We’ve made it through the first month of 2025 and the first few days of the return of DJT — the red hats, the chaos, the vitriol, the spewing of lies and hatred toward marginalized groups, and the gaslighting. Many people had forgotten just how energy-sucking this man and his entire existence can be when dealing with him on a direct and daily basis. But here we are, and it is time to take deep breaths.
The threats he poses are real. To poor communities, to people of color, to immigrants, to the LGBTQ+ community, and to Black people explicitly. I have always said that in his first turn in office, he was merely casing the joint. He had some guardrails in a few relatively decent Republicans who refused to do his bidding (before they were fired and lambasted and denigrated). However, this time, the president has sidestepped those few rational voices in the room and surrounded himself with people who have a specific vision of the America they want to see.
We have already seen the white nationalism of his inner circle. We have seen performative acts that satisfy his small but powerful base, who want their leader to be as cruel as their deepest desires will allow.
It is incumbent on us to do two things simultaneously. We must pay attention to the rollbacks of civil rights and civil liberties under this administration, and we must not get sucked into his 24-hour need to be at the top of the news and consume our attention spans.
It is a tall task to at once stay vigilant while also protecting our peace. Many people forgot just how emotionally draining it is to deal with the onslaught of chaos at the highest levels of government, fighting with allies and adversaries, wondering if he is blustering or actually insane enough to destroy decades-long partnerships and relationships. It is all so much, especially as a political scientist who studies and writes about American politics.
The glimmer of hope is that there is no mandate. Contrary to what is being repeated, the election was not a landslide. The vast majority of Americans do not support this isolationist agenda. It is my sincere hope that Democrats and good-hearted Republicans will have the courage and temerity to articulate a vision for this country in local, state, and federal races across the country over the next few years to right this ship.
Now is not the time to exit the arena. We must not be consumed by the trivial. Rather, we must stay focused on what is real, what can and has to be done, and supporting those who can help us achieve these political goals.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.