Don’t choose to overwhelm yourself
There were warnings for months that a second Trump Administration was going to be this way. The “alarmists” merely believed what the radical right-wing was saying they would do if they took power. (Perhaps a big part of being prophetic is simply seeing reality for what it is and saying so.) Regardless, here we are, not even one month into a second Trump Administration, and many people are caught off guard, shocked, and feeling overwhelmed.
For those who have largely tuned out of day-to-day politics, this is understandable. But even some among the “exhausted majority” are being reminded why they soured on Trump the first time around. He’s once again everywhere—rambling incoherently, his speech increasingly slurred, his energy flagging with age and cognitive decline. Chaos follows him, fueled by manufactured crises from figures like Elon Musk. The thinly veiled nods to Nazism might seem silly if they weren’t so dangerous. And, of course, he remains incapable of taking responsibility for even the smallest misstep, always finding someone else to blame.
America has always been a nation of divisions and contradictions, but if there’s one thing the vast majority of people—regardless of political affiliation—don’t tolerate, it’s a sense of chaos and loss of control. This is why some who voted for Trump are now regretting their choice. Unlike before, they aren’t being allowed to bury their heads in the sand and simply “enjoy the policies.” Even staunch conservatives who advocate for a smaller federal government are outraged by the unlawful attacks on USAID and the ongoing illegal breaches of sensitive and classified information. From serious conservatives to moderates, liberals, and progressives, there is growing consensus: we are in the midst of a grave constitutional crisis.
Our invisible choice
I began jotting down these thoughts several days ago—writing is how I process. Early on, I found myself grappling with a question: why do I, and so many others, feel overwhelmed when we knew this was coming? We’ve been through a version of this before. For months, Trump and his allies made it clear they would behave this way. While some of their actions feel more brazen, the overall mindset and approach remain the same: chaos and destruction with no plan for the aftermath.
This is neither governing nor reform. We learned that during Trump’s last administration while also discovering the most effective ways to push back: lawsuits, civic action, persuasion, and voting. So why do we still feel overwhelmed?
I admittedly was struggling to find an answer—until an audio essay from Ezra Klein popped up in my feed. Klein, one of the great thinkers of my generation, articulated something that clarified a lot for me: a big part of the problem is that we are choosing to be overwhelmed when we don’t have to be. It’s worth taking 13 minutes to hear him out.
“I don't know that Trump sees his own fork in the road coming. He may believe he has the power he's claiming. That would be a mistake on his part. It would be a self-deception that could doom his presidency. But the real threat is if he convinces the rest of us to believe he has power he does not have. The first two weeks of his presidency have not shown his strength. He is trying to overwhelm you. He is trying to keep you off balance. He is trying to convince you of something that isn't true. Don't believe him.”
There’s a lot of wisdom in this. Eight years ago, in his first inaugural address, Trump declared, “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.” After spending half of those years in power, even he claims America is worse off. The “carnage” he decries now is largely a projection. Yes, our country faces real challenges, and yes, the federal government needs reform, but manufacturing chaos where none existed is not reform. It’s destruction and chaos.
True reform doesn’t come in the form of a human wrecking ball. It comes from people who believe in progress—people willing to come together, engage, and figure things out. Real institutional change can only happen from within, pushed by those committed to working through the system, not tearing it down. Reform is a process, a journey. Fragile men who insist “only I can fix it” are, by definition, incapable of being true reformers.
As we saw last time, people who operate this way inevitably turn on each other. Take Trump’s right-hand hatchet man, Elon Musk — the “entrepreneur” who has repeatedly failed upward with massive government assistance. He’s already picking needless fights within the MAGA world, and other culture warriors are returning the favor. As Klein points out, the more damage Musk causes, the greater the likelihood of a real catastrophe or scandal that triggers widespread public backlash. And the longer Musk tries to outshine Trump, the more inevitable their looming conflict becomes. After all, in Trump’s orbit, only one person gets to play dress up and pretend to be God. And it isn’t Musk.
This dynamic is not unique to these two individuals. The entire administration is riddled with fault lines: billionaires versus the people they exploit, nationalists versus constitutionalists who are keeping their heads down (for now), white evangelicals versus right-wing secularists who lean on evolutionary biology, militant Catholic Integralists versus Protestant fundamentalists…you get the point. These divisions are primed for explosion, fueled by inherent hostility, ideological contradictions, and a ruthless hunger for power. If Musk’s illegal maneuvers fail or even backfire, it could easily set off a chain reaction, igniting these tensions. There’s a real chance this administration collapses in infighting—just as it did last time—though not without a terrible cost to the country.
But what if it doesn’t collapse? That’s all the more reason to double down on what works: lawsuits, civic action, persuasion, and voting. The wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented, just set in motion. It’s taking a few weeks for these efforts to scale up, but the wheel is beginning to turn. Transforming outrage into sustained, effective action takes time.
I don’t have much more to add except some practical advice based on my own experience in the nonprofit world. Take a few deep breaths. Then, simply do what you already know needs to be done:
1. Identify the threat that matters most to you, find an organization tackling it, and get involved. The U.S. is fortunate to have a strong network of civil society groups led by experts who have been preparing for this moment. Some are already fighting in the courts, others are directly aiding those impacted. All of them need more support. Donate, volunteer, and follow their lead on how to engage with elected officials. If all you’re doing is posting outrage online, you’re not part of the solution.
2. Bring others into the fight—and keep going. Resistance is exhausting when done alone; but, in community, it becomes sustainable. Working alongside others allows you to step back when needed and even find moments of joy in the struggle. Heading to a peaceful protest? Invite a few friends. Supporting an organization that’s short on funds? Rally others to contribute. Educate yourself so you can educate others. Build a community that will outlast this moment.
3. Persuade with clarity and conviction. If part of being prophetic is seeing reality for what it is and speaking it plainly, then calling out the fire when it’s burning is both accurate and necessary. Has the Trump administration really “closed USAID”? No, they are illegally assaulting a federal agency created by Congress, and only Congress has the authority to shut it down. Have Musk’s cronies simply “accessed” sensitive or classified information? No, they are breaching secure facilities and stealing it. Are they just “moving fast” to “get results”? No, they are rushing to commit crimes and hoping no one will intervene. Speaking truth amid rampant lies and watered-down, overly-policed language is critical.
4. Stay grounded and take a long-term perspective. There’s a real possibility we are witnessing the early stages of a partial collapse of our national government. If this comes to pass, our primary goal should be to minimize the harm to people and reduce the damage done. Right now, we must focus on slowing the bleeding until the 2026 midterms give us a bigger shot. After that, the 2028 presidential election will be a critical moment for beginning the rebuilding process. The only way out is through.
None of this is about who individuals in the Trump administration are. They want you to think this is about them, but it’s really about who we are. Crisis has a way of stripping away our facades, revealing who we truly are and what we really believe. But it all starts with Klein’s essential insight: “Trump is acting like a king because he is too weak to govern like a president…don’t believe him.”
About Me
I explore faith and church culture in the American South from my hometown of Memphis, TN. I’m an institutionalist who believes the means are just as important as the ends. Everything here is an expression of my faith and love for the Church.
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