Every day (Monday-Friday), we’ll update this space with protests, signs, and other public demonstrations against the actions of the administration. Keep checking to see how Americans all across the country are protecting and defending democracy. Get help organizing from Indivisible, find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org.

April 16

April 15

April 14

April 13

April 10

April 9

April 8

April 7

April 6

April 3

April 2

April 1

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Mobilize for May Day

May Day is shaping up to be a major happening for the pro-democracy movement, flexing its economic muscle in the face of authoritarian overreach and billionaire power. Organizers — including Indivisible, labor, and clergy groups — are calling for a nationwide general strike: “No work. No school. No shopping.” As Indivisible puts it: “May Day offers us an opportunity to test our movement’s ability to do nonviolent, economic disruption.” The day will be filled with working-class solidarity — including rallies, demonstrations, and community events. Check out this toolkit for organizing an event locally, or plan to join one of more than 1,000 already on tap nationwide. You can also sign a pledge to participate, print out a poster, or find a script to encourage businesses to shut down for the day. Find out more at MayDayStrong.

Embrace Earth Day

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. Whether you want to help clean up plastic trash, plant a tree, or organize your community, you can find an event near you at Earthday.org.

Stand Up for the Forest Service

The Trump administration has announced it is gutting the Forest Service, closing regional offices, shuttering research stations, and relocating its headquarters to Utah, a state pursuing mineral extraction on public lands. Call your members of Congress to support the Save Our Forests Act of 2025. Pressure companies that built their businesses on the promise of wild and open public lands (think: Nalgene and L.L. Bean) to stand up to the administration at SaveUSFS.org.

Demand Accountability for Trump’s Genocidal Threats

It cannot be acceptable for a U.S. president to threaten to annihilate an entire civilization. Donald Trump’s genocidal Truth Social post of April 7 was so extreme as to possibly constitute a war crime in itself. Dozens of members of Congress have called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove a reckless commander in chief who can’t distinguish between tough negotiation tactics and terrorism — and now seems to have a God complex, feuding with the pope and posting a meme of himself as Jesus. (More on the 25th Amendment option here and here.) Call your members of Congress to insist that Trump’s grave breach of moral leadership not be swept under the rug.

Help Impeach Pete Hegseth

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) has filed articles of impeachment for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking his removal for having waged an unauthorized war, for violating “the law of armed conflict and targeting civilians,” and for reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. If you’d prefer to oust the modern-day crusader from Trump’s Cabinet, ask your representative to cosponsor Ansari’s efforts.

No Blank Check for War

Lawmakers have the power to block funding for Trump’s illegal war in Iran. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s budget that calls for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding congressional oversight and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Check Your Voter Registration

May and June will be busy primary months. Check your voter registration status and deadline here.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Demand Accountability for Trump’s Genocidal Threats

It cannot be acceptable for a U.S. president to threaten to annihilate an entire civilization. Donald Trump’s infamous genocidal Truth Social post of April 7 was so extreme as to possibly constitute a war crime in itself. Dozens of members of Congress have called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove a reckless, addled commander in chief who can’t distinguish between tough negotiation tactics and terrorism. (More on the 25th Amendment option here and here.) Even members of Trump’s MAGA coalition have broken with Trump over the incident. Call your members of Congress to raise your voice and insist that this grave breach of moral leadership not be swept under the rug.

No Blank Check for War

Whatever the status of the fragile ceasefire, lawmakers have the power to block funding for Trump’s illegal war. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s budget that calls for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, congressional oversight, and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Learn About Tax Resistance

April 15 is around the corner. Do you approve of where your tax dollars are going? Tax resistance is not for everyone and can carry serious consequences. But it can also take many forms, including sending a letter of protest with your tax return. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has been around since the 1980s and offers an illuminating how-to guide for both the committed and the curious.

Save the Forest Service

Urgently call your members of Congress at 202-225-3121 and ask them to support the Save Our Forests Act of 2025. The Trump administration last week announced the “restructuring” of the U.S. Forest Service, which manages 193 million acres of forest and grasslands, by closing regional offices, shuttering research stations, and relocating its headquarters to Utah, a state aggressively pursuing mineral extraction on public lands. Hatch magazine called it “the most devastating attack on the U.S. Forest Service in the agency’s 121-year history.” Alt National Park Service is leading a campaign to encourage corporations to stand up the lands protected by the Forest Service.

Check Your Voter Registration

Six states have voter registration deadlines coming up. Check your registration status and deadline here. Make sure your friends, family, and neighbors are also registered and ready to vote!

Mobilize for May Day

What’s next after No Kings 3? May Day. On May 1, forge solidarity and flex economic power by joining a nationwide general strike — “no work, no school, no shopping” — backed by Indivisible, labor, and clergy groups. Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg sees the aims as demanding the government invest in our communities, not enrich billionaires, fund endless wars, or deploy agents to detain our neighbors. Register for an April 7 organizing call here, and find out more at MayDayStrong.

Know Your Air-Travel Rights

With ICE goons deployed at the nation’s airports, read the ACLU’s “Know Your Rights” guide for travelers. Remember that all people on American soil have rights guaranteed by the Constitution and that you also have rights surrounding your electronic devices.

Hold the Line on DHS Funding

Keep up the fight over Department of Homeland Security funding. You’re winning. The standoff has already secured the ouster of the execrable DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. And the Congress is reportedly poised to approve a DHS package that funds everything but ICE. Indivisible offers talking points to demand Congress continue to negotiate reforms to Trump’s deeply unpopular mass deportation agenda.

Protect Voting Rights

The SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate, where it is being debated. Pay attention to state-based voter-suppression bills; Florida just passed what Governor Ron DeSantis is touting as the state’s mini version of the SAVE Act. (The ACLU is already contesting it in court.)

Subscribe now

First, we need JD Vance on board and then at least eight of the 15 congressionally authorized cabinet secretaries. Of those, at least nine people must write a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, saying that Trump is unable to do the job of president.

