Vive la Resistance to Trump

Jamie Stiehm
Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:44:10 -0800
Opinion

"These are days you'll remember" — 10,000 Maniacs

Dear Friend,

Seeking wisdom and advice.
Updated: Wed Feb 25, 2026

"These are days you'll remember" — 10,000 Maniacs

Dear Friend,

Seeking wisdom and advice.

Signed, Heartbroken in Washington

The 2020s under Donald Trump are strangling the life out of the city. The mood is as bleak as the midwinter weather.

In a friend's words, it's hard to find ways to feel joyful. A taxi driver told me he'd driven many people home in tears after they'd lost their government jobs.

Altering a beloved building came as a collective shock. The president demolished the East Wing of the White House for a ballroom that will dwarf the simple elegance of its design.

The Washington Post, another point of pride, drastically diminished in Trump's second term. Huge layoffs came from above this month thanks to the billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. The buzz: The richest man in the world has many a government contract and seeks to curry favor with Trump.

I went to a community event mourning the demise of the Post's Book World, a Sunday section. Hundreds gathered at Politics and Prose, a haunt for authors and readers.

Bob Woodward lamented the cut a "tragedy," and so it seemed. Editors and reviewers recalled with bittersweet affection and humor of efforts to get their foot in the door.

The chorus, over and over: Working at the Post was once so much "fun!" I remember times of peace and prosperity, working in two lively newsrooms. We had an exuberant president who was like a grownup Tom Sawyer.

Bill Clinton's inaugural balls were attended by a wide spectrum of Americans. And wouldn't we love to have a problem like Monica Lewinsky now?

Trump's abrupt takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — followed by a closure coming in July — was equally stunning. The magnificent public space belongs to music and theater lovers who like to linger on the stately terrace at intermissions. The ushers greet everyone like old friends.

This is another tragic loss for the city, literally turning the lights out. Trump is kind of an evil genius at breaking beloved bonds that tie city dwellers together.

Then I heard the most absurd plan a president has ever planned for the city. I choked on my morning coffee. Trump wants to cut down a forest of cherry trees for — wait for it — a luxury golf course! How this would even occur to him, to seize a public golf course where people pay a modest price to play, is astonishing.

The cherry tree forest is precious, a gift from Japan. The myth of George Washington, who confessed, "I cannot tell a lie," about cutting down a cherry tree, comes to mind. How far we've fallen.

Dear Heartbroken,

I hear you.

As we endure one outrage after another, spring could come. Monks that marched thousands of miles to the Capitol carried a message of peace, which consoled many.

On the night of Trump's State of the Union speech to Congress, Democratic lawmakers stirred with signs of life. No more on meek defense, scores boycotted his two-hour ramble.

In a startling break from tradition, they showed up to speak at one of two counter "resistance" events.

The events — one organized by Move On and held at the National Mall, the other by Defiance.org and held at the National Press Club — succeeded in spades in creating a common sense of purpose. Some traveled from as far as California to join the rousing Defiance.org event, led by founder Miles Taylor. One was Chelsea Gods, a young content creator in costume as a suffragette.

Speakers included Steve Schmidt, a reformed Republican; Jim Acosta, a former CNN correspondent; Norm Eisen, head of a legal team challenging Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence; and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.).

"Great to be with you and not in the Capitol," Goldman began. He finished, "Trump is refusing to follow the law and release the Epstein files."

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) gave a forceful talk in the freezing air. "Our power is in the streets," he shouted.

He noted abolitionists and suffragettes changed society as outsiders, even after suffering setbacks. Like others, he stressed that silence is not a winning strategy against authoritarian leaders.

Crisp and clear, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) gave the Democratic Party response to Trump, scoring high marks.

So, Heartbroken, cheer up. Make these days you'll remember.