- Frank OBrien

730 words on how to navigate the next 1,460 days

He’s back! In today’s memo, seven messaging guidelines as we all search for the most persuasive and sustainable ways to respond.

There’s no single answer. But one critical Trump 2.0 messaging touchstone is finding a solution to this dilemma: We can’t ignore the most dangerous presidency in history. But we also can’t let Trump totally occupy our political lives for 1,460 days.

We need to learn when it’s essential to rise up and oppose a genuine threat . . . when it’s best to just shake our heads and ignore meaningless plays for attention . . . and when to create opportunities to advance a vision that looks beyond Trump.

We’re not seeing a muted response to Trump’s second presidency. We’re seeing a thoughtful, reflective one. People instinctively know a straightforward re-run of the first Resistance won’t work – politically or personally.

They’re planning to be there for the fights we have ahead of us. They want plans, strategies and personal roles that make sense. So yes, we have to ask a lot of people and count on them to rise to the occasion.

They’re on board. But they’re not handing anti-Trump groups a blank check.

“Resistance without obsession” is both personally sustainable and good political strategy.

Trump thrives on attention, chaos and distraction. He and his allies intentionally flood the zone with one crazy notion after another. Chasing him down every rabbit hole is playing right into his hands.

So, we need to be strategic about when to push back hard and when to avoid providing oxygen for Trump’s latest media ploy. If it isn’t likely to go anywhere and doesn’t put people in immediate jeopardy, maybe we pass on engaging.

As far-right media expert Nicole Hemmer notes, Trump and his allies operate on a ‘let’s-make-everybody-angry’ dynamic. They thrive when they can “make everyone feel worse than they already felt.” The latest example: Trump’s political attacks around the Los Angeles wildfires.

So, we can’t be all resistance. We have to find ways to enrich the public dialogue with positive ideas. And we must provide people opportunities to do more than just stop the worst from happening. Apolitical charities that naturally draw attention to good deeds and shared values have a key role to play on this front.

Progressive donors and activists aren’t feeling very confident right now. And charitable donors aren’t immune to thinking progress is hard to achieve. That makes it important for the groups people support to project confidence and avoid wallowing in despair. But the best remedy for shaken confidence is some early wins.

Locating victories quickly is more important than how big they are. People need proof all is not lost and they can still have an impact.

During the first Trump presidency, some groups leaned so heavily into their anti-Trump messaging that they lost other truly unique parts of their organizational positioning.
It’s important to avoid that mistake the second time around.

Whatever you do, avoid de-emphasizing what makes your group special in favor of a generic place in the anti-Trump universe. Here’s a good test. Are you confronting Trump because the threat he represents is invading your world? Or are you moving out of your world to take on Trump?

Few things are more critical to limiting the damage Trump will do than winning big Democratic victories in next year’s elections. A strong showing can weaken Trump’s ability to move things through Congress– including Supreme Court nominations. And it can set in motion a media narrative about Trump as a lame duck with evaporating power.

But here’s the irony. To win in 2026, we can’t set up those elections as another Trump referendum. Democratic candidates and operatives need to focus on forging stronger connections with disaffected voters, not rolling out the anti-Trump playbook for one last ride.