A Quick Guide to Personal Advocacy in the New Trump Era
Tips for individual activists
Thank you for your patience! I’m excited to get Epolitics running regularly again, after a hiatus driven by a huge amount of campaign work in the late summer and fall and the death of my father a couple of months ago. I miss him more than I can tell you.
I’m also conducting a new digital advocacy training series, which will cover digital strategy, fundraising, rapid response, advertising and much more. You can get a preview and sign up for the first three sessions at Epolitics.com, and I’ll have more to say about the trainings here soon. And, I’m working on the 2025 update to my digital campaigning ebook, and I hope to be sharing that with you in late February/early March.
But first, let’s look at what individual activists can do to push back against the lawless acts of the new administration.
A Quick Guide to Personal Advocacy in the New Trump Era
This piece was first published at Epolitics.com
After I posted on Facebook about an unelected private citizen (Elon Musk) taking over the running of big parts of the federal government over the weekend, a friend suggested that folks might appreciate a few things they can do themselves to push back against this new lawlessness. The media and the Democratic party aren’t going to save America; it’s up to us.
What would you add/subtract/change in the list below? Let me know at cpd@epolitics.com. This post incorporates suggestions from several friends via social media. For more ideas, check out my digital campaigning ebook. And if you’d like to talk about applying any of these ideas to your own work, I’m happy to connect.
First, get loud. This moment is too serious to be shy.
Communicate with your congressmember and senators, regardless of party. Democrats need to get a spine, and Republicans need to know that voters in their districts are not on board with lawlessness.
Mass emails to congress via advocacy organizations don’t hurt, but they also don’t do a whole lot on their own. Email, yes, but also call. Leave Facebook messages. Engage with the congressmember’s account on X. Don’t stop at one contact, because Trump and Musk won’t be stopping for four years. If you’re in a Republican district, call the office at least once per week. Try calling district offices, since they’re usually more focused on constituents. They’re also easier to visit.
Consider joining and working with a local Indivisible group. They’ll have resources you can draw on, and they’ll also connect you with others for mutual support.
Install a secure, encrypted messaging app for your communications related to organizing. Best choice: Signal, which I just installed for the first time. WhatsApp is also encrypted, but it’s part of Facebook and hard to trust these days.
Most importantly, you are an ambassador to your friends and family and within your social and professional circles. Connect with people one on one. Go on social media and online communities to amplify news stories and speak the truth. It’s going to take a lot of us to slow this train down, so we must bring as many Americans on board as we can.
Trump and Musk are trying to flood us with so many outrageous acts at once that they can keep us from concentrating on what they’re doing. Relatively few headlines are going to break through the clutter, and most people will have no idea about the details. You can help connect them stories that might move them.
Contact people through the usual channels you use to contact them: text, DM, social media posts, etc. Consider calling them, since a call brings an emotional connection that text usually doesn’t. If you can meet in person, even better.
Similarly, use the online channels that are part of your everyday life. If you’re on Facebook all the time, share reliable information and reach out directly to people via Facebook. Likewise TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, etc. The more you use a channel regularly, the more organic your outreach will be. Note that images and video typically have more punch than text alone.
Pro tip: If you’re posting news articles on Facebook, X or even LinkedIn, don’t put the link in the body of the post. Instead, put the link in a comment on the post or a reply on X. These platforms penalize posts that contain links, and if you put the link in a comment, your post is far more likely to be seen.
This fight doesn’t have to be partisan. Plenty of Republicans and independent voters will not be cool with undermining the government, censoring reality or subverting democracy.
Be factual. We don’t NEED to be hyperbolic; reality is bad enough right now.
Some people who like Trump are not big fans of Musk. Consider leading with the idea that Musk is taking over the government.
Be understanding and empathetic. Listen to what people say when they reply to you. Respond with links to credible information. Don’t get angry if they disagree with you, and circle back later.
Donate to nonprofits working on issues you care about. Bonus points for supporting organizations that are actively resisting the administration, but nonprofits across the board are likely to need your help, including local social-service organizations.
Stay connected with like-minded friends and family. You will get discouraged and depressed at times, and we can help each other through what’s going to be a hard few years.
If you have the ear of a Democratic elected official, tell that person to buckle down and get serious. Our republic is at stake.
Stay strong, folks! They win if we give up. Who knew we’d be defending democracy in America in 2025? I’m glad we’re in the fight together.
For more:
Go to Epolitics.com, which has covered digital politics and advocacy since 2006
Drop me a line at cpd@epolitics.com
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Connect on TwitterX, if you’re still using it
Great advice!