Once that letter is sent, JD Vance becomes the acting president. After that, Trump can send his own letter to Johnson and Grassley saying, no, I’m fine. They’re jealous. And he resumes being president. But JD and the secretaries have four days to send another letter to Johnson and Grassley saying, no, he’s crazy, we’re serious.

And then JD resumes being acting president. That third letter being sent triggers a 48 hour period for Congress to assemble, and they have 21 days to vote on this. If two thirds of the House and two thirds of the Senate agree with Vance and the secretaries, then JD continues being acting president. But if both houses can’t reach a two thirds vote, then Trump goes back to being president and, you know, probably fires the secretaries and sends JD on a permanent mission somewhere with shit weather.

This is real and it’s the only constitutional way to remove a sitting president besides impeachment and removal. The reason we have it is because it was written after the Kennedy assassination, and Congress was concerned about a situation where a president wasn’t technically dead, but, you know, brain dead.

And so they wanted to have a way to remove somebody if that was the case. But in the amendment, they didn’t specify that reason. So technically, it can be used for anyone who’s unable to do the job.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Donald Trump has threatened a genocidal escalation in the war on Iran beginning at 8 PM ET tonight. If you want to make your voice heard in opposition to this calamity:

• Contact your representatives via the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 or use this resource from Common Cause to find the contact for their district offices.

• Use your social media for good. Share your opposition, directly address your representatives, and amplify the real human cost of this conflict.

• Keep an eye out for peaceful protests and connect with organizations taking action in opposition to this war, such as: Indivisible, StopTrumpsWars, 50501.

You can find our standing list of Calls to Action here.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Mobilize for May Day

The third No Kings was a historic success, with eight million protesters turning out to oppose the Trump regime. What’s next? Organizers are looking at May Day, May 1, as an opportunity to forge solidarity and flex economic power by mobilizing a nationwide general strike — “no work, no school, no shopping” — backed by Indivisible as well as labor and clergy groups. As Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg sees it, the aims are simple: “We demand a government that invests in our communities, not one that enriches billionaires, fuels endless war, or deploys masked agents to intimidate our neighbors.” Find out more, and register for an April 7 organizing call, at MayDayStrong.

Learn About Tax Resistance

April 15 is around the corner. Do you approve of where your tax dollars are going? Tax resistance is not for everyone and can carry serious consequences. But it can also take many forms, including sending a letter of protest with your tax return. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has been around since the 1980s and offers an illuminating how-to guide for both the committed and the curious.

Know Your Air-Travel Rights

With ICE goons deployed at the nation’s airports, read the ACLU’s “Know Your Rights” guide for travelers. Remember that all people on American soil have rights guaranteed by the Constitution and that you also have rights surrounding your electronic devices.

Hold the Line on DHS Funding

Keep up the fight over Department of Homeland Security funding. You’re winning. The standoff has already secured the ouster of the execrable DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. And the Congress is reportedly poised to approve a DHS package that funds everything but ICE. Indivisible offers talking points to demand Congress continue to negotiate reforms to Trump’s deeply unpopular mass deportation agenda.

Oppose the Illegal War in Iran

Call on lawmakers to block funding for Trump’s illegal war on Iran. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, congressional oversight, and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Protect Voting Rights

The SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate, where it is being debated. Pay attention to state-based voter-suppression bills; Florida just passed what Governor Ron DeSantis is touting as the state’s mini version of the SAVE Act. (The ACLU is already contesting it in court.)

Track ICE Warehouses

Find out if ICE is seeking to open a detention warehouse near you with the ICE Warehouse Tracker built by Project Salt Box. Raise your voice to local elected officials or consider staging a protest outside these facilities, which have been likened to concentration camps. Learn more about how local activists have blocked warehouse sales to ICE in this video from 50501.

Cast Your Ballot

Wisconsin, you have a special Supreme Court election on April 7th. Look up your state’s voter registration deadline and primary date. (See below for more tips to ensure your right to vote.)

March for Change

The We Are American March is leaving Philadelphia on April 11 to start a 160-mile walk to Washington, D.C. From the group’s website: “We march for more reasons than there are miles … but we all share the belief that when our government stops taking care of us, we need to step up and take care of each other. Only then can we protect the continuing experiment of American democracy and effect positive, lasting change in our communities.” WAAM is holding series of information sessions next week. Find out more here.

Subscribe now

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice continues to turn a blind eye to Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which still appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies, universities, and other institutions to cut ties with Epstein cronies.

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the runup to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Help Targeted Community Members

When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

Back Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Back Gun Reforms

Moms Demand Action has a collection of events to help people demand better gun laws from their elected officials. Find an event in your area here.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation Subscribe or give a subscription as a gift.

Says the May Day Strong website: “On May 1, 2026, workers, students, and families rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.”

That’s because organizers know that a single protest won’t change a regime with authoritarian bent. Mary Frances Berry, former head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, told me, “It’s crucial, though, to be persistent; success takes time.” Berry looked to the past for example: “Anti-Vietnam protests took time to succeed, and there is always room for the opposition to define you as too radical or something.” The iconic civil rights leader also reminded us that the “Free South Africa” movement took a year and a half of daily coordinated protests. “My history teaches us to resist.”

Saturday’s No Kings Day saw over 3,300 demonstrations with more than 8 million participants rallying against the authoritarianism of Donald Trump. That the protests were so highly attended was no surprise given that Trump’s disapproval rating sits above 60 percent. Participants included Democrats, Republicans, and independents; people of all races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations; and people in red states as well as blue and purple states. The protests were peaceful — and fun.

“Non-violent protest is a means of saying we don’t agree with you [President Trump].…They help to push the politics, getting politicians to eventually or right away respond,” Berry said.

Those who protested over the weekend want to see change in life-defining circumstances and an end to controversies. Their pocketbooks are pinched. They are frustrated with the reversal of rights in this country. They are scared for their neighbors who are rounded up, detained, and deported.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, was part of The Contrarians’ No King’s Day coverage Saturday. He said rising costs are hurting people, “whether it’s rent, mortgages, gas, eggs, bread, food.” Morial further defined Americans financial pain: “the increased cost of health care, the loss of health care for many folks, and the difficulty in getting support for higher education. And then the final and most extreme is the massive job losses.”

