Here are three ways we can turn anti-Trump solidarity into political power | Robert Reich

Last weekend, millions of us once again affirmed the foundation of the common good.

Across America, people showed their solidarity – in opposition to Trump’s ill-considered war in Iran, with immigrants being targeted by ICE and border patrol agents, with current and former public officials whom Trump is prosecuting, with the students and universities whose freedom to learn and speak continues to be threatened by Trump, in favor of the earth and stopping climate change, and with every American who’s determined to reject dictatorship.

But how do we turn that solidarity into political power?

Three suggestions. All depend on our working with activists we already know, added to those we met during the No Kings protests, and the activism of our local Indivisible chapter and other groups we participate in.

1. Target vulnerable Republican senators and House members. Either get them to switch parties or become independents who caucus with Democrats, or flip their seats.

   Republican majorities are razor-thin in both chambers, and some Republicans who represent purple districts and states are struggling to keep their Republican supporters behind them. (They’re also struggling with their own consciences in continuing to support Trump’s authoritarian fascism.)

2. Begin organizing and mobilizing now to get out the vote for November’s midterm elections – aiming for Democratic takeovers of both chambers of Congress by wide margins, which will severely limit what Trump can do after January 2027.

   The key will be to get out the vote. Make a plan. Use phone trees. Write postcards. Arrange transportation for people who need it.

   Since January 2025, Democrats have overperformed in special elections in congressional districts Trump won in 2024, by an average of 17 points. Just last month, Democrats won two special state legislative elections in Florida, even flipping the home district of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

   Meanwhile, Trump’s polls continue to tank. In the new Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 36% approve of his performance while 62% disapprove, a new record low for Trump in his second term. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, 38% approve of him; 56% disapprove. Even the latest Fox News poll shows Trump approval at only 41%; disapproval at 59%; and fully 58% of Americans opposing US military action in Iran.

   All this augurs well for the midterms, but there’s no substitute for concrete planning to get out the vote – identifying likely Democratic voters, making sure they’re registered and motivated, and helping them get to the polls (or, assuming it’s still legal, making sure they mail their ballots in, in time).

3. Root out and challenge any Trump Republican attempt to intimidate likely Democratic voters or manipulate the election process.

   It’s important that neither Trump nor his state lapdogs diminish the turnout of likely Democratic voters in the weeks leading up to the November midterms – by stationing federal agents near polling places, interfering with the counting or certifying of ballots, or altering laws and rules to make it harder to vote.

   If you have any reason to be concerned about these tactics, check in with your state and local party officials and election officials. Make sure they’re being as vigilant as they need to be. If they’re concerned and cannot assure you that we will have a free and fair election, urge them to challenge what’s occurring in the federal courts.

   Or alert your local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Visit the ACLU’s affiliate map website to locate one of the 54 state-level offices, which often have local chapters underneath them. (You can search by state to find nearby chapters, which handle local advocacy, events, and volunteer engagement.)

If you were inspired by Saturday’s No Kings Day demonstrations, know that millions of others were, too. Let’s build on that inspiration by turning it into concrete political action to take back power from Trump and his treacherous regime.

What’s giving me hope now

Trump’s polls are plummeting. The Maga right is cracking up. And all across America – and in many other lands – I see people coming together, not just to protest but also to rebuild and reimagine. That’s what’s happening in Minneapolis, Portland, and other cities where Trump’s agents have fueled an outpouring of community spirit. It happened last weekend when a record number turned out for the No Kings protests. Even more have become activists for social justice. In short, these dark times are generating a fundamental rethinking of democratic capitalism, and a new era of grassroots reform. From the rubble left by the Trump regime, it’s possible to envision an economy premised on inclusive prosperity, a democracy based on political equality, and a system in which power is widely shared.

• Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now in the US and in the UK