...now what?
We're in Trump's America again
I’m back in America, grumpy, congested, and numb to the news. My two week trip to Europe once again reminded me how much America invested in the car and not walkable cities, and while I was beaming with joy at the Parisian subway system, a fascist was elected president. I told you all last week that I was numb to the results, a much changed person from the girl who sobbed in the European Parliament in 2016. A week later, the numbness hasn’t worn off.
On Sunday, I grabbed drinks with my friends who all now conveniently live within minutes of my apartment. Our conversation oscillated between my trip and Trump and Europe and the state of American democracy and our upcoming friendsgiving and if I’ll have healthcare next year. The chat was a mixture of the bargaining and acceptance phases of grief, with a few bits of conspiracy thrown in for good measure.
Because, the election is over and 75 million Americans voted for him. In my time back in New York, I’ve inundated my ears with podcast after podcast, trying to get an answer that tastes good. Why did this happen? And why did they win so handily? And who is to blame? On one of my favorite podcasts, Higher Learning with
and Rachel Lindsay, Van and Rachel spoke about America’s diagnosis.“When someone goes in for a cancer diagnosis…how long did this person walk around actually with cancer, not knowing that they had it,” Van pondered. “So what [we] got on Tuesday was a diagnosis…And now that [we’ve] got the diagnosis, [we] should understand what [we’re] up against.”
I keep going back to this analogy. Reminding myself that this is why I feel numb, why I’m not crying and angry and in shock. America was already sick. We already ignored gun violence and homelessness. We already prioritized wealth over the health of our people and our planet. We already sent weapons to carry out a genocide. America was already sick. This election just affirmed that sickness. This election just showed us what we are. We are a country in which 50.3% voted for a convicted felon out of the hope that he will make the economy better even though he promised to institute tariffs, which will only make the economy worse. We are a country in which 50.3% voted for a party who promised to rid women of their bodily autonomy, who are championed by men like Nick Fuentes who proudly tweeted, “Your body, my choice” after Trump won. That’s who we are.
And those voters went to the polls and chose Trump because they wanted a change. They were scammed into believing that he will improve their financial health, even though he promised to raise taxes on everyone who makes less than $400k a year. They were scammed into believing that he will close the border, even if that means deporting immigrants who keep our systems running. The Republican Party spoke to the masses.
But, in another of my many podcast listens last week, as Glennon Doyle said on We Can Do Hard Things, we are also the 48.1% who did not vote for that. We are the 48.1% who believe in a woman’s right to choose, that no one can be labeled as “illegal”, who care more about the health of our neighbors than the economy. We are also that country. The diagnosis, as Van calls it, is that we are as divided as we think, as broken as it seems, as selfish as it appears, AND as loving as it feels, as mindful, as kind, as curious, as open as we can make it to be.
None of my north stars have told me what we can do about this election. We aren’t being called to storm the capital like MAGA was four years ago. But I itch with the need to do something. To remind myself of the parts of this country that I love. So, I’m going to recommit to my communities, to the people I love, to my neighborhood that buoys me up. Because that’s all I can control as the world burns around me.
What else to do right now
Donate to mutual aid programs in your neighborhood
I donate monthly to Crown Heights Mutual Aid, which is a network of community members supporting one another. My monthly donation helps my neighbors pay rent when they can’t, buys groceries when the bills are too expensive, and pays for necessary, but out of reach medical treatments. The funds are directed to neighbors by neighbors without an overarching governing body stepping in. I highly recommend researching mutual aid programs in your own neighborhoods during this Trump time.
Follow local politicians who are actually fighting for people like you
Most politicians on the federal level actually don’t give a shit about you and your family. They are in it for the salary, the benefits, and the power. But local politicians actually impact your day to day life. My favorite local politician is Chi Ossé, a 26-year-old NY City Council member. Chi, who represents BedStuy and Crown Heights, cares about New Yorkers like me. Currently, he is working to pass a law that would require whoever hires a broker to pay a broker’s fee. Instead of the convoluted way New York runs its real estate, forcing renters to bay for a broker's fee when they didn’t want a broker in the first place. Beyond that, Chi is excellent at social media, makes politics make sense, and is effortlessly cool while doing so. I’m sure your city has its own version of Chi Ossé - find them.
Join the Democratic Socialists of America
I haven’t considered myself a Democrat in a very long time. Instead, I am a member of the Brooklyn DSA which mobilizes to elect local candidates aligned with Democratic Socialist ideals. What are those ideals, you ask? Rooted in anti-capitalism, the DSA is for working people, in which ordinary Americans have a real say in our politics. The DSA has called for the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and back candidates like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. Join to feel a bit more hopeful.
Register as a member of the Working Families Party
As I keep running into the ground, I am not a Democrat. When I register to vote in New York, I register as a member of the Working Families Party. Active in 15 states, the Working Families Party is, “a party of regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all…a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful…who want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.”
It’s one of the clearest options of a third party in America who believes in a bottom up endorsement structure and that local politics is the most important piece of the political system. I’ve felt better as a member of the WFP and voting for candidates on their line, so I recommend looking into it too!
If you aren’t ready to become a paid subscriber, but enjoy my work and you have the capacity to leave a tip, I’d love you forever.
Watching shows that make America look….less bad
I’m in need of a healthy dose of disassociation from the world at large, so I of course turn to my television. Netflix released the second season of its political drama, The Diplomat. It’s one of those shows that only has six episodes per season and is stuffed with action and drama and dialogue that I completely forgot what happened in the first season. So, I’m rewatching before I start season two and am loving it.
Keri Russell plays a policy wonk who was named ambassador to the United Kingdom after an attack on their Navy. She’s married to Rufus Sewell, better known as the bad guy in the iconic movie A Knight’s Tale. The characters are smart, the plots are twisty, and it makes American politicians look much smarter than they actually are.
Trixie and Katya girl
Sometimes, we just need a few drag queens to make us feel better. Trixie Mattel and Katya host their podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful, which is absolutely chaotic and magic. Trixie is back after going on a three month sabbatical and the two have been discussing everything from TV news, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and chiropractors. In Trixie’s first episode back, she broke the norm and was really sincere to her cohost about how much she loves her. I cry 😭😭 The two of them together is a dopamine hit right to the brain and I am so grateful to have them in my life.