The Resistance Is Gaining Ground

Allow yourself a moment to savor these victories

Something’s shifting

For once, the headlines aren’t just about what’s being taken away or torn down.
This week, we saw what it looks like when people push back and win. Not everywhere, not all at once, but in enough places to remind us that the fight is working.

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Wisconsin voters said: Not for sale

In Wisconsin, voters shut down a full-frontal attempt to buy their democracy. Elon Musk poured more than $21 million into the state Supreme Court race to flip the balance of power by supporting conservative candidate Brad Schimel. Despite this unprecedented spending, liberal candidate Susan Crawford won the election, maintaining the court's 4-3 liberal majority. Musk's tactics, including direct payments to voters, were seen as attempts to unduly influence the election, but the electorate rejected these efforts, signaling a stand against corruption and the commercialization of democracy. ​

Elon Musk’s star is dimming - and fast. Once viewed as a tech visionary above the political fray, he’s now polling at just 41% approval, his lowest rating since the Trump administration began. His public image has taken a hit as he's gone all in on MAGA politics, attacking journalists, echoing far-right rhetoric, and trying to use his wealth to tilt elections. The public is responding. Polls show a sharp drop in support, especially among young people and independents. Even federal workers now rate higher in popularity. Musk bet big on authoritarian politics, and he’s losing the room.

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Cory Booker brought the fire - and the facts

Senator Cory Booker stood up in the U.S. Senate and delivered a marathon speech lasting over 25 hours, breaking the previous record set in 1957. His speech was a protest against the Trump administration's aggressive policy actions, aiming to draw attention to what he described as a "crisis" in the nation. Booker's dedication highlighted the moral courage required to confront authoritarian tendencies and served as an inspiration for collective action. ​

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Cracks in the MAGA Death Star

Something remarkable just happened in the belly of the MAGA beast.

In two special elections in deep-red Florida, Republicans held onto congressional seats, but not before taking serious damage. These weren’t sleepy races. National Republicans poured money in, Trump made emergency calls, and the GOP pulled out every stop. And still, they bled support.

In Florida’s 6th District, another dark-red seat, the GOP margin dropped 16 points compared to 2024. These aren't just bad nights for Republicans, they're warning flares.

In Florida’s 1st District, Trump won by 37 points in 2024. This week, Republican Jimmy Patronis held the seat but by just 14. That’s a 23-point collapse. Even Escambia County, a longtime GOP stronghold, flipped to Democrat Gay Valimont. This isn’t symbolic. It’s a county both DeSantis and Trump once carried with ease and assumed they always would.

This isn’t a blue wave. This is a leak in their firewall. And it’s coming from the inside. ​

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Law firms aren’t all backing down

The lawyers are pushing back, and unlikely coalitions are forming

In a quieter but crucial front of the fight, the legal community is becoming a frontline defense against authoritarian overreach.

Trump’s latest power play targets not just his political opponents but the lawyers who represent them. Through executive orders, the administration is trying to blacklist firms that take on cases challenging MAGA-aligned policies. These orders threaten to strip firms of federal contracts, impose regulatory hurdles, and smear them in right-wing media as “anti-American.” It’s retaliation dressed up as policy.

And while some firms have quietly capitulated, choosing to avoid high-profile cases or pull out of litigation seen as politically risky, others are stepping up, and they’re not doing it alone.

Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, two major firms with long records of representing clients across the political spectrum, have filed lawsuits and refused to comply. A federal judge has already issued a temporary block on the enforcement of the executive order, an early sign that the courts still recognize the danger.

But what’s even more remarkable is what’s happening beyond the filings.

Unlikely coalitions are forming. Conservative-leaning legal scholars, progressive civil rights attorneys, corporate law giants, and small public interest firms are all joining forces to defend the principle that everyone deserves legal representation without fear of political punishment. The American Bar Association, law school deans, and even some former Trump DOJ appointees have voiced opposition to the administration’s attempt to turn the legal profession into a loyalty test.

This matters.

Because when lawyers start refusing to take certain cases out of fear of government retaliation, it’s not just a professional chill, it’s a democratic failure. The entire justice system depends on the idea that lawyers can challenge the government without becoming its next target.

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DEI ain’t dead

The campaign to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has been loud and well-funded. But despite pressure from politicians and culture war opportunists, DEI is still standing in many of the country’s most visible and successful companies. And where it’s been abandoned, the fallout has been real.

Take Target, which scaled back its Pride merchandise and quietly pulled back on DEI initiatives under political pressure. The move sparked nationwide criticism and failed to appease the far-right forces attacking it. Investors took notice. The company’s stock dropped more than 12 percent, wiping out billions in value. A class-action lawsuit followed, filed by shareholders who said Target failed to disclose the risks of making business decisions in response to political threats. What started as a calculated retreat became a case study in how capitulation can backfire.

Other companies have taken a different path. Apple shareholders recently voted overwhelmingly (97 percent) to keep the company’s DEI commitments in place. At Costco, leadership has not only defended inclusion as a moral value but positioned it as part of a smart business strategy. They recognize that diverse teams and inclusive cultures are linked to better performance, stronger retention, and long-term trust with consumers.

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The organizing is working

Voter registrations are rising, especially in battleground states. Much of that growth is driven by young people and communities that are refusing to be pushed to the margins anymore.

Protests are popping up in cities across the country, not just in outrage, but in strategy. From Florida to Ohio, people are connecting the dots (between book bans, abortion restrictions, and attacks on democracy) and taking action.

Campaigns are getting sharper, more local, and more connected to real people. Organizers are knocking doors, building coalitions, and doing politics their own way - less about consultants, more about community.

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This is the resistance, evolving

We will not win by hoping a lawsuit saves us. Or waiting for some public figure will say the right thing at the right time. Every legal battle matters. Every voice raised in public office helps. But this fight will be won by ordinary people showing up, speaking up, and staying in it. Especially when it's hard. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.

This moment doesn’t require us to wait for better conditions. It needs us to become our braver selves.
What we’re up against is real. But so is our power.And this week, the cracks in their armor showed.

That’s not just hope. That’s momentum.

And it’s ours to build on.

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This Friday, April 5, people across the country are hitting the streets for the #HandsOff demonstrations to say loud and clear: Hands off our bodies, our books, our families, our rights, and our democracy.

Find a protest near you. Bring a friend. Make a sign. Show up.
Because silence isn’t safety, and showing up still matters.

👉 Handsoff2025.com for events and info.

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