History has shown that the greater the pain, the greater the protest. “So the pain quotient … is moving every day. Sixty days ago, the Iran war was not on the radar screen.” Morial lamented, “We’re spending $2 billion a day to fund this war” while other domestic priorities are not met.

Meanwhile, Indivisible and others are now using another tool: economics.

“We’ve seen that boycotting works because businesses don’t want to lose money, whether or not they agree with you,” said Berry, an outspoken activist who was jailed for her nonviolent protests during the Free South Africa movement.

Boycotts have long been effective in American resistance. Segregation on public buses ended after a year into the Montgomery bus boycott, which began in 1955. When Black Americans and their allies began boycotting Target after it ended some diversity programs — after the anti-diversity Trump was elected — the department store’s revenue fell. The store has been scrambling ever since.

That’s why May Day Strong is calling for a school, work, and shopping hiatus on May 1, the International Workers’ Day. “Noncooperation is simple in principle: we withhold our labor, our money, and our participation. We don’t go along,” Indivisble’s website says. The group outlined three goals:

• Tax the rich so our families, not their fortunes, come first;

• ICE out: no unchecked federal enforcement power in our communities;

• Expand democracy, not corporate control; defend free and fair elections.

When the government works for only some, it’s incumbent on us to stand up and speak out — with our labor, our minds, and our wallets.

April Ryan, host of The Contrarian’s The Tea With April Ryan, is the longest-serving Black woman reporter in the White House press corps. She is the author of “Black Women Will Save the World,” “The Presidency in Black and White: My Up-Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America,” “Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House,” and “At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White.”

The third No Kings Day was celebrated Saturday in every state, Washington, D.C., and and internationally. Here, a look at the amazing crowds, inspired signs, great joy, and defense of democracy at a rally in each U.S. state. Come back to the Democracy Movement this week and next for continued coverage of No Kings Day and other protests and rallies.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Know Your Rights at TSA

If you or a loved one is flying soon, read the ACLU’s “Know Your Rights” guide for travelers.

As theTrump regime pumps airports full of immigration agents, remember that all people on American soil have rights guaranteed by the Constitution. You also have rights surrounding your electronic devices. Read the ACLU’s expert advice on electronic devices before heading to the airport. Consider turning off fingerprint and facial recognition access to all electronic devices, because law enforcement can use them without permission to unlock your device. Citizens can’t be denied entry to the United States for refusing to reveal a passcode, but others can. Also, record – safely and without obstructing – any law enforcement interactions that are violent, oppressive, or otherwise seem wrong.

Gear Up for “No Kings”

The third No Kings protest is THIS Saturday, March 28! Get ready to play your part. Attend one of the many training sessions (including protest safety and know-your-rights seminars) and make a plan to attend a demonstration near you. For more accessible or virtual events, sign up for Stand Up for Science’s inclusive rally from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. (with a livestream of the Minnesota Twin Cities rally after) and DIYabled’s disability leaders and movements post-protest virtual event at 4 p.m. ET.

Hold the Line on DHS Funding

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down in the battle to reform ICE and the machinery of mass deportation. Despite Republicans and Democrats reaching a potential deal on DHS funding, Trump is holding the vote hostage over the SAVE Act. Recent polling shows ICE is wildly unpopular and that 65 percent of independents support the ongoing shutdown. Tell your representatives to demand ICE reforms. Fill out this form to sign the discharge petition to fund TSA (while negotiating) and kick ICE out of our airports.

Run for Something Training

Democracy works best when we all participate – including by serving in public office. Join Run For Something Civics, a nonprofit, on March 31 for a National Run For Office event to motivate and mobilize. Whether you want to run for a seat on your city council or nominate someone who would be a great member of your state legislature, can click here to learn more.

Save the Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service is more than birthday cards — Americans are increasingly relying on it for voting. Sign Common Cause’s petition and call your members of Congress to ask them to protect the Postal Service. This unsung spoke in the democracy wheel is under threat by both the President’s personal agenda to end mail-in voting and privatization dreamers. Trump-appointed USPS head is claiming the service could be broke and stop deliveries by October. Congress imposed a weird and unique retirement prefunding mandate Congress on the USPS in 2006. Though it was repealed in 2022, USPS’ finances are still recovering. Call your members of Congress through the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 to ask them to protect the Postal Service and sign Common Cause’s petition.

Oppose the Illegal War in Iran

Call on lawmakers to block funding for Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran, for which the Pentagon is reportedly seeking $200 billion. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, congressional oversight, and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Additionally, amplify the human stories emerging out of Iran, Lebanon, and Afghanistan and surrounding areas by sharing them with your online and in person networks.

Subscribe now

Uphold the Rule of Law

Hey lawyers — don’t remain on the sidelines as the fight to save democracy unfolds. Learn how to make a difference with The Rule of Lawyer’s new toolkit, which helps lawyers answer this very straight forward question: “What can lawyers do?” in a time like this one. You don’t need to start with the heroic stuff — start small and build from there. Find out more about The Rule of Lawyers and what you can do here.

Demand Accountability for a Deadly School Strike

A Tomahawk missile strike on an elementary school in Iran killed more than 160 people in late February, and a preliminary assessment indicates the United States is responsible. Amnesty International is seeking an investigation into violations of international law and a potential “war crime.” Hold our military leaders accountable. Congress can demand transparency in the military’s accounting, and even open an investigation under the War Crimes Act. Contrarians abroad can push for an international fact-finding mission through the UN Human Rights Council.

Protect Voting Rights

The SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate, where it is being debated. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no say in state elections and no right to state voter rolls.

Track ICE Warehouses

Find out if an ICE detention warehouse is opening near you — or planned to be — through the ICE Warehouse Tracker built by the public records activists of Project Salt Box. Raise your voice to your elected officials or consider staging a protest outside these facilities, which have been likened to concentration camps. Learn more about how local activists have blocked warehouse sales to ICE in this video from 50501.

