How to Survive Trump's America
Elon's salute and the pardoning of insurrectionists is foreboding, but there are ways to resist.
The 2024 election was undeniably hotly contested and extremely polarized as has been the trend for the last few elections. Only a few weeks since Trump’s inauguration and he’s already changing many American policies. From pulling out of WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement, and the tariffs on our allies and China, he’s adamantly pursuing an isolationist America and creating new enemies. But the most ominous event of the Trump administration may have happened on Trump’s first day.
Elon
On inauguration day, “First Buddy” Elon Musk, made a gesture that some believe is a Nazi salute. Whether you interpret the gesture as support of fascism or a mental quirk (which is an ignorant generalization) does not change the fact that he supports far-right groups such as the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Germany. With their past of using Nazi slogans for their campaigns and their attempt to minimalize the past, it seems they are looking to advance ideas inspired by the Nazis.
Elon showed up virtually at an AfD rally to give support to this party, telling the 4,000 attendees "frankly too much of a focus on past guilt and we need to move beyond that". 416,000 American soldiers died in WW2 in the fight against fascism. They died for democracy. To tell Germany they should move beyond their history is quite frankly anti-American. Civilization is built on the past and learning from the past helps humanity evolve. A guilty conscience is hardly comparable to all the lives cut short under the Nazi regime.
Pardoning Insurrectionists
One of Trump’s promises upon getting elected into the highest office was to use his presidential pardon on the 1,500 prosecuted for January 6. Most Americans disagree with this decision including those who voted for him. Nearly 6 out of 10 Americans believe that the president should not pardon those convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot. This may embolden future political violence for it sets a precedent for the idea that people can use violence for their gain whilst avoiding consequences.
No matter the political party you most strongly identify with, the majority of Americans can undoubtedly agree democracy should be protected and a threat to democracy should never be accepted. After all, this country was built on the ideas of governance by the people, for the people. When the people who govern themselves revolt against the established government, you can count on the fact that this is not the end of political violence. Yet, our president mocked America’s proud tradition of peaceful transition of power with his pardons.
174 police officers were injured in this attack. One died from his injuries and four commited suicide in the following months. In an NPR interview of Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol police officer who responded to the attack, he said that he felt “betrayed” by the pardons. “It feels like sometimes, like, what did I risk my life for?” Although Trump may call the insurrectionists “political prisoners”, every American saw what happened on that “day of love”.
Know Your History and the Facts
Although the threat of a fascist America may seem unlikely, it is never an impossibility. If you’re scared for the future, remember that there are checks and balances in America’s government. America’s tradition of the first modern democracy should make most Americans proud to defend it. Don’t believe real people are as radical as they are online. Most Americans disagree with Trump’s pardon of the insurrectionists and polls show Trump’s approval rating is low compared to past presidents.
This isn’t Germany’s frail democracy. America has survived a civil war and is nearing its 250th birthday. Our forefathers created our constitutional rights to resist authoritarians, including freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. If you don’t agree with something, make your voice heard. Our duty as Americans is to know and use these rights to defend the United States Constitution.