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The Voice of the Many [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-04-27

Trump and his minions have been bent on seizing power and destroying America—a strange combination, indeed. The extent of the destruction has yet to be fully felt by average Americans, but it is coming, and many people know it. If they didn’t:

***The stock market would not have lost so much value,

***There would not have been a dramatic erosion of consumer confidence,

***It would not be reflected in the polls, with Trump falling like a stone in all areas—but notably on the economy and now on immigration and

***The number of protests and people protesting would not be growing.

The opposition to Trump has not included the Republicans in Congress.The Article I branch is AWOL due to the Republican Party’s cultish worship of Trump. The GOP is no longer a political party worthy of America. We need a conservative third party to complete the demise of the GOP. But until 2026 and a hoped-for Democratic victory, Congress will be of little help in the battle for America.

Fortunately, we are far from powerless. Across the country, legal and advocacy organizations, courageous individuals and groups, dedicated attorneys general from the Blue States, universities, labor unions, the media, and the courts are stepping up to challenge the overreach and incompetence of the Trump administration. The grassroots resistance movement spans all 50 states, where people are organizing, protesting, and making their voices heard every day. Together, they are securing important victories—some temporary, others more lasting—against policies that threaten democratic norms and civil rights. Even when setbacks occur, the opposition remains determined and resilient, refusing to relent in the fight for justice, accountability, and the preservation of American values.

The Tesla Takedown protests that began on February 15, 2025—with demonstrations at Tesla dealerships and charging stations nationwide andabroad—have taken Musk down. Tesla’s first-quarter earnings were down over 70% from a year ago, the stock has fallen by more than 50%, and Musk’s net worth has plunged by over $180 billion. Like Twitter, Musk has destroyed the Tesla brand. On his earnings call on April 22, 2025, Musk blamed the Tesla Takedown protestors, claiming they were paid—a fantasy, given that it was all FREE speech and FREE assembly. (Source: https://fortune.com/article/elon-musk-claims-tesla-protests-funded-waste-fraud-doge/) His antics with DOGE and his failed attempt to buy a state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin (losing by 10 points) have driven his favorability rating underwater.

In some cases, the pushback against sheer stupidity wins the day. On April 23, 2025, HHS forced NIH to eliminate funding for the Women’s Health Initiative. The backlash against cutting this life-changing research, which began in 1991, was immediate and massive—and even included some Republicans.The decision was reversed two days later, with RFK, Jr. dismissing reports about the program’s elimination as “fake news.” More stupidity!

Trump’s economic “liberation” of America began on April 2, 2025, with his imposition of exorbitant tariffs on every country in the world—including Heard Island, populated by penguins. Trump was unmoved by the precipitous $6 trillion stock market wipeout but flinched when money began fleeing the U.S.bond market. On April 9, 2025, he blinked and lowered tariffs to 10% (except for China) for 90 days. Still, the net tariff effect remains about 22%—higher than the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930, which helped create the Great Depression. The financial protest by bond market investors mattered.

Legal protest is also powerful. Through April 25, 2025, about 200 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump Administration. In 80 cases, courts have issued temporary restraining orders or injunctions against Trump’s actions. Most of the remaining cases are still in preliminary stages, with few outright legal wins for Trump. And in some cases, Trump may be held in contempt.

Since January 20, 2025, lawsuits have been filed covering an enormous range: immigration, the environment, medical research, federal employees, public health funding, law firms, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), federal contracts, universities, states’ rights, tariffs, LGBTQ+ rights, gender identity protections, foreign aid, voting rights, constitutional challenges, climate change regulations, reproductive rights, civil liberties, healthcare access, unions, consumer protections, corporate regulations, and more.

A major leading edge of the legal opposition has been the defense of international students. Over 100 lawsuits have been filed on their behalf, resulting in more than 50 restraining orders halting Trump’s actions. Since January 20, 2025, about 1,200 students from 170 colleges have had their visas revoked or status terminated, causing many self-deportations. More recently, at least 4,700 students were deleted from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). On April 25, 2025, under mounting pressure, the Trump administration reversed course, announcing the restoration of the deleted SEVIS records. (Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/04/25/international-students-records-visa-trump-dhs-sevis/) The international students have won this battle, but the war is far from over. Trump has made a brief retreat, but he will attack again.

Beyond lawsuits, there is widespread protest. Protests supporting international students are part of a broader and growing movement. Although finding comprehensive protest data is challenging, the Crowd Counting Consortium (CCC) (see https://ash.harvard.edu/programs/crowd-counting-consortium/) and the U.S. Crisis Monitor (ACLED) (See https://acleddata.com/us-crisis-monitor/) provide some insight. From January 2022 to March 2025, there were 39,583 protests and 224 riots in the U.S.—an average of 1,000 protests per month. Americans protest.

Unlike Trump’s first term, where the Women’s March in January 2017 stood out as a singular, massive moment (with between 3.3 to 5.2 million participants), this time, the resistance is wider and deeper, growing steadily. In February 2025 alone, there were 2,091 protests compared to 937 in February 2017. (Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/28/protest-research-trump-musk)

Using CCC, consider the following,

**January 18-20, 2025: 616 protests.

**January 21-31, 2025: 670 protests

**February 2025: 2,091 protests

**March 2025: 3,300 protests

The April numbers have not yet been published, but they likely will continue the accelerating trend. Protest is no longer occasional; it is daily, diverse, and decentralized. The images of these protests include signs for many different causes in opposition to Trump.

One major upcoming protest is scheduled by “50501” for May 1, 2025—the theme is “We Are the Many. They Are the Few,” coinciding with Trump’s 100th day in office. While organizers may not realize it, the phrase comes from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1819 poem “The Masque of Anarchy,” written after the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester, England—a timeless anthem against tyranny. (See https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/the-masque-of-anarchy/)

May 1st is Labor Day around the world, but in the U.S., it is also Law Day, established to celebrate the role of law in protecting liberty and justice. Law Day 2025 will serve as a sharp contrast to Trump’s lawless first 100 days.

The battle for America is underway—not fought with weapons, but with protests, lawsuits, organizing, and resilience. Trump and his minions have declared war on American values, but the resistance is strong, broad, and growing by the day. The destruction they have done is massive, but so is the determination of millions of Americans to defend democracy. The story of 2025 is not just one of authoritarian overreach—it is also a story of fierce, unyielding opposition. We are the many. They are the few. And history shows that, ultimately, the many prevail.

Day 98: days left to January 20, 2029: 1,363 days

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