On Trump’s orders, the IRS tries to quietly freeze the assets of the Strike Committee. You alert a New York Times reporter, who broadcasts the news — telling a story of insider intrigue over Trump’s worry about your growing movement. Apparently, some Trump administrators argued against the IRS action, worried it would only continue to sink Trump’s approval ratings. The argument that won was that this is a good way to shift attention away from the shaky economy — suffering whiplash from Trump’s changing policies.
His gambit failed. For the next week you stay in the news. The strike fund had wisely dispersed money among multiple organizational entities — so most is safe. But the website, database, and organizational infrastructure are temporarily immobilized. You spend late nights in emergency meetings to keep the infrastructure afloat. The Strike Committee holds, but you worry about capacity.
The movement worries deeply that it isn’t building enough pressure. Trump’s been given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court to replace 50,000 government workers under Schedule F. He’s been installing judges at a fast rate — and gerrymandered maps now make long-term Republican control of power a distinct possibility. Sure, Trump’s 16-week abortion ban is killed quickly in Congress thanks to the movement’s rapid direct action. And the courts hand Trump another setback when they rule, for the second time, against his bill to close the border with Mexico. But Trump doubles down on everything. He vows to return the military to the border. He opens up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for oil. He vows to “introduce an abortion bill that everyone will love.”
The resistance wing is uncertain. With Trump making so many moves, reactionary actions suck up much of the oxygen. As a result, the 15-minute strike only reaches the same number of people. Many criticize the movement as ineffective and in need of more allies. Others are urging it to keep on its path. You wonder if you need a bigger perspective to see who is out there and where to find more energy.