This is Not Normal
The Silence They Count On, the Resistance We Must Build
It has been just 81 days since Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term, and he has already begun delivering on his promise to be “a dictator from day one” (Fox New, 2023). He has issued more than 123 executive orders, many designed to bypass Congress and expand presidential authority, and nearly all grounded in Project 2025 and the America First Agenda. He has granted Elon Musk, an unelected technocrat, unprecedented access to personnel files and private citizen data. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been laid off, including those serving veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, and everyday taxpayers. He has gutted USAID and critical scientific research programs, putting public health and global stability at risk. His reckless imposition then reversal of sweeping tariffs have destabilized the economy, disregarding the interdependence of global supply chains. He has eroded legal accountability by dismantling the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG)—an internal check against authoritarian overreach—while testing the limits of executive power through deportations without due process, the abduction of international students for protected speech, and direct attacks on universities and states that support transgender students.
Trump 2.0 has brought an aggressive resurgence of the dehumanizing, racist, transphobic, and xenophobic rhetoric we witnessed from 2017 to 2021. This administration’s verbal, political, and economic assaults are designed to disorient and harm, creating fear, stress, trauma, and paralysis. Disinformation fuels mounting attacks on the press, public education, and civil society. For those of us working in health, education, and community sectors, the emotional and ethical toll is becoming unbearable. This is their goal.
This is only the beginning. The consolidation of power by President Trump and congressional allies signals a dangerous shift away from democracy and toward authoritarianism, and even fascism. Many of us are struggling to accept that this is the new reality. Understandably, those with the power to speak out or act often hesitate, fearing real threats to personal safety, housing, employment, and organizational survival. And sometimes, at the end of the day, it just feels easier to tune out and hope that someone else will do something.
But many of us are students of history. We recognize the signs: the lies, the billionaire pandering, the cruelty and abandonment of the marginalized. These are not new; they follow the same script used by past dictators who rose to power in moments just like this. And though we may feel overwhelmed, we are still bearing witness to the dismantling of civil society and the erosion of our shared future. Staying aware allows us to understand what we’re losing, what we must protect, and what we’ll need to rebuild after the scorched-earth approach of this administration and DOGE has run its course.
Some are speaking out for the first time. Others are returning to action—protesting, showing up at town halls, designing posters, singing with strangers on long bus rides. Whether new to this work or longtime advocates, we raise our voices because we know this is not normal. We are called to act with urgency.
The risks we face are not only physical or economic; they are also emotional and psychological. When we voice our concerns, we are too often met with hollow reassurances—“It’s going to be all right”—or indifference. Meanwhile, unelected technocrats are quietly dismantling government systems, and civil rights and human dignity are eroded in plain sight. The refusal to name these realities can leave us feeling abandoned and questioning our sanity.
That betrayal cuts even deeper when we live or work in communities where neighbors and family members cheer as immigrants are deported without due process or celebrate the dismantling of public education, free speech, and civil society.
But we cannot afford to be gaslit into thinking this is business as usual. Trump’s goal is autocracy, and unfortunately far too many are enthusiastically helping him get there. If we hesitate, we may run out of time to stop the widespread changes already underway, changes that threaten the core of American democracy and society. If we truly believe in freedom, equality, and justice, we must resist helplessness, hopelessness, and fear. We must find the courage to speak up and fight back. By coming together with neighbors, co-workers, families, and friends, we can break down silos, cut through the noise, and take the collective action needed to prevent the fall of American democracy.
We must educate ourselves on what’s at stake, build solidarity with those who recognize the threat, and mobilize. I invite you to learn more about my work at the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) at Boston University School of Social Work where we recently launched the Beyond 2025 Action Hub to support this effort. The Hub features:
A searchable database of over 1,125 proposed policies from Project 2025, the America First Agenda, Congress, and the Trump administration
A toolkit filled with resources, exercises, and practical guides to support meaningful local action
A series of virtual convenings and open dialogues to learn, build community, and take action
This is the moment to get involved. Not in four years. Not after the next crisis. Now.
To learn more about the Beyond 2025 Action Hub, go to www.beyond2025.com and www.ciswh.org.
Reference:
Donald Trump, December 2023 at a Fox News town hall.