From Trump’s Chaos, a New Progressive Wave Rises

Robert Reich refuses to let the horrors of the Trump era define us. In his latest Substack essay, he catalogs the administration’s unrelenting assaults — from the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act to unchecked ICE raids and weaponized Justice Department tactics. Yet, he insists, out of this catastrophe a powerful backlash is emerging.

Trump’s approval ratings have sunk to historic lows. Two-thirds of Americans oppose his war, and even some die-hard MAGA supporters are turning away. But Reich urges us to see beyond mere resistance. What’s being born is a new progressivism fueled by tireless activists across the country.

From Montana to Hawaii, California to New York, grassroots organizers are crafting visionary policies to curb corporate greed, expand reproductive rights, tackle climate change, and confront homelessness. In red states, activists are blocking migrant detention centers and massive AI data hubs. Minimum wage hikes have spread to nearly 90 jurisdictions nationwide this year alone.

Reich highlights a rising generation of progressive political leaders — Maxwell Frost, Summer Lee, Zohran Mamdani, and many others — who embody this surge of energy and hope. He calls this the most vibrant progressive moment he’s witnessed in six decades of political engagement.

Make no mistake, Reich warns: these are dark times marked by authoritarian overreach and widespread corruption. But he leaves us with a rallying cry: as long as we keep fighting, organizing, and demanding change, we will prevail.

This is not just resistance. It’s a rebirth. And it’s happening now.