There Is No Center in a Fascist Regime

Some more thoughts on political realignment in the US

This week’s newsletter was written before events in Los Angeles began to unfold. If you’re looking for ways to help, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) has set up a bond fund to help Immigrant detainees. You can donate here.

Last week, I wrote about how the left-right binary of partisan politics was no longer a useful frame for organizing. I attempted instead to categorize by acceptance of MAGA’s fascist takeover. From those who openly embrace it (Open Carry MAGA), those who resist and defy (The Courage to Fight Back), and the various spectrum in between those two. I realize it can be hard to wrap your head around, especially as our entire political system and the media that covers it have been molded around a partisan frame. But if ever there was a Which Side Are You On moment for humanity, it’s now.

Writing for Just Security, pro-democracy expert Maria J. Stephan makes the case that a “broad-based democratic fronts that bring people together across race, class, creed, sector, and geography to engage in sustained nonviolent mass action” is the best way to beat back authoritarianism and points out the recent successful examples include the following components:

• “Sustained mass participation by diverse groups and sectors in society.

• Tactical innovation, including the use of organized noncooperation, like boycotts and strikes, that directly remove a regime’s sources of power.

• Defections within key pillars upholding authoritarian regimes, like businesses, religious organizations, unions, professional associations, bureaucracies, and security forces.

• Resilience and discipline in the face of rising repression.”

Right now, we’re in a numbers game. We need the biggest coalition possible to continually show up and create friction in various ways. Those currently in the fight need to convince the Inactivists to join the call, and pressure Team White Flag to stand up or get out of the way. I agree with Stephan and with Micah Sifry that more people are joining the resistance every day, but I’m still anxious that we don’t have the numbers we need to neutralize the MAGA Regime.

Which is why I found the existence of WelcomeFest, a conference for moderate elites that proudly billed itself as “CPAC of the Center,” so depressing. Ordinarily, I’d have a good laugh over this entire event (especially the people on Bluesky were mean to me portion), but given the stakes of this moment, and the extreme harm the Trump Administration causes Americans on a daily basis, it’s hard for even me to snark. A majority of these folks genuinely seem to believe that the real conflict isn’t with the fascist MAGA coalition, but with people whose political views are further left than their own. It’s such an utter display of cluelessness.

My politics obviously lean progressive, but as I pointed out last week at this point, I’ll happily stand alongside anyone willing to fight back against a fascist regime. While I don’t buy into the notion that moderates and centrists are where most Americans actually are or that somehow being in the middle is morally superior, electorally, there are states, districts, etc., where campaigning as a moderate is a winning strategy. There are plenty of elected offices where a moderate Dem candidate is more likely to win, or at least has a better chance.

The problem is we’re not simply in an electoral battle any longer. We’re up against a regime that seeks to destroy the American system to enrich Trump and his cronies, and that regime has logged multiple wins. Waiting until the next election isn’t a strategy, but we’ve seen examples. As best I can tell, WelcomeFest didn’t acknowledge that reality or have a plan beyond strategizing around the next election.

We’re in the fight of our lives here. The MAGA Regime has declared war on empathy, seeking to dehumanize both marginalized communities and anyone who opposes them as unworthy of social services or basic human dignity. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst reminded us just how fargone these folks are last week when she responded to a constituent’s concerns about medicaid cuts with “we all are going to die” and then doubling down with a trolling video filmed in a cemetery. If the WelcomeFest crowd would like some data on the value of opposing MAGA Republicans, a recent poll on Senator Ernst from Public Policy Polling should be of interest. The poll found that “69% of voters have heard about Ernst’s recent comment that we’re all going to die, and she’s facing fallout from it. By a 37-point margin, those familiar with what she said report being less likely to vote for her next year.”

But wait, there’s more! In his newsletter this week, political data journalist G. Elliot Morris offers a data analysis finding that ​​media coverage of Kilmar Abrego Garcia hurt Trump rather than Democrats. Morris is able to show that, as there was more media attention on Garcia’s detention, Trump’s approval fell.

As I write this, Donald Trump and his former BFF and financial backer, Elon Musk, are having a very public, extremely online breakup. Both men remain obsessed with keeping all the attention on themselves, and both tend to lose it when cornered, something playing out as they attack one another relentlessly with no thought for the consequences of their words.

The Musk-Trump breakup should be a pivotal moment for building the coalition that can take on this regime, but sadly, I don’t hold out much hope. Journalist Matt Yglesias, a keynote WelcomeFest speaker, wasted no time, immediately going on X to suggest that Democratic leadership reach out to Musk about the party’s “longstanding interest in electric cars, solar panels, space exploration, and balanced deficit reduction.” He also posted that Musk was “making some good points.” That Yglesias’s first instinct in this moment was to suggest reaching out to the fascists rather than progressives doesn’t bode well. Hopefully, other WelcomeFest-ites will have better political instincts.

In Trump’s America, we’re constantly being tested on our morals and values. Some people we thought of as being allies are failing that test. The good news is that some people we never would have considered have surprised us. The question for each of us now is simple: when the stakes are this high, which side are you really on?

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ICYMI

The 4chan-coded Ideology Behind Elon Musk’s War On Normies (Mother Jones)

This is the best explainer that I’ve seen of how Elon Musk and the 4chan troll crowd have co-opted the Autism Spectrum, embracing outdated science along the way for their own ends.

Trans People, Local Governments, And Educators Face Rising Anti-LGBTQ Hate, GLAAD Report Finds (NBC News)

Individual incidents have decreased, but institutions were subjected to more anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. “​​The 932 incidents tracked in this latest report occurred between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. This is a 20% drop from last year’s 1,173 incidents and an 80% increase from the 521 incidents tracked in its inaugural report in 2023.”

Stephen Miller Erupts in Fury Over Low Arrests—and Hands Dems a Weapon (The New Republic)

I tend to agree with Greg Sargent here: Miller is creating a wedge issue if elected Democrats have enough sense to exploit it.

How to Prepare for a Climate Disaster in Trump’s America (Wired)

A helpful guide as we head into a season of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires. It’s insane that we’re here, but we all need to prepare ourselves as best we can for the resources that individuals and state and local governments can no longer rely on.

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Coda

Netroots Nation just released the agenda for this year's conference in New Orleans, and per usual, it's stacked. More than 170 hours worth of panels and trainings!

Here are a few panel highlights:

• Block & Build in 2025: What Are We Building?

• Attacked on All Fronts: Organizing to Protect Students of Color

• Tech Workers and Advocates Fight Back Against AI Warfare

• Beyond Review: How State Courts Can Stop the Erosion of Our Rights

• Don’t Capitulate: Law, Policy and Resistance under Authoritarianism

• Nonprofits Under Attack: Protecting Our Role in Protecting Democracy

• Organizing Lessons From Hurricane Katrina

• Defending Immigrant Rights and Dignity in Challenging Times

I'm moderating two panels (one virtual and one in-person) on how to organize in an authoritarian state, but no matter what your jam is, there's a panel or training for you. This year’s conference is August 7-9 in New Orleans. I hope you’ll join us!

CARD readers receive a 10% discount on registration using this link. Discount code: CARDNN25.

I’ve attended nearly every conference, and I’m proud to serve as Board Chair for Netroots Nation. It’s an incredible conference for organizing, learning, and building community. Respond to this email or hit me up in the comments section and let me know if you plan to attend.

That’s all for this week. Please enjoy this song about the Musk-Trump breakup. Let’s do this again next Sunday!

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