When Donald Trump took office, the “Resistance” (or, rather, #TheResistance)—the global movement to oppose Trump’s policy agenda—seemed huge, and events like the Women’s March on Washington appeared to show a progressive population just itching to take action.
But less than three months removed from Inauguration Day, it seems the official “Resistance” is suffering from some problems. It’s most dedicated activists are mostly older women, its ambitious agenda has been reduced to “huddling” house parties and small-bore Congressional harassment, and its “activities” list belies a bizarre case of mission creep.
According to a poll by Lake Research, most of The Resistance’s most active agitators are women (86%) over the age of 45 (66%). The “next generation” of protesters, it turns out, is the same generation of protesters from the 1960s—and more likely to be your mom posting questionable news stories on Facebook, than a dedicated young activist with an ambitious plan for the future.
The poll also showed that most of the activists were repeat offenders. Of “Daily Action’s”—a top site for the Resistance to gather and set goals—users, 77% said they’d participated in a Trump protest before, and will do so again.
That may not be the biggest worry for anti-Trump forces, though. Despite an agenda set by large-scale operations like Indivisible, an unofficial offshoot of MoveOn.org that is working to organize anti-Trump opposition into an effective wave, even major groups seem at a loss as to how to best take on Trump’s administration.
Michael Moore famously announced “100 Days of Resistance,” but at nearly day 90, he’s hosted one whole rally. Two days before Trump’s speech to Congress. Not in DC.
The Women’s March, perhaps the best known event in anti-Trump resistance so far, held a second “Day Without a Woman” protest that didn’t garner as much attention. After that, they’ve taken to what they call “huddles,” where small groups of 10-15 activists gather to share tea and crudité in someone’s home, watch inspiring YouTube videos and talk about Donald Trump’s terrifying policies.
The Women’s March encourages its huddlers to plan actions, but most of these decentralized “efforts” seem just a cut above busy work: postcard campaigns to Democratic legislators’ offices, hosting workshops, circulating petitions, and taking group photos in front of random walls (get it, the wall) to Tweet to non-compliant Senators.
Other “action items” seem, honestly, bizarre. According to Cosmopolitan, refusing to give your boyfriend oral sex is the perfect way to stick it to the Trump-helmed Patriarchy. “Feminist acts come in all shapes and sizes,” they exclaim, cheerily.
Bustle suggested Tweeting that Trump wears a wig.
The neighbors (or just men in general) might get annoyed, but President Trump will, sadly, emerge unscathed.
Part of the problem may be that the Resistance is also plagued by so-called “mission creep:” a conflicting set of priorities that lead people astray from the original objective. Activists have become rabidly obsessed with Trump’s personality and physical characteristics, which doesn’t help their cause, but they also want “social justice” for every last one of the 37 genders and random animals.
So, the Pink Pussy Hats may not be going anywhere (sorry, America), but unless the organized resistance to Donald Trump gets a lot more organized, it might not be going anywhere, either.
