A good start!
February 6, 2025
The resistance to Trump's slow-rolling coup is achieving lift-off. On Wednesday, protestors gathered at state capitols across the nation and in D.C. to raise their voices against the illegal, unconstitutional actions by Trump, Musk, and their techno-vandals.
The protests reached the critical mass necessary for the NYTimes to write an “above the fold” story on the growing resistance to the coup. See NYTimes, Thousands Protest Trump Policies Across the U.S. (Accessible to all.)
Per the Times,
Thousands of people on Wednesday turned out across the U.S. to protest President Trump’s flurry of early actions, denouncing his plans for mass deportations, his attacks on diversity initiatives and his efforts to restrict transgender rights.
The demonstrations, which popped up in major cities and state capitals in more than a dozen states, appear to have been spurred online, with word spreading via hashtags such as “#BuildtheResistance.” They were loosely organized under an unofficial tagline — 50501, to represent a goal of 50 protests in 50 states on one day, according to various websites and social media accounts. [¶¶]
“This was organized by people, for people, for the protection of all people,” [Mich. State Rep.] Rheingans said. “There will be more actions. There will be more organizing. There will be more things for regular everyday Americans to plug into. This is just the beginning.”
Dozens of readers of this newsletter attended rallies and sent “reports from the field” with photos and videos. Here is a sampling of their comments:
The march in Sacramento was freaking awesome. Happy to be part of it. Thanks!
Robert, the march in Raleigh, NC, was totally legit. Probably 1500 people of all ages walked peacefully around our Capitol and around our legislative building today for hours! I was so proud of so many patriots who came out to protest what Trump and Musk are doing to our country . . . The MAGA Congress is missing in action. They should not be paid during this time. That will save Musk some money!!!!
I do want to report that I attended one today at the state capitol in Hartford, CT. It was so energizing, powerful, inspiring and I was so grateful to be there, with a large crowd of people of all ages, with creative and impassioned signs. What I came to understand and appreciate is the spontaneity of the organizing and turnout for this event. There wasn’t one particular organization that issued a call.
In one state, the effort to organize the rally was hijacked by trolls (I won’t provide details to avoid giving the idea to others), so the participants changed plans and headed to the local offices of their US Senators to register their outrage. They received a cool reception from their GOP Senator’s staff but a warmer reception from their independent Senator’s staff.
See the photos submitted from readers, below.
Denver, Colorado
Providence, Rhode Island
Readers showed up at the events despite the lack of organization and clear leadership. Or, perhaps readers showed up because of the spontaneity and free-form protests.
The energy and “self-help” attitude are similar to that of early 2017 when organizations were creating themselves out of whole cloth on a few days’ notice. Many of those groups are now powerhouse national grassroots organizations that are leading the fight in 2025. Those national grassroots organizations know how to organize effective protests. Follow them, join them, and stand with them!
Many readers of this newsletter are involved in the pro-democracy grassroots groups below. If I failed to include your group, no offense intended! Please feel free to include others in the Comment section (or email me: rbhubbell@gmail.com):
And, of course, I urge everyone to subscribe to the essential resource Chop Wood Carry Water by Jessica Craven on Substack. If you want to take action but are constrained by employment, childcare, health concerns, or geography, Jessica provides daily actionable items that will make a difference.
It was a good start that lifted the spirits of the readers who attended the protests. Stay tuned for more!
Lawsuits
Legal advocacy groups made additional progress on Wednesday in challenging Trump's illegal and unconstitutional moves. I urge all readers interested in tracking legal developments to subscribe to Democracy Docket’s newsletter. It is the definitive source for pro-democracy litigation.
DOJ agrees to temporary restriction on Treasury Department payments data
In a significant development, the DOJ has agreed to a protective order that limits the access of DOGE to information in the Treasury payment system. See DOJ agrees to proposed order to limit DOGE's access to Treasury data - ABC News. Per the ABC report,
In a filing late Wednesday evening, lawyers with the Justice Department agreed to a proposed order that would largely prohibit the Treasury Department from sharing sensitive financial data with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
The agreement allows two individuals associated with Musk but employed by the Treasury Department – called special government employees – to have “read only” access to the sensitive data.
Once approved by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is overseeing the case, the agreement will stay in place until Feb. 24 when both sides return to court to argue about a long-term preliminary injunction.
The DOJ agreed to the temporary protective order because it could articulate no legal basis to oppose the plaintiff’s request for a temporary restraining order.
This is a significant development that suggests that the Trump administration will go through the motions of complying with court orders. But whether the administration will actually comply is a different question. Whistleblowers, former federal employees, and interested citizens should be alert to indications that Musk and DOGE are violating the protective order.
Second judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship executive order
A second federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against Trump's unconstitutional order denying birthright citizenship to children born in America. See ABC, Judge issues nationwide injunction blocking Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship.
Per ABC, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman wrote
The denial of the precious right to citizenship will cause irreparable harm. It has been said the right to U.S. citizenship is a right no less precious than life or liberty. If the court does not enjoin enforcement of the executive order, children subject to the order will be denied the rights and benefits of U.S. citizenship and their parents will face instability.
The U.S. Supreme court has resoundingly rejected the president's interpretation of the citizenship clause. In fact, no court has endorsed the president's interpretation, and this court will not be the first.
