Memo to Democrats: Appeasement Never Works

Just before Trump was inaugurated for a second term, a rash of protests broke out across the country.

But unlike the 2017 Women’s March, which drew millions nationwide, featured prominent Democrats like future V.P. Kamala Harris, and served as the birthplace of the ubiquitous pink pussyhat, the 2025 demonstrations were far smaller and less star-studded.

The vibe was markedly different, too. The hope and optimism eight years ago from those of us who believed that Trumpism was just a terrible, momentary aberration in American history — after all, he lost the popular vote and scored the equivalent of a bank shot in the Electoral College — had dissipated into understandable fury, fear, and grim determination.

There’s an inherent heaviness in contending with a decade of Trump dominating our lives — news headlines, court cases, and his insipid tweets/“Truths” about everything from Tesla boycotts to Taylor Swift.

The 2025 protests were filled with those grappling with the fact that their friends and neighbors voted for Trump in spite of knowing exactly who he was, and were consumed with dread about what would happen to their immigrant or transgender loved ones. And there was also profound confusion about where their Democratic leaders were at a time as fraught as this.

After I wrote about that in January, I fielded texts from a couple of politicians who felt my characterization of their cowardice in the face of fascism was unfair. Basically, their protests amounted to: The people voted for this. What do you want us to do? (Those Dems doth protest too much, methinks).

But in the months that have followed, there has been a silver lining in the absence of strong, unified leadership. Millions of people — left, right, and center — have stepped into the void to stand up for American values, for democracy, for the rule of law.

At a time such as this, when the echoes of history have become deafening, it’s worth remembering what Churchill told Neville Chamberlain following the 1938 Munich Agreement with Hitler: “You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war.”

We deserve leaders who understand what it means to be the loyal opposition, the popular front against authoritarianism. These are not normal times. Some Democrats have begun to meet the moment, while others are still cowering in the corner.

The Chamberlain List

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

If you were writing an article called, “How to Lose your Brand in 10 Days” (more or less), Whitmer would be your first case study. During Trump’s first term, she battled him over COVID policy, catapulting her into the national spotlight where she became known as “that woman from Michigan.”

There was a darker side of fame, however, as several far-right goons were convicted in a 2020 kidnapping plot against Whitmer (that didn’t stop Trump’s crowds from encouraging him to “Lock her up!”) The two-term guv played the loyal soldier, first stumping hard for Joe Biden in 2020 and then Harris in 2024 — which was largely regarded as a warmup act for her inevitable 2028 bid (as was her book, True Gretch).

But after Trump retook the Mitten State in ‘24, Whitmer seemed to wilt. In April, she made a pilgrimage to the White House to plead for disaster relief, but ended up reduced to a prop in the Oval Office while Trump gleefully signed executive orders targeting two former aides who dared oppose him (shielding her face with binders only added to the absurdity). A couple of weeks later, Whitmer embraced Trump as he arrived for a Michigan rally, where he later brought her on stage to speak. So what’s Big Gretch thinking? No one seems to know.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

If you’re someone who values experience — especially while witnessing DOGE’s legion of Elon-adoring manchildren dismantle critical programs for shits and giggles — you may have initially rolled your eyes when the Gen Zs griped about the gerontocracy in government.

But inept Democrats like Schumer seem determined to prove their point, waving the white flag in his first big spending fight with Trump, even though Americans were ready to blame the GOP (and Dems never take heat for government shutdowns). And Schumer’s “very strong letter” to Trump — over yanking funding from Harvard as part of his revenge tour — was pure cringe. It’s little wonder a growing number of long-serving Dems are facing primaries next year from younger, exasperated challengers.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

The head of the most populous state practically vibrates with ambition. It’s almost surprising he hasn’t declared for president yet (yes, even though the election is three-and-a-half years away.) But after Democrats got walloped in ‘24, Newsom decided to do what so many Americans have when they’re facing a crossroads: Start a podcast.

Like Whitmer, Newsom also frequently tangled with Trump during his first presidency (earning him the nickname “Newscum”). However, his podcast guest roster has been a who’s who of the far-right — Charlie Kirk, Michael Savage, and Steve Bannon — with Newsom barely pushing back. Not surprisingly, the show hasn’t exactly been a hit with likely Democratic primary voters.

The Churchill List

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The Millennial New York congresswoman, who most people know by the made-for-TV nickname “AOC,” remains the brightest hope for progressives during the second Trump regime. She’s worked bad jobs, gets social media, and knows how to deliver a message. And she’s teamed up with Bernie Sanders for the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, drawing thousands hungry for leadership from Idaho to L.A.

But as calls for Dems to ditch the senior-citizen set reach a fever pitch, that also means that the 83-year-old Sanders needs to — sooner than later — pass the torch to AOC and others like Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress. But it’s not clear that Bernie is ready to let go.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker

The New Jersey senator was one of the approximately 99 Democrats who ran for president in 2020 and never managed to break through the pack. But for 25 hours and five minutes from March 31 to April 1, all eyes were on Booker on the Senate floor.

Tapping into the anger and anguish so many of us have felt since November, he embarked on a marathon speech inveighing against Trump and Musk, clearly delineating how their agenda harms his constituents. Booker repeatedly called this a “moral moment” for America — which brought the stakes into clear focus.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

As the two-term governor in a safe blue state (who’s also a billionaire), Pritzker easily could have decided he didn’t need the grief of making himself a Trump target. But rather than following longtime Dem strategist James Carville’s advice to “roll over and play dead” until the GOP implodes, Pritzker seems to relish the fight and has savaged “do-nothing Democrats.”

It seems his family’s history of fleeing Ukrainian pogroms for America has weighed heavily on him, as he hasn’t shied away from comparing the Trump administration’s tactics to those of Nazi Germany. “It’s time to fight everywhere and all at once,” he declared in New Hampshire last month. While seasoned political observers noted the obvious — Pritzker was testing the presidential waters for 2028 — many Americans just seemed delighted to discover a Democrat with a spine.

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Susan J. Demas is Executive Editor of Lincoln Square.