Reconsider “Cesar Chavez” Streets

In the wake of reporting that alleges the storied farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez sexually abused minors and raped fellow United Farm Workers icon Dolores Huerta, communities across the country are planning to remove Chavez’s name from streets, schools, parks, state holidays, and other ceremonial places of honor. If this speaks to you, contact your elected leaders.

Cast Your Ballot

Wisconsin, you have a special Supreme Court election on April 7th. Look up your state’s voter registration deadline and primary date. (See below for more tips to ensure your right to vote.)

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice continues to turn a blind eye to Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which still appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies, universities, and other institutions to cut ties with Epstein cronies.

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the runup to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Help Targeted Community Members

When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

Back Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Back Gun Reforms

Moms Demand Action has a collection of events to help people demand better gun laws from their elected officials. Find an event in your area here.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation Subscribe or give a subscription as a gift.

Join us for LIVE coast-to-coast coverage of the United States standing up against Trump’s corruption—because America doesn’t bow to kings.

This Saturday, March 28, we’re broadcasting live from No Kings protests across the country.

Three streams. Reporters and contributors embedded at multiple sites. More on-the-ground coverage than you’ll find anywhere else!

STREAM LINKS

• The shows will be available LIVE on contrariannews.org throughout the day on Saturday, March 28

  📍 3PM ET | 6PM ET | 8:30PM ET

• Or you can watch on YouTube

• We will also post the shows after they air, so if you’re out protesting, you can catch up on all the happenings from across the U.S. when you get back

What’s happening

The list of reasons why we protest grows every day. Our friends at Indivisible, MoveOn, and say that over 3,200 events are planned, with millions expected to take to the streets to reject lawless authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.

will take us through the day’s events and bring you on-the-ground protest coverage from all over the country.

, , and will be on the ground reporting from key protests in Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and Portland — and we are working directly with organizers in dozens more cities to bring you coverage from across the nation.

We’ll welcome some of our favorite Contrarians, including , to talk about how we got here, what’s happening in major cities and small towns across America, and where we go from here.

How can you help?

• Show up to a protest and find your fellow Contrarians! Find an event near you.

• Attend a No Kings training this week before the big day.

• Share this to help spread the word about the millions of people around the world who are standing up for democracy and don’t want to sit back while Trump’s fascism takes hold.

  Share

• You do not have to pay to play in this space. If you’re able to support monetarily, proceeds from all Contrarian paid subscriptions do go right back into independent coverage of the nationwide resistance and help fund critical lawsuits to stop Trump in court.

Subscribe now

The Supreme Court today seems like they’re going to agree with the challengers, which means that sometime in June, the Supreme Court could likely invalidate all similar laws that exist. Well, a similar law does exist in these 14 states: Alaska, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington.

These 14 states account for 114 million eligible voters. That is almost half the entire voting eligible population of the United States.

Out of these, nine of them are blue states. Nine of them have competitive House elections, and nine also have a Senate election this year, including Alaska and Texas, which are surprisingly competitive for Democrats.

Why are Republicans doing this? Well, they’re saying that mail-in ballot laws in these 14 states violate laws passed in the 19th century.

In 1845, Congress said that election day for president is going to be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; and in 1875, Congress said this is also going to be the day for congressional elections. But as you can see, if you read them, neither of these laws say anything about mail-in ballots or early voting or anything like that.

So why are Republicans focused on this? Let’s look at who votes by mail. According to the nonpartisan States United Democracy Center, white people vote by mail, as do people over the age of 65, and people who are serving in our military or living overseas. But also, as you may have guessed, Democrats tend to vote by mail a little bit more than Republicans, by about 8%.

Which means that in a close election, changing the rules around mail-in balloting could affect the outcome, especially in these states which vote entirely by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. And four of these would be particularly affected by this law: California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

We should be making voting easier, not harder. So in advance of this Supreme Court ruling, what can states do?

1. They can send out ballots earlier.

2. They can expand early in-person voting.

3. They can remove requirements that you need an excuse to vote early or absentee.

And if your state decides not to make voting more convenient for you, which again, Congress did for farmers twice in the 19th century, whom we are still accommodating today, even though just 1% of us currently farm, the question is why?

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Gear Up for “No Kings”

The next No Kings protest is March 28. Get ready to play your part. Join the “Kickoff Call” on March 19 (tonight) at 8 p.m. ET. Attend one of the many training sessions (including protest safety and know-your-rights seminars) and make a plan to attend a demonstration near you.

Oppose the Illegal War in Iran

Call on lawmakers to block funding for Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran, for which the Pentagon is reportedly seeking $200 billion. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, congressional oversight, and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Demand Accountability for a Deadly School Strike

A Tomahawk missile strike on an elementary school in Iran killed more than 160 people in late February, and a preliminary assessment indicates the United States is responsible. Amnesty International is seeking an investigation into violations of international law and a potential “war crime.” Hold our military leaders accountable. Congress can demand transparency in the military’s accounting, and even open an investigation under the War Crimes Act. Contrarians abroad can push for an international fact-finding mission through the UN Human Rights Council.

Protect Voting Rights

The SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate, where it is being debated. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no say in state elections and no right to state voter rolls.

Track ICE Warehouses

Find out if an ICE detention warehouse is opening near you — or planned to be — through the ICE Warehouse Tracker built by the public records activists of Project Salt Box. Raise your voice to your elected officials or consider staging a protest outside these facilities, which have been likened to concentration camps. Learn more about how local activists have blocked warehouse sales to ICE in this video from 50501.

Hold the Line on DHS Funding

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down in the battle to reform ICE and the machinery of mass deportation. The change in DHS leadership from Kristi Noem to Trump nominee Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is hardly an improvement. Recent polling shows ICE is wildly unpopular and that 65 percent of independents support the ongoing shutdown. Encourage senators and representatives to demand ICE reforms and embrace Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s simple logic: “No accountability? No check.”

