Feeling a Little Helpless About the Barrage of Actions Taken by the Trump Administration? There are Some Actions That You Can Take.

During the first month in office President Trump has taken 108 Executive Actions: 73 Executive Orders, 23 Proclamations and 12 Memorandums. During this time the president has empowered Elon Musk and the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency to engineer the firing of thousands of federal employees and the dismantling of government agencies created by Congress. If all this activity has got your head spinning, you are not alone.
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The Democrat leaders in the House and Senate seem helpless to stop the onslaught of Trump 2.0. Short of throwing up their hands in resignation what are ordinary Americans to do?  Here are some actions that you can take to shake off that feeling of helplessness without having to wait for the next election.

                  Immediate Term Actions

Join National Boycott: A nationwide economic blackout is set to take place this Friday, February 28, 2025. The boycott is being organized by The People’s Union in response to President Trump’s dismantling of DEI programs. According to the website, “If we disrupt the economy for just one day, it sends a powerful message”.  For a 24-hour period consumers are asked not to make any purchases either online or in brick-and-mortar stores. If consumers must make purchases, they are asked to buy local and pay in cash, not credit cards. Major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, who have already announced plans to roll back their DEI programs, are targets of the boycott. Donald Trump is particularly sensitive to a weakening economy, so I suspect that there will be more boycotts in the future, including those being scheduled in March and April by The People’s Union. 

​Call and Write the White House: You can call and write the White House to let the president know your views on his actions and policies. The president will never read these comments, but they are tallied, and the president’s team keeps track of the tone of the comments and the ratio of positive to negative comments.  To leave your comments for the president you can email at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ or if you prefer to call and leave a comment you can do so at (202) 456-1111, Tuesday-Thursday from 11AM-3PM EST.  I plan to send daily comments to the president to let him know my opinion on his latest action.
 
Call and Write Congressional Leaders: Go to the website of your elected representatives to get their contact information. They need to hear from you routinely to help them gauge the mood of their constituents.   

​Boycott Elon Musk’s Companies: If you are unnerved by the unchecked power of Elon Musk to slash and burn government agencies, cut thousands of federal employees doing jobs he knows nothing about, and dig through your private data, then it’s time to boycott his companies. Don’t purchase any vehicle, solar energy generator or battery storage equipment from Tesla, and avoid using his social media platform X. Many of us own Tesla stock in mutual funds or the S&P 500 index. Write to Tesla’s Board of Directors to let them know your dissatisfaction with their CEO, and ask when he has the time to manage the company. 

​Support Independent Journalism: Without independent journalists the American electorate will be kept in the dark of what is happening behind the curtain in Washington D.C. Since 2005 the United States has lost nearly 2,900 newspapers, and we are on pace to lose more than 100 this year. Independent news outlets and journalists need our financial support to survive. Here are some of the news outlets and journalists that I support:

• PBS NewsHour
• National Public Broadcasting (NPR)
• The New York Times
• The San Francisco Chronicle
• The Atlantic 
• The Meidas Touch
•  Brian Tyler Cohen​            

                        Long Term Actions

Longer Term Actions: The midterm elections are not until November 3, 2026, and the primaries will be heating up about a year from now. It will be difficult for the Democrats to regain control of the Senate in the next election cycle, but the House of Representatives is within reach. According to the Cook Political Report the most vulnerable House Republicans are David Schweikert (Arizona), Juan Ciscomani (Arizona), Gabe Evans (Colorado), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa), Tom Barrett (Michigan), Don Bacon (Nebraska), Ryan Mackenzie (Pennsylvania), and Scott Perry (Pennsylvania). The Democrat challengers in these districts will need financial support and help with their ground game. Pay attention to these vulnerable Republican districts as well as those in your home state. Presidents usually lose House seats in the midterm elections, but this is no time to be complacent. Make it happen.  
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Things coming out of the Trump White House are very unsettling these days, but we are not helpless. Let your voices be heard, support independent journalists, and never miss an opportunity to remind family, friends and acquaintances that Trump is not keeping his promise to lower your costs or improve your life in any material way.

             Don't Be This Guy, Take Action.

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Thanks,
Armchair American