The ongoing coup attempt
Attorney General Pam Bondi weaponizes the DOJ in her first hours on the job
During her confirmation hearings, Pam Bondi solemnly swore that she would pursue justice in an evenhanded manner and that there would be no “enemies list” during her tenure as Attorney General. She said, “There will never be an enemy's list within the Department of Justice.”
But during her first hours as Attorney General, Bondi convened a “weaponization working group” that took direct aim at Trump's political enemies: special counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and NY Attorney General Letitia James. See Bondi, as new AG, launches 'Weaponization Working Group' to review officials who investigated Trump - ABC News.
Musk’s DOGE techno-vandals now have access to your Social Security
Even as the DOJ is conceding that Musk’s access to the Treasury payment information system is unlawful, Musk’s DOGE gang is assaulting the agency that houses Medicare and Medicaid. See The Hill, DOGE officials hone in on Medicare, Medicaid offices.
Representatives of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have turned their focus to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency confirmed Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Wednesday that DOGE aides had been granted access to key payment and contract systems.
Musk’s DOGE techno-vandals now have access to national weather data
The DOGE swat team of schoolyard bullies/engineers have stormed into the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken over access to NOAA’s IT systems. See DOGE now has access to NOAA's IT systems; reviewing DEI program, sources say - ABC News.
And according to Wired Magazine, DOGE has ordered NOAA staffers to cease communications with “foreign nationals” because, you know, in Trump’s bizarre universe, weather that affects the US doesn’t begin in Africa and Asia so there is no need to coordinate with weather scientists in those regions of the world.
Trump signs executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports
Trump continues to discriminate against transgender people at every opportunity. If you know a transgender person or someone with a transgender person in their family, now would be a good time to reach out to check on their state of mind. It must be incredibily difficult to be a transgender person when the government has made discrimination and harassment of transgender people official government policy. See The New York Times, Trump Signs Executive Order Barring Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports.
Trump tries to walk back comments on Gaza; Arab American group try to walk back support for Trump
Nearly everyone in the world condemned Trump's comments about depopulating Gaza so that developers could turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Even Trump's own advisors distanced themselves from Trump's comments. The only people who expressed lukewarm support were the jellyfish masquerading as GOP members of Congress.
Trump's comments were so crazed that the group formerly known as “Arab Americans for Trump” has changed its name to drop the reference to Trump. See Pro-Trump Arab American group changes its name after the president's Gaza 'Riviera' comments | AP News
Concluding Thoughts
Two closing comments.
First, Professor Timothy Snyder has penned the clearest articulation of why the events of the last two weeks constitute a “coup.” See Timothy Snyder on Substack, Of course it’s a coup.
Professor Snyder writes:
The ongoing actions by Musk and his followers are a coup because the individuals seizing power have no right to it. Elon Musk was elected to no office and there is no office that would give him the authority to do what he is doing. It is all illegal. It is also a coup in its intended effects: to undo democratic practice and violate human rights. [¶¶]
That coup is, in fact, happening. And if we do not recognize it for what it is, it could succeed.
Good point from a distinguished professor of history who has studied tyrants and coups throughout his career.
Second, as I was searching through my archives for a reference for tonight’s newsletter, I came across an article I had pinned as “important” the day after November 5. Rebecca Solnit wrote the definitive statement about resistance during the second Trump administration that is worth printing and posting near your computer. See Daily Kos (11/06/24), Rebecca Solnit on Persevering Resistance
They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving.
Rebecca Solnit’s words were prophetic: “The fact that we can’t save everything doesn’t mean we can’t save anything” and “Everything we can save is worth saving.” Beautifully said and the perfect antidote to Trump's “flood the zone” strategy while Democrats are locked out of power in Washington.
We can’t fix everything immediately. But that does not mean we should do nothing. The opposite is true: Let’s save what we can. A good start in “saving what we can” is letting our politicians and fellow citizens know that we care about democracy, the rule of law, and a just society. We must demonstrate that we care enough to stand in the bitter cold in early February to exercise a right granted by the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting . . . the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Let’s raise our voices in unison as we exercise the fundamental right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Daily Dose of Perspective
Rain today in Los Angeles, so I was not able to set up my telescope and camera. I am recycling a beautiful image of the Orion Nebula I took in November.
The nebula is 1,344 light-years from Earth and has a radius of 13 light-years.
Enjoy!
THIS, I saved this for myself and it's on my desktop wallpaper on my pc that I see throughout my day, Rebecca Solnit on Persevering Resistance:
"They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving."
Robert, my heart is aching for all the reasons you are describing, but most of all for the millions of people who are suffering greatly because USAID was shut down. But here is my proposal: The hell with Musk! Let's find ways to go around him. Let's be super creative and find solutions to come to all those people's help. Do you know how to get hold of Samantha Power - the head of USAID? She knows all the projects. She can help prioritize where the most urgent needs are now. We can enlist US farmers to deliver food, find nurses willing to volunteer their services, churches could be mobilized, Foundations like Doctors without Borders or the Gates Foundation could be approached ... Etc Etc. We are resourceful, we are entrepreneurs, we are caring. Let's bypass the cruelty of Musk and the Trump Administration. Let's start working, let's show what Americans are all about. That's our opposition movement.
How do we get hold of Samantha Power? That'd be a start.
I'm connecting with other Substack communities. Together we might start something AMAZING!