Reconsider “Cesar Chavez” Streets

In the wake of reporting that alleges the storied farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez sexually abused minors and raped fellow United Farm Workers icon Dolores Huerta, communities across the country are planning to remove Chavez’s name from streets, schools, parks, state holidays, and other ceremonial places of honor. If this speaks to you, contact your elected leaders.

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice continues to turn a blind eye to Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which still appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies, universities, and other institutions to cut ties with Epstein cronies.

Amplify Human Stories

Use your voice to amplify the humanitarian cost of war on Iran. Much of the conversation about the conflict is centered around its legality and strategy, sidelining the already-massive human toll. Read Refugee International’s warning of a “cataclysmic” humanitarian crisis or watch its companion webinar. Learn about the devastating impact of the war in neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Afghanistan, and share with your in-person and online networks.

Cast Your Ballot

Florida is holding a special election on March 24. Look up your state’s voter registration deadline and primary date. (See below for more tips to ensure your right to vote.)

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the run-up to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Subscribe now

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Help Targeted Community Members

When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

Back Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Back Gun Reforms

Moms Demand Action has a collection of events to help people demand better gun laws from their elected officials. Find an event in your area here.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation Subscribe or give a subscription as a gift.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Oppose the Illegal War in Iran

Call on lawmakers to block funding for Donald Trump’s war on Iran. Indivisible has created a form where you can automatically send a message to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, oversight, accountability, and a vote on a war powers resolution.

Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Amplify Human Stories

Use your voice to amplify the humanitarian cost of war on Iran. Much of the conversation about the conflict is centered around its legality and strategy, sidelining the already-massive human toll, including the deaths of at least seven American service members and a catastrophic strike on a girl’s school in Iran. Read Refugee International’s warning of a “cataclysmic” humanitarian crisis or watch its companion webinar. Learn about the devastating impact of the war in neighboring countries, such as Lebanon and Afghanistan, and share with your in-person and online networks.

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice is turning a blind eye to Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which still appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies, universities and other institutions to cut ties with Epstein cronies.

Hold the Line on ICE Funding

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down in the battle to reform ICE, its brutal detention camps, and the machinery of mass deportation. Public pressure helped force the ouster of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and has Republicans in “course correction mode,” even shying from the words “mass deportation.” Recent polling shows ICE is wildly unpopular and that 65 percent of independents support the shutdown. Encourage senators and representatives to demand ICE reforms and embrace Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s simple logic: “No accountability? No check.”

Protect Voting Rights

President Trump has identified the SAVE Act — which would create new obstacles to the ballot box — as Republicans’ top priority. The act has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no say in state elections and no right to state voter rolls.

Cast Your Ballot

Illinois, you’re up! The Illinois primaries are March 17. Look up your state’s voter registration deadline and primary date. (See below for more tips to ensure your right to vote.)

Brainstorm With the Best

Participate in an anti-corruption meeting on March 15 with All In 4 Democracy, a D.C.-based chapter of Indivisible. The meeting seeks to create an action plan to mobilize voters around “corruption and graft” in the political system. You can also join Swing Left’s Blue Victory 2026 War Room on March 16 to learn how to carry the 2025 blue wave into 2026.

Prepare for “No Kings”

The next No Kings protest is March 28. Get ready to play your part. Attend one of the many training sessions (including protest safety and know-your-rights seminars) or find a protest planned near you.

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the runup to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Help Targeted Community Members

When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

Back Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Support Gun Reforms

Moms Demand Action has a collection of events to help people demand better gun laws from their elected officials. Find an event in your area here.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation Subscribe or give a subscription as a gift.

Subscribe now

When the supply in oil drops, it means that the price of oil goes up — it’s now up to $85 a barrel from $60 just two weeks ago. So now the cost of manufacturing gasoline is higher because the main ingredient in gasoline, oil, is more expensive. And just like with tariffs, the cost gets passed on to you, the consumer, in the form of higher prices.

As of today, March 10th, the cost of a gallon of gas is $3.54 on average, and barely two months ago it was at $2.80 per gallon. That’s an increase of more than 26%!

Higher oil prices also mean more expensive heating oil, natural gas, diesel, and jet fuel. That means shipping packages, buying plane tickets, and heating your home are all going to be more expensive. Even fertilizer is affected: 33% of the world’s supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz, right as planting season begins. Literally, the cost of shit is getting more expensive.

So we’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for the foreseeable future, this war is taking money out of your pocket in the form of higher prices. And also your tax dollars are paying for bombs.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Check out ’s reporting from Stand Up For Science in Washington, D.C.:

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Oppose Trump’s Illegal War

Trump’s unprovoked war on Iran is destabilizing the Middle East, killing civilians, and endangering American service members. A nationwide protest has been called for March 7. Find a demonstration near you.

Stand Up for Science

Join The Contrarian on March 7 at the Stand up for Science “National Day of Action.” Stand Up for Science was founded last year to resist the “Trump administration’s dismantling of our nation’s premier science institutions.” Protestors will rally in more than 30 cities to support science, protest dangerous health policies from the Trump regime, and defend democracy. Find a rally near you.

Observe International Women’s Day

More than 1,000 International Women’s Day events are planned this week across the country – and across the globe. Check for events in your area or join a virtual call on March 7 at 8 p.m. E.T. Advocates are organizing around three “concrete demands”: passing a War Powers resolution to curb the war on Iran, releasing the full Epstein files and holding “every co-conspirator accountable,” and passing the MELT ICE Act “to dismantle ICE.”

For activists in New Mexico, a March 8 rally in Albuquerque will caravan “to the gates of Zorro Ranch” — the rural estate where Jeffrey Epstein allegedly trafficked women for decades.

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice is turning a blind eye to Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies and universities to dismiss Epstein cronies.

