In cities big and small all over the country last week, people opposed to the policies of the Trump administration decided to participate in nationally coordinated, so-called Hands Off protests. Wielding signs with slogans like “Stop destroying America,” “Hands off our Social Security,” “Resist Fascism,” “Tariffs are taxes” and “Honk if you love democracy,” these protesters came armed with plenty of outrage but very little actual information.
I’d like to ask the participants, “What are you protesting?” But plenty of independent journalists actually did, and the answers they received provided little insight. It’s hard to know what’s more inscrutable: the number of protesters who, when asked, have no idea what they are out there opposing, or those with deep convictions who cannot point to any real evidence for their beliefs.
President Donald Trump’s unprecedented multipartisan coalitions (voters and members of his administration) and the policy positions he’s advancing have not only rendered the conventional wisdom about American political divisions obsolete; they have exposed the absurdity and hypocrisy among his opponents on the left and right.
One of the most obvious — and ridiculous — examples is leftists’ newfound hatred for Tesla and electric cars. They were unquestioning devotees (“We have to save the planet!”) until Tesla founder Elon Musk threw his lot in with Trump, at which point all hell broke loose: Dozens of utterly unhinged people have been caught on camera keying, urinating on, defecating on, vomiting on and otherwise vandalizing the Teslas of complete strangers — at times with their owners in the vehicles. Tesla dealerships have suffered violent attacks, including firebombing. Proud progs like Bette Midler have even unloaded their Teslas in protest. (Midler announced on social media that she had sold hers. Looks like oil’s back on the menu, boys!)
It isn’t just hypocrisy about electric vehicles that the Trump administration has revealed; causes Democrats have claimed for decades — poverty, peace, public health, prosperity, education, employment, equal opportunity — seem no longer to matter if anyone in the Trump administration is pursuing them. Ditto for “Never Trump” Republicans, for whom “cutting spending” and “reducing the size of government” have somehow lost their luster.
Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency has exposed the waste of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars within the U.S. Agency for International Development and other nongovernmental organizations, multiple federal departments including the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and, most recently, within the federal government’s real estate holdings. Trump has effectively closed the border former President Joe Biden left wide open, is deporting dangerous illegal aliens back to their home countries and is sending foreign gang members who have committed violent crimes to prison in El Salvador via an agreement with that country’s president, Nayib Bukele. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services, is going after Big Pharma, working to eliminate unnecessary and unhealthful additives from foods and obtain transparency about vaccines and other medical treatments.
How is this not beneficial for Americans?
And while there can be legitimate disagreements about Trump’s trade policies (I am reserving judgment at this point), it is nevertheless a wakeup call to find out how many countries impose tariffs on our products. Just as it is frustrating to see the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars our government has shelled out to fund foreign wars or to support Europe’s defense. (As he did in his first term, Trump is insisting that Europe pony up much more for NATO and their own defense, giving some foreign policy wonks apoplectic fits.)
For decades — and particularly in recent years — Americans have been gaslit, lied to and stolen from, personally and professionally bankrupted, persecuted by law enforcement, subjected to unspeakable crimes, poisoned and even killed as a result of the policies of previous administrations, Democrat and Republican alike.
And yet last week’s protesters are infuriated not at the liars, cheaters and thieves; the grifters, manipulators and facilitators of fraud; the warmongers and wasters, and those profiteering from illness and misery, but at those who have exposed the theft, the waste, the gross misconduct, the breach of public trust?
I would like to ask the protesters: Does it not occur to you that if taxpayer dollars are not sent to foreign countries, our debt and deficit can be reduced? That if “charitable” organizations are prevented from becoming political slush funds, those most in need of that charity will be the better for it? That if the administrative bloat of social welfare programs like Social Security is reduced, there will be more resources available for Americans most in need of those programs? That if competency at the Veterans Administration is demanded, it is America’s veterans who will benefit? That if the unaccountable monolith that is the federal Department of Education is dismantled, it will be states and local governments, school boards, teachers and parents — those closest to children affected — who will have the most say in their education and well-being? That if manufacturing returns to the U.S., American workers and the middle class will have greater employment opportunities? That if our border is secured and foreign gang members are deported, fewer Americans will die of fentanyl poisoning, in accidents with un- or underinsured foreign drivers, or at the hands of violent criminals who fled here to escape punishment for crimes in their own countries?
