Has the Trump resistance been too passive? Here are 7 ways to effectively protest authoritarian rule

The United States, it has long been claimed, is organically disposed towards democracy. When the Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1600s, the first governor, John Winthrop^[1], called the new settlement a “city upon a hill” that inspires the world.

This notion of American manifest destiny, however, has always depended on a blindingly obvious precondition: you cannot claim to be a beacon for democracy abroad without being a democracy at home.

Over the centuries, these democratic credentials have been tested numerous times. And now the US faces its biggest test in decades: the Trump administration’s blatant slide into authoritarianism.

Having studied authoritarian rule and democratic backsliding for two decades, I have watched with dismay how little – or sporadic – the non-violent resistance has been to Trump’s dictatorial ambitions.

Yes, the No Kings^[2] protest in October saw an estimated five million people^[3] march across the country. This followed a No Kings protest of similar magnitude^[4] in June.

Organised mass protests are certainly important, but by one estimate, the Trump administration carried out approximately 963 anti-democratic actions^[5] between these two rallies.

Mass protests are laudable, but insufficient. And the absence of Gen Z protesters has been particularly conspicuous^[6].

What more could Americans be doing? Here are seven lessons from those who have resisted authoritarian rule around the world.

1) Hold more organised mass protests

The No Kings rallies have been organised^[7] by hundreds of progressive grassroots organisations. Yet the Democratic Party has so far chosen not to employ this strategy, despite its supporters begging^[8] for it to take a more aggressive stance against the Trump administration. Its congressional leaders, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, have been roundly criticised^[9] for their perceived fecklessness.

In the former Soviet republic of Georgia^[10], by contrast, a vast coalition of opposition parties has been demonstrating for more than a year against the government’s decision to halt talks on joining the European Union. Not only does this movement have less experience and fewer resources than the Democrats, it has stayed on the streets in the face of overt government repression.

The Democratic Party needs to use its national infrastructure to launch sustained mass protests. Otherwise, it risks becoming a mere bystander to Trump’s authoritarianism.

2) Launch spontaneous protests

The Arab Spring uprisings^[11] demonstrated that small-scale protests over particular issues can mature into full-blown crises for authoritarian regimes.

To date, there have been neighbourhood-level demonstrations^[12] against the roundup of suspected undocumented people by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. But this effort requires substantial replication across the country.

An obvious site for such protests is the Supreme Court, which has repeatedly handed Trump expanded powers^[13] through its rulings. The next time it sides in favour of the administration – such as the potential weakening of key protections of the Voting Rights Act^[14] – it should be met with a spontaneous show of opposition.

3) Spread political consumerism

After the Walt Disney Company suspended^[15] the late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel following criticism of his commentary about right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, an estimated 1.7 million people joined a campaign to boycott the company^[16].

It was an isolated example of political consumerism^[17], where people intentionally avoid or purchase products based on political, social or ethical concerns. So far, the companies supporting Trump, including those donating^[18] money to his ballroom at the White House, have mostly escaped public boycott campaigns.

This is despite evidence showing that boycotts can be effective against companies linked to authoritarian regimes, such as those in Myanmar^[19] and South Africa^[20].

One remedy would be to create a mobile app that provides citizens with real-time information on every company tied to the administration, so people can make more informed consumer choices. The data already exists in different places (including here^[21] and here^[22]), it just needs to be put to better use.

4) Embrace the power of comedy

Few things aggravate dictators^[23] more than being the target of mockery, ridicule, and satire (especially Trump^[24]).

Research has shown that comedy can serve as a form of resistance^[25] against authoritarian regimes. In Serbia, for instance, the Otpor! movement^[26] had success using humour in its public campaigns in the 1990s against dictator Slobodan Milošević^[27].

The city of Portland, Oregon, has led the way in the US. Residents have organised spandex-heavy public workouts^[28] and deployed protesters in inflatable animal costumes^[29] to highlight the absurdity of Trump’s claim it is a war-torn hellscape.

This technique needs to be adopted en masse.

5) Carry out civil disobedience

Civil disobedience is another proven technique^[30] of non-violent resistance.

