‘People feel drained’: anti-Trump Americans face temptation to tune out
‘People feel drained’: anti-Trump Americans face temptation to tune out
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.
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People don't feel the need to riot or protest or anything, no amount of activism could provide the painful lessons this country needs better than the chaos and ruin the incoming administration will bring
If we survive maybe we can rebuild in the aftermath, but the time to fight is probably over. Country voted for this so why not just sit back and watch the FAFO happen
That's how I've been feeling anyway, probably not the only one
I worry that by not demonstrating we're fucking around.
But I'm done, almost half of the country voted for this.
My neighbor's voted for this.
I used to want to be helpful and a good member of my community, now I just have regret for my past actions. I'm jaded.
1/3rd of voters voted for Trump, a 1/3rd voted for Harris, and a 1/3rd just couldn't be bothered to vote. It's not that Trump got a groundswell of support (he got +1million more than 2020, not a huge increase), it's that Harris didn't get the same number of votes as Biden got, she got around 7 million less votes than Biden got. It's that Democrat voters didn't turn out in the numbers they needed to.
Americans know nothing of hardship. They take their way of life for granted. And will continue to bury their head in the sand until the sand itself is poisoned.
The fact of the matter is Americans have been lulled into complacency. Both before and after the election. This should all be completely unsurprising.
The 1/3 of voters that can't be bothered to cast a vote have abdicated their voice. Now they have to suffer the consequences of that choice.
Yup. "Doomed to repeat it." We're repeating it.