(DCNF)—Liberal activists and legal groups say the possibility of former President Donald Trump winning November’s election is taking a toll on their mental health, and are preparing plans to resist him again, the New York Times reported.
A sense of “acute exhaustion and acute anxiety” pervaded interviews conducted with over 30 left-of-center activists and officials as they realized “with great dread” that they may need to challenge Trump’s agenda once again, which many of them view as a threat to democracy itself, according to the NYT. This trepidation has spurred a network of nonprofits and Democratic officials to take preemptive action aimed at kneecapping a potential second Trump administration’s approach to abortion, immigration and civil service reform.
“What Trump and his acolytes are running on is an authoritarian playbook,” said Patrick Gaspard, the head of CAP Action Fund, the political arm of the liberal Center for American Progress, according to the NYT. “So now we have to democracy-proof our actual institutions and the values that we share,” he continued.
CAP Action Fund and its allied groups plan to stop Trump from implementing key parts of his agenda should the American people elect him to the presidency.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), for instance, are preparing litigation and direct action aimed at bolstering future resistance to immigration enforcement under a potential second Trump administration, the NYT reported.
NILC, a left-of-center Soros-funded immigration group, has been preparing for a possible second Trump term since last fall by plotting how to deploy a network of volunteers across the United States aimed at recording immigration raids on video and intervening if they believe a legal violation is occurring, the NYT reported.
The ACLU, for its part, has released a memo outlining its plans to obstruct Trump’s immigration plans, going into detail about the combination of legal challenges, lobbying and coordination with liberal officials it plans to employ in service of its goals. Lawyers at the ACLU plan to argue in court that any attempt from Trump to pursue mass deportations would violate the Fourth Amendment by requiring racial profiling and that detaining illegal immigrants for large-scale deportations would violate the Fifth Amendment’s guarantees against arbitrary or punitive civil detention.
Additionally, the organization plans to lobby Congress to limit the jurisdiction of Customs and Border Protection agents and to encourage governors to pardon criminal illegal aliens to prevent them from being deported.
The legal group has hired a financial auditing firm to ensure it is in total legal compliance, anticipating that Trump may use the Internal Revenue Service, which oversees nonprofit organizations like the ACLU, to target it, according to the NYT.
Trump’s immigration plans are popular, with 62% of registered voters, including 53% of Hispanics, saying they support the United States government creating a new program to deport all illegal immigrants, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted in early June. Voters see Trump as preferable to Biden when it comes to handling the border more broadly, with 46% of voters saying they prefer Trump on the issue compared to just 26% saying Biden in a May poll from Decision Desk HQ/News Nation.
“It’s not surprising Biden and his cronies are working overtime to stymie the will of the American people after they vote to elect President Trump and his America First agenda,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told the NYT. “Their devious actions are a direct threat to democracy,” he continued.
On abortion, a group called the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of 23 Democratic governors that supports legal access to abortion, is working to secure stockpiles of abortion pills in case a future Trump administration bans or restricts them, the NYT reported. Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he has secured a large enough supply of abortion pills to last five or six years.
“The Reproductive Freedom Alliance has pioneered a model of coordination across states to defend, and expand, access to reproductive health care—enabling governors and key staff to develop relationships and a structure for collaboration that could be replicated on other issues, like immigration and gun safety,” said Julia Spiegel, a lawyer who helped launch the group from the office of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, told the NYT.
Democracy Forward, a group founded after Trump’s 2016 victory that flooded his first administration with legal challenges, released a “threat matrix” that covers how Trump might approach abortion, health care, climate, civil rights, environmental protections and immigration in his second term, the NYT reported. The organization is, accordingly, drafting litigation to oppose actions it expects a second Trump administration to take and recruiting potential plaintiffs who may have standing to contest Trump’s policies.
Polls paint a somewhat optimistic picture for Trump, with FiveThirtyEight’s average of national polling putting Trump roughly a point ahead of Biden as of June 17. Decision Desk HQ’s presidential forecast model currently gives Trump a 56% chance of winning the presidency.
“We are doing scenario planning for a Biden victory and for a Trump victory,” Brennan Center for Justice president Michael Waldman told the NYT. “For Biden, we are preparing for the chance to pass significant legislation strengthening the freedom to vote, and for Trump we are mapping out how to limit the damage from an epic era of abuse of power.”
Principles First, a self-described conservative anti-Trump group, plans to hold a conference titled “Autocracy in America–A Warning and Response” at New York University in July where scholars will discuss how to combat authoritarian leaders.
“He is no normal candidate, this is no normal election, and these are no normal preparations for merely coming out on the wrong side of a national referendum on policy choices,” Protect Democracy Executive Director Ian Bassin told the NYT.
CAP Action Fund, Protect Democracy, Principles First, NILC, the ACLU, the Brennan Center for Justice and the Reproductive Freedom Alliance did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