In Hong Kong, protesters used sticky notes on so-called “Lennon Walls^[31]” to criticise the government and exercise democracy. In Russia, flash mobs have defied^[32] Vladimir Putin’s repressive regime. In Turkey, citizens have held “standing man^[33]” protests to passively resist Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

The resistance to Trump has been slow to embrace this tactic. In California, however, people have engaged in “buy-ins^[34]” to protest Home Depot’s alleged involvement with ICE worksite raids. The protesters purchase a 17-cent ice scraper and return it immediately, creating long lines that waste the company’s time.

This kind of innovative civil disobedience ought to represent the tip of the iceberg.

6) Tell stories of courageous individuals

History is filled with ordinary people fighting back against authoritarian rule: Corazon Aquino^[35] in the Philippines, Vaclav Havel^[36] in the Czech Republic, Lech Walesa^[37] in Poland, just to name a few.

The resistance against Trump needs to find better ways to tell the stories of courageous individuals. The US attorney for Manhattan, Danielle Sassoon, who resigned^[38] from her post in protest in February, for example, has already largely been forgotten.

Unfortunately, the 24–7 media cycle guarantees that small acts of resistance will always be drowned out by larger acts of authoritarianism.

But telling these stories properly might be enough to inspire others to join the fight for democracy.

7) Prepare for flawed elections

Instead of treating the 2026 midterms as just another election, Trump opponents need to prepare for potential manipulation and misconduct^[39].

This means employing similar tactics^[40] to those used to oust dictators in places like Ukraine (2004), Kyrgyzstan (2005), Sri Lanka (2015), and The Gambia (2016). In these places, opposition parties formed unified coalitions, ran ambitious campaigns, collaborated with civil society groups, put pressure on electoral commissions to ensure clean elections, and carried out voter registration and voter turnout drives.

Though many Americans are angry about the Trump administration’s attacks on democracy, it remains to be seen whether they will actively defend it. In the words of Gene Sharp^[41], the famed scholar of nonviolent action:

Dictatorships are never as strong as they think they are, and people are never as weak as they think they are.

References

1. ^{^} John Winthrop (en.wikipedia.org)
2. ^{^} No Kings (www.nokings.org)
3. ^{^} five million people (www.gelliottmorris.com)
4. ^{^} similar magnitude (www.theguardian.com)
5. ^{^} 963 anti-democratic actions (www.trumpactiontracker.info)
6. ^{^} conspicuous (www.nytimes.com)
7. ^{^} organised (www.abc.net.au)
8. ^{^} begging (www.pewresearch.org)
9. ^{^} roundly criticised (newrepublic.com)
10. ^{^} Georgia (www.bbc.com)
11. ^{^} Arab Spring uprisings (www.aljazeera.com)
12. ^{^} neighbourhood-level demonstrations (bsky.app)
13. ^{^} handed Trump expanded powers (www.economist.com)
14. ^{^} weakening of key protections of the Voting Rights Act (www.nytimes.com)
15. ^{^} suspended (www.bbc.com)
16. ^{^} joined a campaign to boycott the company (bsky.app)
17. ^{^} political consumerism (www.journals.uchicago.edu)
18. ^{^} donating (edition.cnn.com)
19. ^{^} Myanmar (burmacampaign.org.uk)
20. ^{^} South Africa (www.theguardian.com)
21. ^{^} here (www.opensecrets.org)
22. ^{^} here (thehill.com)
23. ^{^} aggravate dictators (foreignpolicy.com)
24. ^{^} especially Trump (www.rollingstone.com)
25. ^{^} form of resistance (link.springer.com)
26. ^{^} Otpor! movement (www.theguardian.com)
27. ^{^} public campaigns in the 1990s against dictator Slobodan Milošević (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
28. ^{^} public workouts (bsky.app)
29. ^{^} inflatable animal costumes (www.youtube.com)
30. ^{^} proven technique (www.amazon.com)
31. ^{^} Lennon Walls (theconversation.com)
32. ^{^} defied (www.economist.com)
33. ^{^} standing man (www.theguardian.com)
34. ^{^} buy-ins (www.newsweek.com)
35. ^{^} Corazon Aquino (en.wikipedia.org)
36. ^{^} Vaclav Havel (en.wikipedia.org)
37. ^{^} Lech Walesa (en.wikipedia.org)
38. ^{^} resigned (www.nytimes.com)
39. ^{^} manipulation and misconduct (bodoc.net)
40. ^{^} employing similar tactics (www.cambridge.org)
41. ^{^} Gene Sharp (www.nytimes.com)