A house doesn’t collapse all at once. First, the cracks appear—small, almost imperceptible fractures in the foundation. Then the rot sets in, slow but steady, eating away at its integrity. By the time the walls cave in, it’s too late.
That’s what our democracy feels like right now: a structure on the verge of collapse, weakened not just by those attacking it from the outside, but by those inside who refuse to reinforce it.
Last night, I watched Trump’s address to Congress with a familiar sense of dread. The lies were expected—he’s been rewriting reality for years. The cruelty, too, was predictable, because cruelty is the point. But what unsettled me most wasn’t his words; it was the silence that followed from the people who should be fighting back.
There are individuals in the Democratic Party speaking out—AOC, Chris Murphy, a handful of others—but where is the coalition? Where is the urgency? The majority of Americans do not want what Trump and his enablers are selling, yet the people who should be standing in the way are barely raising their voices above a murmur.
Leadership That Hesitates, Leadership That Fails
Democratic leaders are acting like this is just another election cycle, not a battle for the survival of democracy itself. The other side is tearing democracy apart in broad daylight. Too many Democratic leaders are stuck on the sidelines, afraid to step up.
Hakeem Jeffries has the platform to rally the party. Four months after the election, we’re still waiting. If leaders are waiting for the “right moment,” they’ve already missed it.
This isn’t just about political games or strategy—it’s about what happens when people hesitate while democracy unravels in real-time. And that vacuum left by weak leadership? It isn’t just a failure—it’s an opening. A chance to build something stronger.
What True Leadership Looks Like
Some leaders get it. AOC calls out corruption with clarity and force. Gavin Newsom takes the fight directly to Republican leaders. Pete Buttigieg cuts through right-wing bluster with precision and calm. His response to Trump’s latest speech was a masterclass in dismantling empty rhetoric—calling out its “darkness and dazzle” while exposing the absence of substance. But scattered voices aren’t enough. A movement needs more than sparks—it needs a fire.
A leader doesn’t just condemn what’s wrong; they remind people of what’s possible. They don’t just react to their opponent’s latest lie—they set the terms of the conversation. Right now, that’s missing. Instead, we get calculated statements, cautious half-responses, and a flood of fundraising emails that ask for support but fail to inspire action.
The party can’t afford to wait. They need to meet people where they are. They need to speak to frustration, to fear, to the sense of betrayal so many feel when leaders hesitate instead of fight.
The Cost of Complacency
There’s a dangerous assumption that because most Americans don’t want Trump’s vision, that alone will be enough to stop it. But democracy isn’t lost because the majority wanted it to disappear—it’s lost because too many people assumed someone else would save it.
And I get it. Fear is real. Exhaustion is real. The feeling that nothing will ever change—it’s real. But that’s exactly what those in power count on.
I used to believe that truth alone could cut through deception, that facts would speak for themselves. But silence has taught me otherwise. The absence of resistance is its own kind of lie.
There have been nights when I’ve closed my laptop, turned off the news, and told myself I needed a break—just for a day. But silence doesn’t protect us. It only makes the fall quieter.
And the longer Democratic leadership waits, the more normalized Trump’s lies become. The more people tune out. The more we risk becoming bystanders—exhausted, numbed, accepting what should never be accepted.
What Will History Say?
So what happens now?
Democratic leaders must stop playing defense. They need to go on the offensive—not just in policy debates but in the broader fight for public perception. They need to remind the American people, every single day, that Trump’s vision is not the majority’s vision. That the alternative is not apathy or despair but action.
We need mass mobilization. Not just during election season, but now. Protests. Town halls. Direct engagement with voters who feel disillusioned and unheard. The party needs to meet people where they are—but so do we. The question isn’t just what they will do. It’s what we will demand.
Most of all, we need leaders who aren’t afraid. History will not just remember the loudest voices of destruction. It will remember the quiet ones too—the ones who hesitated, who turned away, who whispered instead of speaking.
The cracks are widening. The foundation is shifting. What will history say about those who saw it crumbling and turned away?
Because one day, we’ll look back on this moment.
And we’ll have to live with the answer.
Robert, you are saying what we ALL need to be saying ... every day ... all day. To everyone we know. We cannot be silent, and we need to hold our elected officials accountable. Thank you for provoking us.