Call it People’s Day
Looking to make your voice heard? Here is how today
Two weeks ago, a growing movement called 50501 (that’s "50 protests, 50 states, one movement") jumped from humble beginnings on Reddit to organizing protests at every state capitol, in defiance of the ongoing Trump-Musk coup. Today, they’re doing it again, with a "No Kings on Presidents' Day" day of protest. If you’re looking for an action near you, you can find one here.
After a slow start, with the forces opposed to the new administration caught flat-footed, people are waking up to the reality of what we’re facing. The courts are blocking illegal orders. Brave lawyers — even very conservative ones — are refusing to act on illegal directives. Elected representatives like Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are stepping up where the Democratic Party’s leadership has failed to inspire and act.
And now it’s the people’s turn. Because that’s what matters most.
Presidents’ Day — originally intended to honor George Washington’s birthday — expanded over the last century to celebrate the office of the presidency itself. In recent years, you might have associated it more with mattress sales, but given the disservice done to that office (and to mattresses) by Donald Trump, it’s time to reclaim that expanded meaning and remind our leaders that this country wants no king.
And that is something no tyrant or plutocrat or DOGE geek is going to stop us from telling the truth about at The Ink. We’re committed to building a new media that owes nothing to billionaires, a free and independent media supported by readers, unafraid to tell the truths that need to be told.
And, to be candid, we need your help. When you step up and support our work by subscribing, you allow us to keep going.
When you become a paid subscriber, you not only get access to all of our essays and interviews, including a four-year archive of incredible thought food, but you will also be able to participate in our community’s ongoing conversation via our vibrant chat online and in our comments section. You will get access to our ongoing series of Live conversations with the thinkers and leaders who are helping us understand what Trump and Musk are doing to this country — and imagining what comes next.
You will help us bring on new voices, and keep us independent as we grow to serve you better, as we strive to help our readers get through this time with the knowledge and tools to face what’s happening — and build the world that can be.
Follow the links below for some of our latest coverage of the constitutional crisis we’re facing — and become a part of this today.
A programming note. We’re going Live!
We have two Substack Live events this week that you won’t want to miss: Today at 12:30 p.m. Eastern we’ll have our regular conversation with scholar of fascism Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Then on Tuesday, February 18, at noon Eastern, we’ll be talking with Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who has emerged as one of the most fiery sources of resistance to the new Trump administration. To join us and watch, download the Substack app and turn on notifications. You’ll get an alert that we’re live and you can watch from your iOS or Android mobile device. Join us from anywhere — even if you’re out making your voice heard.