.

I talk about Emma Goldman and her misquote, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want your revolution”, a lot. It was so much deeper than that. Goldman was having anarchy mansplained to her at a party, a man telling her that she was being too frivolous, and it would hurt the cause for her to have a good time. She said, and I paraphrase, “If I can’t have a good time, what’s the fucking point?”

That’s exactly why I fight. “I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody’s right to beautiful radiant things,” Goldman said, and I agree. There is work to do, but there is also joy to be found in each other, and that is going to be just as important to keep us going through the next few years. Sure, activism isn’t always a party, and shouldn’t be, sometimes the work is hard and gritty and tiring. But I think sometimes we forget as activists that it’s just as important to cultivate our joy, to have some fun together, and remind ourselves of our “beautiful ideal”. We must not only think about what we are fighting against but what we are fighting for. I suspect that finding an equilibrium there between labor and pleasure is what nurtures us and makes activism sustainable long term. I’ll see you out there, fighting back to back, and dancing cheek to cheek.

Many ideas from this piece are from my next book, “Love Rebels: Radical Relationships for Radical Activists”, coming from Thornapple Press in 2025. If this was helpful, consider supporting me on Patreon, or donating to me directly. Thanks!