Persist in the ICE Funding Fight

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down in the battle to reform ICE, its brutal detention camps, and the machinery of mass deportation. The outrageous testimony of (now-former) DHS Secretary Kristi Noem before Congress this week made the urgency of reform even clearer. Keep up the pressure on senators and representatives to demand reforms that have broad public support. Encourage them to embrace Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s simple logic: “No accountability? No check.”

Protect Voting Rights

The GOP’s SAVE Act — which would create new hurdles to the ballot box — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no say in state elections and no right to state voter rolls.

Cast Your Ballot

The Mississippi primaries are March 10. Look up your state’s primary date and voter registration deadline.

Help Targeted Community Members

Despite promises of a drawdown, there are still more than 900 federal deportation agents in Minnesota. When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

• Consumers can also pressure the companies that empower ICE. Resist and Unsubscribe offers a one-stop resource for moving your money.

Support Gun Reforms

Moms Demand Action has a collection of events to help people demand better gun laws from their elected officials. Find an event in your area here.

Prepare for “No Kings”

The next No Kings protest is on March 28. Get ready to play your part. Attend one of the many training sessions (including protest safety and know-your-rights seminars) or find a protest planned near you.

Subscribe now

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the runup to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Find out more at: Common Cause; Democracy.io.

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Find out more at: Indivisible.org, where you can read the handbook and find an active group in your area or start one of your own. Discover 50501.org’s “Welcome Guide” here. Or click your state at Mobilize.us to find an action that works for you.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location.

Find out more at: Vote.org, Fair Elections Center. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Find out more at: Swing Left.

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Find out more at: RunforSomething.net

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Learn more here.

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Find out more at: BoycottHere; Boycott Central; TeslaTakedown; WeAintBuyingit; Groundavelo; Resist and Unsubscribe

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Find out more: RumorGuard; Snopes

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Find out more at: KBB; Solar-estimate.org; Bright Saver.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation

Find out more: Subscribe to The Contrarian or give a subscription as a gift.

The point of this law was to rein in the ability of the president to get involved in military activity in other countries. This is because the power to declare war per the Constitution belongs to Congress.

So what are the three scenarios where the War Powers Act applies?

One is a war declaration by Congress. Another is an authorization by Congress. And the third is a national emergency created by an attack on the United States.

Under these scenarios, the president can initiate military action in another country, but they must inform Congress within 48 hours. And that activity can only last 60 days plus 30 days for troop removal.

But what happens if a president ignores this law? Well, there are no criminal penalties, which means it’s up to Congress to either halt the military action, cut off its funding, or both. Look, Trump is not the first president to ignore this law.

Reagan sent troops to Lebanon without congressional approval. Clinton extended his bombing campaign in Yugoslavia past that 60 day limit. Obama did the same in Libya, and many other presidents have similarly sidestepped it. But many, if not most of those likely violations were done in coordination with other countries like NATO allies. They also got U.N. Security Council approval, and they weren’t solely directly focused on regime change.

But Trump’s actions in Iran were not done in coordination with a team of other countries, just Israel. They did not get U.N. Security Council approval, and they are very much focused on regime change, which, you know, very much sounds like a war. The reason that the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war is that the founders were very concerned about one person having that power.

And we know this because James Madison was taking notes during the Constitutional Convention, and they discussed this. The commander-in-chief power was meant to allow the president to command an army during war. It wasn’t meant to give the president the power to declare war and make U.S. taxpayers foot the bill — that was clearly given to Congress.

Which reminds me that right now, Congress is up for reelection. All of the House and a third of the Senate primaries are happening now. So if you care about having a Congress that will stop a president when he tries to start wars, whether it’s cutting off funding, halting the action, or even impeaching and removing, you might want to partake in those elections.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Sing a Song of Resistance

Singing Resistance — a group that brought viral protest songs to the streets of Minneapolis and other ICE-occupied cities — is holding a nationwide “Weekend of Action” Feb. 28 through March 1. Demonstrators will gather and sing at locally meaningful sites, including locations where immigration agents abducted a neighbor or outside a corporation that’s collaborating with the administration. Singing Resistance seeks to offer “a loving entry point” for people “new to social movements and activism.” (Watch the group in action at a recent Brandi Carlile concert.) Check out the songbook, and find a protest in your area — or organize one of your own.

Stand Up for Science

Join The Contrarian on March 7 at the Stand up for Science national day of action. Stand up for Science was founded last year to resist the “Trump administration’s dismantling of our nation’s premier science institutions.” Protestors will rally in over 30 U.S. cities to support science, protest dangerous health policies from the Trump regime, and defend democracy. Find a rally near you here or plan one of your own.

Protect Students

The American Federation of Teachers is holding a “Day of Action to Protect Our Kids, Our Families and Our Communities” on March 4. “As this administration uses violence and fear to intimidate communities, our members are building mutual aid networks and protecting our kids and communities.” Read the AFT’s toolkit and find a rally near you.

Students have been mobilizing across the country in opposition to brutal immigration enforcement actions — and some are paying a price. Several students in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, were arrested after police intervention during their school walkout turned physical. Consider donating to help with legal expenses.

In Texas, students are facing repercussions for similar First Amendment activities. Students who walk out of class to protest could face arrest, and the Texas Education Agency has threatened schools that fail to punish protesters with a state takeover. Action Network has a petition to tell Texas officials to respect free expression.

Persist in the ICE Funding Fight

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down in the battle to reform ICE, its brutal detention camps, and the machinery of mass deportation. Keep up the pressure on senators and representatives to demand reforms that have broad public support. Encourage them to embrace Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s simple logic: “No accountability? No check.”

Demand ICE Detention Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention centers in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Demand Epstein Accountability

The Department of Justice is turning a blind eye to Jeffrey Epstein collaborators. Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. That includes releasing all documents relating to Donald Trump, many of which appear to have been covered up. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi. Turn up the heat on companies and universities to dismiss Epstein cronies.

For Contrarians in New Mexico, there is a March 8 rally planned in Albuquerque that will be “caravanning to the gates of Zorro Ranch” — the rural estate where Epstein allegedly trafficked women for decades.

