Dem
47
GOP
53
Here is the question we put before readers last week:
S.S. in West Hollywood, CA, asks: Now we know who the leader of the free world is. What I really want to know is: Who is the leader of the Trump opposition? Is there any person, journalist, media outlet, or organization, elected or not, foreign or domestic, who will rise to become an effective voice of conviction against the avalanche of lies, corruption, and immorality about to be released on the world? Please, somebody, tell me there's opposition somewhere out there ready, capable and willing to push back!
And here some of the answers we got in response:
B.J. in Arlington, MA: Jon Stewart.
D.C. in Jacksonville, FL: The leader(s) of the anti-Trump resistance will be the same as they have been, barring a Gestapo-like roundup and incarceration. In no particular order, they are Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Jon Stewart.
K.H. in Ypsilanti, MI: No politician has really stepped forward to be the focal point of Trump opposition, so I would say the clear leader at this point is Heather Cox Richardson.
She continues to fight the good fight, day after day, detailing the misdeeds and toxic ideology of Trump and his crew in a historic context, while at the same time expressing a vision of traditional American values rooted in community, equality, justice and human rights.
An actual politician will eventually emerge as a rallying point but right now she is the beacon of light so many of us are looking to.
B.D.B in Columbus, OH: The man who has been leading a true anti-Trump crusade in various forms since 2016 is none other than Keith Olbermann, former host of formerly liberal MSNBC. He put out some videos in 2016 for GQ called "The Closer," renamed "The Resistance" after Trump won, and now he hosts Countdown with Keith Olbermann on iHeart Radio. He was planning to retire if Harris won and he has cut down the number of times a week he posts (at least for now), but he's still putting out content.
B.C. in Walpole, ME: Nicole Wallace has a 2-hour program 4-6 ET, with excellent guests and regulars. Unlike Morning Joe, she actually lets them speak, rather than lecturing them. She's done an excellent job of covering Trump/Trumpers/MAGA for several years now. Lawrence O'Donnell is also very good.
K.P. in East Lansing, MI: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is already the leader of the opposition. To be a legitimate opposition you need to have something you are in favor of, rather than just being against someone or something.
Most of the alternative ideas that are not merely political talking points have come from Bernie's presidential bids.
When the Democrats win the midterms in 2026, the new Speaker needs to step up and lead the government as described by the Constitution. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was very skilled; it will be hard to fill her shoes.
T.B. in Bay Shore, NY: My pick for the next leader of The Resistance(TM) is none other than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). She has been fine-tuning her populist message into another Bernie-lite and it paid dividends with the results of people in her district being split ticket voters.
D.S. in Layton, UT: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) will lead the Drumpf opposition. Young, photogenic, smart and setting himself to be the frontrunner in 2028.
E.M. in Delaware, OH: To me, the question is "will be" versus "should be." I believe Gavin Newsom is the "will be," because he's desperate to be president and the economic size and influence of California creates a perfect forum for counter-programming (with media hype, sadly, being today's political main stage). He can credibly seize on automotive regulations, agriculture, tariffs. Will America tire of him? Can he bond with common folk, especially my Midwestern neighbors? These are serious questions.
The "should be" candidates are Kamala Harris and Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY). Harris' short campaign revealed the intellectual feistiness—and seriousness—she showed in the Kavanaugh hearings. If she were to use TV wisely on an ongoing basis and build the social media presence that Democrats desperately need, she could be a true force in our media-dependent politics. America is just getting to know her. Beshear is even less well known, but is great on TV and could effectively explain how TFG and his Clown Car are ruining the economy, beginning with his red state. This would work for a presidential run or for turning Mitch McConnell's Senate seat blue.
A.M. in Toronto, ON, Canada: Allow a Canadian to suggest that a very small group of Republican senators may discover they have spines of steel, a moral conscience, a love of country before party and an unshakable belief in the American experiment, and band together to be legislative freedom fighters that keep Trump honest and faithful to his oath of office.
A.A. in Austin, TX: Who is the leader of the opposition? I would nominate the Alt National Park Service. I first saw them on Facebook during the Orange Guy's first term. They organized almost immediately after he took office and worked for four years as resistance workers to keep the National Parks safe. After Biden was elected, they went quiet; the "Force" was with them then. But now they are back with a vengeance, ferocious as a bear and totally anonymous. You rock, folks! Sending you link to their Instagram and FB pages.
K.F. in Framingham, MA: To begin to answer the question as to who or what will lead the resistance to La Naranja Gordo, it helps to identify who will not lead said resistance. The mainstream and legacy media will not be on our side. They will continue to kiss the ring and engage in bothesideriam, sane-washing, and normalization of his behavior. Independent streamers and content creators like Brian Tyler Cohen, Mary Trump, David Pakman, The Rational National, Pod Save America, and others could potentially expand their following even further—but they really need to find a way to go beyond the progressive echo chamber.
The true leader of the resistance should and will be Electoral-Vote.com! If you can find a way to raise the required funding as well as find the time, you can expand your sphere of influence. It may require hiring a few more staffers, other than the staff dachshunds and your staff mathematician. Imagine if you went live with your own podcast, YouTube channel, a strong BlueSky presence, video shorts on TikTok and Instagram, or even created your own boutique social media platform, like EV Social. You could bring your vast knowledge of American history, politics, electoral analysis, and more to the masses. You could be part of the re-education of the American electorate. An accurately informed electorate will be the most important element necessary for any resistance movement. Rather than just watching from the sidelines, you could play a vital role in saving our democracy! From there, the sky is the limit! You could have Electoral-Vote.Com The Movie, Electoral-Vote.Com the Video Game, Electoral-Vote.Com the Action Figure. The list goes on. America is calling. Will you answer?
J.H. in Boston, MA: Did any one figure rise to become the central voice of opposition to Trump during his first term? Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Gavin Newsom, Sep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), or Jon Stewart?
I would say no, (though Pelosi comes close), and I see no reason why his second term would be different, so for the second week in a row the answer is "no one."
S.D. in St. Paul, MN: For many of us, it might feel comforting to see a visible, capable, and even charismatic leader rallying the resistance against the next tRump regime. But as Civil Rights organizer Ella Baker often said: "Strong people don't need strong leaders." So who is actually the leader of the Trump opposition? You are. We are. All of us. So let's all get to work in our own communities and step it up. It's gonna take all of us to build something better and more resilient than the Biden Interregnum.
Here is the question for next week:
C.W. in Carlsbad, CA, asks: How should people prepare for the incoming administration?
Submit your answers to comments@electoral-vote.com, preferably with subject line "Be Prepared"!