The president-elect’s first term brought a wave of protest. This time, visitors to New York’s Washington Square Park are struggling for energy to resist

Summary

Anti-Trump Americans, especially on the left, are showing a more subdued response to Trump’s 2024 reelection compared to the activism of 2016.

Exhaustion, disillusionment with repeated setbacks, and negative media coverage have led many to disengage from politics or shift focus to personal priorities.

Activist groups, like Women’s March, are planning protests but acknowledge lower enthusiasm and more localized efforts.

Experts suggest this “tune-out” may be a coping mechanism, with some hoping new, non-political participants will lead change.

Many feel drained but believe activism will eventually regain momentum.

  • pjwestin@lemmy.world
    0·
    11 days ago

    It’s honestly the Democrats that make me feel drained. They’re the party that ostensibly represents my political leanings, but they’ve spent the last year funding a genocide, cozying up to Republicans like Liz Cheney, and abandoning the economic populism that got them elected in 2020. If they were at least winning, ignoring progressives like me would be justified, but nope! They made an 80-year-old man their candidate without holding a primary, replaced him at the last minute with a candidate who didn’t even make it to Iowa in 2020, and the walked into their largest electoral defeat since…what, 2004?

    Trump is vile, and petty, and cruel, and I’m genuinely scared of the damage he’ll do to our country, but that’s what I expect from him. The fact that the only opposition party to the fascists is this group of cowardly, selfish failures is so demoralizing. If we can’t wrestle control of the party away from these incompetent geriatrics, I honestly don’t know if there’s any hope for American democracy.

    • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
      0·
      10 days ago

      And honestly the worst part is: where is the dem leadership right now? Where has Harris been since her defeat? People should have accepted blame for this historic loss and stepped down, but instead - nothing. What the hell is this?

      • havocpants@lemm.ee
        0·
        10 days ago

        They lost, what do you expect them to do? Foment an insurrection? The American people have spoken and they chose 4 years of a fascist, rapist, lying criminal for a president.

        • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
          0·
          10 days ago

          I expect them to still show leadership, to try and bring hope to their constituents - and to take responsibility for the election loss.

          What kind of leader just up and leaves after a loss like this? Did Bernie just fuck off after everything that happened to him? No, he’s still there, still trying to build support and help younger politicians follow in his footsteps. Harris should be doing that or should resign, not whatever she’s doing now.

            • Shardikprime@lemmy.world
              0·
              9 days ago

              Even more, what incentive is there for them? They know they will get the votes, and donations, from the blue no matter who crowd.

              They don’t need to change

              Just need to play them for absolute fools

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                0·
                9 days ago

                And after this last election, it has become clear that they don’t really care about the votes as long as they get the donations.

                • Shardikprime@lemmy.world
                  01·
                  9 days ago

                  I mean would you care about the votes, specially post fact? The money is already there, and they are only humans.