Protect Voting Rights

The GOP’s SAVE Act — which would create new hurdles to the ballot box — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no say in state elections and no right to state voter rolls.

Cast Your Ballot

The first primary elections of 2026 are on March 3, with contests in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Look up your state’s upcoming primary date here. Check voter registration deadlines here.

Help Targeted Community Members

Despite promises of a drawdown, there are still more than 900 federal deportation agents in Minnesota. When ICE is out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training here.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

• Consumers can also pressure the companies that empower ICE. Resist and Unsubscribe offers a one-stop resource for moving your money.

Prepare for “No Kings”

• The next No Kings protest is on March 28. Get ready to play your part. Attend one of the many training sessions (including protest safety and know-your-rights seminars) or find a protest planned near you.

Subscribe now

Below, find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life:

Contact Your Elected Officials

It can feel old-school (or even cringe), but calling your elected officials is effective in moving the political needle. This is true whether you’re calling to oppose an official’s stance or spur them into action that matches their rhetoric. Watch our how-to video here.

To reach the Washington, D.C. office of any House or Senate member, call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. In the runup to big votes, you may have better luck reaching a human by calling the politician’s state or district office.

Common Cause has built a remarkable tool that lets you plug in your home address and receive a roster of contact information for the many politicians who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators.

E-mail from constituents can be effective too. Democracy.io has a one-stop tool to email your Senators and Representatives.

Find out more at: Common Cause; Democracy.io.

Get Active with Neighbors

No group has channelled the energies of the anti-Trump coalition more effectively than Indivisible. The group focuses on empowering local activists who come together in periodic, nationwide mobilizations that stretch from big, blue cities to sleepy red-state towns. (Watch Jen Rubin’s interview with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the tactics of effective resistance).

If you’re more comfortable organizing on a Reddit forum or a Discord server than a living room potluck, try the newest player on the activist block: 50501.org. And if you’re just looking to make a difference on your own, Mobilize.us offers an array of local volunteer opportunities, petitions, and events.

Find out more at: Indivisible.org, where you can read the handbook and find an active group in your area or start one of your own. Discover 50501.org’s “Welcome Guide” here. Or click your state at Mobilize.us to find an action that works for you.

Guarantee Your Vote

Trump & Co. are committed to gerrymandering and voter-suppression — including purging voter rolls of supposedly ineligible or “inactive” voters — because they’re afraid of the power of your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check your registration status; if you’re not registered, you can sign up in minutes online. The group also offers a toolkit to begin a voter registration drive of your own. The Fair Elections Center has compiled a helpful, state-by-state resource (click the map) that will alert you to registration deadlines and help you find your polling location.

Find out more at: Vote.org, Fair Elections Center. A federal mail-in voter registration form is also available in many languages here.

Help Flip the House

The best near-term hope for restoring American checks and balances is flipping the House of Representatives in November. Swing Left is a progressive organization focused on 33 key House seats for the 2026 midterm —19 GOP-held seats to target and 14 Democratic seats to defend. Around since 2016, Swing Left solicits donations for these high-impact races and organizes grassroots volunteers.

Find out more at: Swing Left.

Become a Museum Watchdog

Trump has taken an axe to anything that resembles diversity, equity, and inclusion — and esteemed museums and National Parks are under pressure to censor honest accountings of American history. Monitor museums and cultural institutions near you. If you see anything – such as the removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia by the National Park Service – pressure stakeholders to demand reinstatement.

Support Pro-Democracy Organizations

In the fight against authoritarian overreach, the United States is lucky to have a robust civil society with institutional knowhow. Connect with groups that are engaged in the good fight on behalf of civil liberties, racial justice, immigrant rights, and veterans issues.

Find out more at: American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center, Color of Change, Common Cause, Native American Rights Fund, Public Citizen, VoteVets.

Run for Office

If you’re ready to take a leap into politics yourself, Run For Something can help you get off the ground. The organization has built an impressive pipeline of progressive talent to reshape our politics — from local races up to members of Congress. Founded by millennial author and activist Amanda Litman (watch her interview with Jen Rubin here), Run for Something specifically recruits next-generation candidates. But the organization offers resources for first-time candidates of all ages.

Find out more at: RunforSomething.net

Embrace ‘Tactical Frivolity’

The serious business of defending democracy doesn’t have to be so, well, serious. As the inflatable frogs of Portland taught us, there is room — and, indeed, a need — for lightness and what academics call “tactical frivolity.” This carnival-like spirit, which may involve costumes or music or goofy protest signs, buoys fellow protesters even as it confounds would-be authoritarians who are counting on fear to reinforce the perception of their power. (Context is key, consider whether your inflatable costume will be out of place at a somber vigil.)

Learn more here.

Consider a Boycott

In capitalist America, one of the most powerful ways to vote is with your pocketbook. Withholding spending can send a powerful signal to corporations that they should think twice before collaborating with the Trump administration or complying with its culture-war marching orders.

Protests at Tesla dealerships played a role in pushing Elon Musk out of his destructive White House stint as unofficial co-president. The Rev. Jamal Bryant has led a consumer boycott of Target, which abandoned its once-robust DEI commitments after Trump’s election, leading to several quarters of reduced revenue. Home Depot, Hilton, and Amazon have all been hit by recent anti-MAGA consumer protests. These protests are effective. Boycotts of Avelo Airlines helped spur that budget carrier to end its deportation-flight contract with ICE. Spotify similarly stopped airing ICE recruitment ads after consumer backlash.

The activist group Choose Democracy has a solid boycott tracker. Also check out the list at BoycottHere.com. Resist and Unsubscribe also offers a one-stop resource for moving your money from businesses linked to ICE.

Find out more at: BoycottHere; Boycott Central; TeslaTakedown; WeAintBuyingit; Groundavelo; Resist and Unsubscribe

Combat Misinformation Online

Social media billionaires like Musk are rigging their algorithms to prioritize right-wing content — especially surrounding ICE operations. Report posts with false or misleading content, add or request “community notes,” and circulate or create factual content. RumorGuard — a project of the nonpartisan News Literacy Project — offers tools to recognize misinformation, including a catalog of hoax content that’s gone viral. Snopes.com also specializes in debunking misinformation.

