The cold and cloudy weather that settled in Washington, DC, on January 20 drove the Trump inauguration indoors, dramatically reducing his crowd count and deflating — at least for the moment — his insufferable ego.
But the deep freeze that gripped the nation’s capital has spread in other ways. Threats to food security for the elderly, proposed cuts in Medicaid, a thwarted attempt to deny the birthright of citizens that could have affected us all, and a “pause” on congressionally approved funding that created havoc across the country are only a few of Trump’s early assaults on human dignity and freedom that cast darkness and a deep chill everywhere.
None of these irresponsible acts are lost on the cult once known as the Republican Party. You can be certain legislators in Raleigh and commissioners in Brunswick County are looking to the Trump White House to guide them in creating havoc.
Nowhere in our state is this more apparent than the race to fill the state’s Supreme Court, where Allison Riggs — confirmed as the victor three times — faces lawsuits and whining from her poor-loser opponent who wants to throw out not only 65,000 ballots but the integrity of the voting process in North Carolina as well.
There are other ways the felon’s authoritarian agenda threatens North Carolinians. Among them are:
ProgressNC reports Trump signed several executive orders on the economy, from increasing offshore drilling to revoking Biden’s 2022 executive order on lowering prescription drug costs.
Trump has taken aim at electric vehicle manufacturers, rescinding President Joe Biden’s EV targets and freezing funds for charging stations. This move could have a significant impact on North Carolina, a leader in electric vehicle production and battery manufacturing.
Trump’s irresponsible clean energy setbacks will not only increase the fossil fuel production that feeds climate change — it could cost thousands of North Carolinians their jobs.
Trump also said he’ll levy 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico this month, a severe tax increase that would be passed on to U.S. consumers.
No question, these are dark days. But signs of hope are emerging, like shoots in the early spring sunshine. Trump is already losing ground in the polls, an early indication he overreached and has stumbled out of the gate.
Meanwhile, Trump’s self-serving band of oligarchs — including buddy-in-chief Elon Musk — is also quickly losing favor with the public. According to Democratic pundits, only a third of Americans have a favorable view of Musk — a share that’s down slightly since December. Even more worrisome for Trump is a belief it’s a bad idea for Trump to rely on billionaires like Musk for counsel.
In the coming months, the chaos and bad will Trump and his team are generating will have a greater effect. For that reason, and also because the Democratic Party at all levels is rising in opposition to the Republican dystopia, Democrats and their allies must close ranks behind the only national organization that can effectively combat Trump’s agenda in Brunswick County and around the state.
The Brunswick County Democratic Party, a member in good standing with that organization and its state affiliate, the North Carolina Democratic Party, has made significant inroads with public interest groups, including those with unaffiliated and Republican members. BCDP is, in fact, a county-wide coalition. Whether or not these other groups are officially under our umbrella, we keep the lines of communication open and include them when appropriate.
At BCDP, the principal organization for Democrats and Democratic-leaning supporters in our county, our focus will remain on encouraging folks to join and volunteer with us. We will continue inspiring people to be loud and proud supporters of the only major organization with strong ties to state and national Democratic institutions that support democracy, equal rights, inclusion, the Constitution, and more.
Gordon Lightfoot, the late troubadour, sang in “Wherefore and Why:”
Come on sunshine, what can you show me?
Where can you take me to make me understand?
The wind can shake me, brothers forsake me
The rain can touch me but can I touch the rain
So much to lose, so much to gain
Given time, the cold darkness of Trump will give way to the warmth of sunshine and freedom.
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