Don't Let Him

Susan Estrich on Feb 6, 2025

In an insightful column last week entitled "Don't Believe Him," Ezra Klein unearthed an old interview with Trump whisperer Steve Bannon, who summarized what would become the first two weeks of Trump's reelection administration. Bannon told "Frontline" in 2019:

Steve Bannon: "The opposition party is the media. And the media can only, because they're dumb and they're lazy, they can only focus on one thing at a time. ...

"All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day we hit them with three things. They'll bite on one, and we'll get all of our stuff done. Bang, bang, bang. These guys will never -- will never be able to recover. But we've got to start with muzzle velocity. So it's got to start, and it's got to hammer, and it's got to -- "

Michael Kirk: "What was the word?"

Bannon: "Muzzle velocity."

Muzzle velocity. Hit not only the media but also those doing our best to pay attention to news we would prefer to deny with so much every day that we just let you get away with it.

Don't believe him when he claims the authority to do all these terrible things and he won't get away with it. They'll try to "flood the zone" with so many extreme moves that we can't keep up with all of them, and then, because our attention spans are short and limited, they get away with stripping us of the information and attention the other issues demand.

I would take it one step further. Don't let him.

You can't fight everything at once. So pick your targets. Do what you are qualified to do. If you're a lawyer, sue. Sue under the federal Constitution and under your state constitution. If you're a doctor or a nurse or a health professional, watch HHS and the CDC and the FDA like a hawk. If you're a cook, watch the food supply. If you're a civil libertarian, guard free speech. If you're a nature lover, take the Department of the Interior and the EPA. Every child and grandchild of immigrants should take immigration. Educate people about their rights. Tell them to insist on a signed warrant. Insist that you want to see a lawyer (in New York and California, you're entitled to one -- what a difference a state makes).

Don't forget that one important way to fight is at the state level. Work your governor. Work your state legislature. Work your school board. If not all politics is local, some still is, and the resistance can be built by community organizing. Elon Musk may have all the money, but that doesn't mean that people, acting collectively, have no power. Reward those businesses that stand up to Trump, and boycott the ones that don't. Make clear that there is a price to be paid.

More people get their news from social media than the legacy media. Post online. If you're a computer jock, figure out how to work the algorithm. The more you post, the more people they'll show your posts to. Flood the zone.

Call your congresspeople. Don't write; they get automated answers. Call on the phone. Say you're in the district and voted for them. They count how many people call and tally it up every day. It doesn't matter if the phone is answered by an intern (although it's best to ask for the aide handling X issue); they will still count your call. Flood their zone.

Donald Trump wins by playing the politics of fear. He wins by making us afraid of each other, by overwhelming us, by making us doubt our power to stand up to him. Maybe he won't respect the rule of law, but we have to force him to confront that squarely and make it clear that he isn't. Most Americans still believe in democracy, and checks and balances. We need to reclaim our democracy and make Donald Trump's repeated efforts to undermine it transparent. Do not go gently into the night. Don't believe him when he tries to dance on the grave of democracy. Don't let him.

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To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.