Find out more: RumorGuard; Snopes

Declare Energy Independence

The planet is overheating and our foreign policy is a nightmare, significantly because of America’s addiction to fossil fuels. The Trump administration wants to keep American drivers hooked on Big Oil and keep the energy grid powered by fossil fuels — and has reduced pollution controls and phased out federal tax incentives for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But with state-level support, the economics of green energy still make sense for millions of Americans. Kelley Blue Book offers a state-by-state catalog of electric vehicle incentives. Homeowners can get a rough cost estimate for powering their homes with renewable energy at Solar-estimate.org. For renters, a group called Bright Saver is lobbying to make “balcony solar” — think: small, DIY solar arrays plugged into your home outlets — legal and accessible across the country.

Find out more at: KBB; Solar-estimate.org; Bright Saver.

Support Nonprofit Media

In an age of right-wing billionaire takeovers of once-great newspapers, broadcast networks, and social media platforms, supporting independent media outlets has never been more critical. Some of our favorites include ProPublica, Mother Jones, and local outlets such as the Barbed Wire in Texas, the Minnesota Reformer, the Tennessee Holler, and the Mississippi Free Press.

The publication you’re reading is also unique: The Contrarian is not owned by anybody and helps fund pro-democracy litigation

Find out more: Subscribe to The Contrarian or give a subscription as a gift.

It’s not true that foreign countries pay tariffs. We pay tariffs, American businesses pay tariffs, and then they pass the cost onto us, the consumers, in the form of higher prices. That’s number one.

Number two, there was a time about 130 years ago when the United States did not have income tax and collected most of its revenue in the form of tariffs.

It was called the Gilded Age, and it’s one of the periods of the worst income inequality in the United States. Tariffs shifted the tax burden away from the rich and onto the poor, because everybody pays the same price for a good or service, regardless of how much money they have. So the tariff baked into that price is a larger burden for poor people than rich people.

And when the United States did establish income tax in 1913, we established marginal tax, which means the more money you make, the higher share of your income you pay in taxes. That was intended to shift the tax burden away from poor people and more toward rich people.

So what the president is saying is he wants to go back to a time when tariffs were the main revenue source and not income tax, and that would shift the tax burden away from the people he loves the most—rich people. He’s literally saying it out loud.

Just a reminder that it is Congress that has the power to establish or take away income tax. And this year, there is an election for all 435 members of the House and one third of the Senate. So the vast majority of Congress is up for election this year. So if you aren’t a rich person and you don’t want to live in a country where suddenly you have to pay a larger share of the tax than rich people, then you might want to pay attention to who you’re voting for this year.

If someone is saying that they want to go away from income tax and go back to tariffs, it’s code for taking the tax burden away from rich people and giving it to poor people.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Keep Up the ICE Funding Fight

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down because of the budget battle over reforming ICE, its brutal detention camps, and the machinery of mass deportation. Keep contacting your senators and representatives to demand reforms that have broad public support. (Indivisible offers talking points.)

Demand ICE Camp Oversight

Ask your members of Congress to conduct oversight visits of ICE detention camps in their districts and publicize their findings — or raise hell if they’re denied access. Hold a vigil or a protest outside a detention facility near you. Work locally to block the sale or permitting of warehouses intended for new ICE camps. Freedom for Immigrants offers resources for people who want to help abolish migrant detention.

Demand Epstein Accountability

Pressure your representatives to reveal the full rot of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and hold criminals accountable. Turn up the heat on companies and universities to dismiss Epstein cronies. Call for the ouster of Commerce Secretary and Epstein associate Howard Lutnick and obstructionist Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Protect Voting Rights

The GOP’s SAVE Act — which would create new hurdles to the ballot box — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate. Remind your local and state election authorities that the federal government has no right to state voter rolls.

Cast Your Ballot

The first primary elections of 2026 are coming up on March 3 with contests in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. (North Carolina voter registration remains open during early voting, which runs through Feb. 28.) Look up your state’s upcoming primary date here. Check voter registration deadlines here.

Learn About AI’s Threat to Democracy

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) will discuss the future of AI and the battle between the people and tech oligarchs at a livestreamed Feb. 20 town hall at Stanford University. (An October report by Sanders found AI threatens as many as 100 million jobs and offers proposals like a “robot tax” to guarantee all Americans benefit from advancing technology.)

Sit Out Trump’s State of the Union

Don’t hold yourself hostage to Donald Trump’s State of the Union ramble on Feb. 24. Instead, join The Contrarian’s Katie Phang – virtually or in person – at the National Mall for the People’s State of the Union (which we will be reporting live on our socials) or watch Contrarian Co-Founder Norm Eisen at the Drain the Swamp counter event. Alternatively, gather with friends to plot ways to strengthen democracy — or protect neighbors in peril.

Help Targeted Community Members

When ICE agents are out in force, many immigrants and citizens of color alike are afraid to leave their homes. Some ways to show solidarity:

• Distribute know-your-rights cards.

• Learn the SALUTE method for documenting the presence of federal agents.

• Hand out whistles to blow if deportation agents are spotted in your neighborhood. (You can connect with activists distributing free, 3D-printed whistles here.)

• Print out zines (in English and Spanish) with advice for reporting ICE activity.

• Create teams to monitor neighborhoods near schools and bus routes for federal agents.

• Organize school carpools or grocery runs for vulnerable families.

• Record federal agents (from a safe distance) and distribute evidence of abuses. Watch an ACLU-led “Eyes on ICE” training here.

• Contact the House Judiciary Committee’s whistleblower tip line to report illegal activities by a federal agency or agent.

• Consumers can also pressure the companies that empower ICE. Resist and Unsubscribe offers a one-stop resource for moving your money.

Mark Your Calendars

• The next No Kings protest is on March 28. Find a protest planned near you.