Lessons for the resistance 2.0 on how to fight back against Trump | Jan-Werner Mueller

Defeatism and demoralisation are rampant in Trump's second term. But we cannot give up

A month into Trump 2.0, pushback from Democrats and civil society remains surprisingly weak. Common diagnoses as to why make it all about psychology: the problem is that shock and awe" have immobilized the opposition; Democrats are said to be demoralized; and everyone is supposedly just exhausted. But the issue is a failure of political judgment, a basic misunderstanding of the moment and of the potential for effective opposition.

To begin with, it has become conventional wisdom that the first resistance" was somehow cringe; those now dismissing it like to credit themselves as savvy. But there was in fact much effective organizing - from the Women's March to the patient long-term efforts that were rewarded in 2020. Of course, these were not solely responsible for preventing the plutocratic power grab we are witnessing now: back then, Trump had neither a plan nor the personnel he has today. But the casual dismissal of opposition under Trump 1.0 is an unforced error.

Jan-Werner Muller is a professor of politics at Princeton University and is a Guardian US columnist