What are you all protesting? That the same status quo you’ve been complaining about for decades is finally being challenged? In other words, now that an administration is taking its campaign promises seriously, you’ve decided you don’t really want hope and change?
It makes no sense whatsoever.
Oh, and by the way, I won’t “honk for democracy.” We are a constitutional republic; I’ll honk for that.
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The Democrats cheer and incite the protests because they are infected with TDS. And they have gone beyond the level of political debate and into the realm of good vs. evil and the nonsensical.
Many Democrats call for allowing abortion up until the moment of birth. That’s not a “reproductive right”, that’s the murder of a fully formed human being. And they are still pushing the abuse of children with their transgender gender cult, depriving young girls the joy of fair competition by making them compete against “women” with dicks. They still want unchecked open borders and are against deporting murderers, rapists and violent gangs. They are trying to stop Musk from searching for government fraud and waste, pushing against voter ID and they are for allowing illegals to vote. They are for “swatting” conservatives who post on X, destroying property and firebombing Teslas, and using lawfare and unconstitutional edicts from rogue judges to stop Trump’s agenda.
Just a dozen more reasons to never vote for any TDS infected, lying marxist Democrat ever again.
Dear Ms. Hollis, First of all, we have some personal background things in common- I see that your husband is a musician and audio engineer- that’s fabulous! I have been a professional musician (vocals, piano) and music educator, including audio engineering, for over 20 years. Your credentials are impressive- my father was in higher education, and I have had an admiration for lawyers with all their legal knowledge and power to make a difference. At the end of your article, it says “Agree/Disagree with the author(s)? Let them know in the comments below and be heard by 10’s of thousands of CDN readers each day!”Agree/Disagree?” Therefore, I am taking you and your publication at your word. You cover a lot of ground, and I think you do have some points, but I’ll just try to hit on a few points from my perspective. 1) On DOGE and Elon Musk: It is not that the American people do not think that there is government waste, and that there shouldn’t be downsizing, but it is THE WAY that the Trump administration is going about it that is the problem and a major disruptor in a negative way. The American people may have elected Donald Trump (oh, yes, and notice how that was not protested or denied by the other candidate, but they allowed our democracy to work, and he benefited from that?), but they did NOT elect Elon Musk. He is NOT an elected official and has no experience in government matters, other than his own big dollar government contracts, which is a potential conflict of interest right off the bat. They are going at it, firing thousands of Americans, many of whom probably voted for Trump, just willy-nilly, with no research, no phasing out plans, but completely chaotic and with complete disregard for people’s lives. 2) Tariffs: Experts agree that tariffs, both in the short run, and in the long run only hurt economies, as they are quite frankly, a TAX, ultimately on the American people. Our US economy is no longer a manufacturing economy, and hasn’t been for years, so this tariff business on some levels is outdated and can create a false sense of security with the thought of bringing back manufacturing jobs. Furthermore, this could take YEARS before we, the American people, see any benefit. Meanwhile, our retirements fund are tanking because of Trump’s irresponsible actions. Aren’t you the least bit worried about that? Do you not wish to protect your own wealth? 3) The legal ramifications of the actions of the Trump administration: As you seem like an intelligent person, otherwise, and you have a law background, are you the not least bit disturbed by the fact that we are bordering on a constitutional crisis due to this administration’s ignoring and blatantly defying constitutional law, and judges’ orders with regard to deporting people without due process? I am very worried about our democracy, and I am surprised you are not as well (Can you imagine if this had been President Biden’s behavior, or even President Reagan, or any other President? We would not stand for this, whether Republican or Democrat.) This is a very scary time, and yes, I am protesting these very actions, and there is a lot more coming. So that is the answer to “what are you protesting?” This is NOT the American way, and if we are all honest with ourselves, we all know it’s not, regardless of party. No one is saying that our democracy is perfect, but it is our beautiful nation, flaws and all, BECAUSE we have freedoms and rights that some people in other countries can only dream about, and those are on the verge of being destroyed. Yes, I am protesting because I am VERY worried, and perhaps, you, with such a unique and expressive platform, should be worried too. Yes, I’ll honk for democracy; but, if things keep going at this rate, you may have to remove that word “constitutional” if you’re honking for the “republic.” Thanks for reading, Ms. Hollis, and I hope you will take these comments into consideration, and allow your readers to do so. All the best, R. Windham