Resist the MAGA Coup
Ideas for immediate action to fight the white nationalist movement.
For nearly ten years I have been trying to persuade friends, family, and strangers to drop their support of the MAGA movement because it had no values system other than loyalty to Trump. I tried to explain that soon they would not believe anything but what their cult leader told them. I tried to get them to understand that replacing merit and morals with loyalty and persecution of political enemies is the complete opposite of the ideals our country was founded on.
Trump intends to purge the federal government of opposition to his agenda, just as he did with the Republican party. If he succeeds, he will likely move towards punishing anyone who does not pass his loyalty test, from celebrities to sitting members of Congress all the way down to everyday citizens. This is a continuation of the January 6th insurrection. This is the MAGA Coup, and it’s designed to put white nationalists in control of the United States.
So what can we do?
First, we have to talk about the risks. Opposing the MAGA Coup is going to carry increasing amounts of hardship as they capture more and more of the government. If the expulsion of immigrants and civil servants is successful, this includes economic hardship as labor markets and social services deteriorate. Some of us have children, special needs relatives, or elderly under our care. Some of us have battles of our own with depression or other mental health conditions. The possibility of Trump capturing the security state is real, which means that communications that match your identity are already a liability. Avoid directly linking your public information as MAGA loyalists are already violent and dangerous. Make the best choice for you and your family on how visible you want to be with your opposition.
The next move, I believe, starts with forming affinity groups. Strengthen your in person network as much as you can - organize dinner parties, game nights, or outside activities. This will help with countering the white nationalist message of division and make your community stronger. It will give you an outlet to express your emotions about the MAGA Coup without increasing your signal online. It will also give you a foundation of diverse resources to support the cause you decide to take up in the future.
Don’t start leaving your phones somewhere and then going to a secret location. At least not yet. Carry on as if things are normal, and stuff your phones in a backpack or wrap them up in a jacket to mitigate eavesdropping. If you deviate from your existing patterns too quickly, that will be a signal that can be lifted out of the noise.
With a large enough network, you’ll have people who are able to carry more risk in different areas. Maybe you have a big house or apartment, so larger groups of people can interact, but you keep people off of your WiFi network. Another member of your affinity group owns a public space with WiFi, and is comfortable with careful use of their network. Still another can barely carry any risk, but can make meals to be picked up for the group’s gatherings or to care for members in need.
As in every people-powered movement, federal and state agencies will try to infiltrate, especially at events that are publicly advertised. Anyone new at a public protest or resistance gathering should be treated as an outsider for months if not at least a year. They will have certain tells: conversations that seem memorized, the habit of bringing up resistance topics even if the conversation has moved towards something else, and a little bit of desperation in trying to fit in. As a rule, if someone asks to get in, you keep them out.
We only have two months before the MAGA Coup gets the keys to all three branches of government. In other coups, things have changed drastically in weeks and Trump could declare martial law on his first day. Try to form your communities as quickly as you can, develop your own system of organization, and don’t let any detail or name hit anything digital. Don’t even write it down on paper. Your community should only exist in your memory.
The next thing we can do is continue with the direct pressure campaigns with personal relationships. Along with the 4B movement and similar efforts, develop your stance on whether to communicate with MAGA loyalists. Keep in mind they have been throwing away their relationships for years as part of their adoption of their cult. Even if they are sincere that they are not like the other MAGA cultists, a little economic pressure and promise of better treatment is all it will take for them to start turning in their own family.
My personal tactic is to tell any MAGA men I know that I won’t speak to them unless they apologize to every woman in their family for supporting Trump. I don’t identify as a woman myself, but I was raised by incredible, kind, resilient women and I have dear friends who lost their battle with depression due to SA. One of MAGA’s core values is violent misogyny, so I fight for the people who have been dying in hospital parking lots, just feet away from medical professionals who could save their life. I fight for people who have had to give birth to their abuser’s babies, and in some cases, even share custody with them. Any consequence from my personal stance of going no contact is nothing in comparison to the suffering of all of those innocent people.
The third thing we can do is boycott, not only by avoiding purchases at MAGA businesses, but by refusing to participate as employees, investors, or vendors with them wherever possible. If you work for someone who supports the MAGA Coup, take your skill set somewhere else. If you own your business, the MAGA cult fully supports discriminating on customers you serve, so treat them how they would treat yet. Wherever possible, refuse to do business with anyone actively trying to take away your human rights. Keep pushing every economic vector away from MAGA in any way you can. They will not change their behavior until there are direct consequences for their actions.
We have two months to prepare, and at least four years to endure. Reach out to your LGBTQ friends and connect them to people in your network who have safe places if they need to relocate. Do the same for undocumented friends and colleagues who did not vote for the MAGA Coup. Build your network. Build the pressure against MAGA Coup sympathizers. As John Lewis said, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”
I will be writing more posts about other approaches to resisting the MAGA Coup, but I will need your help. Send me an email at carlutz@pm.me or comment below on your strategies and solutions for defeating this coup and preventing the suffering of our fellow Americans.
In Solidarity,
-JA