Many people consider being informed about the news to be their civic duty. A morning routine typically consists of getting ready, making coffee, and listening to the morning radio, or eating breakfast and turning on the daily news channel. But what happens when things don’t go your way — your least favorite candidate is elected, your party is decimated and your way of life is threatened? Is it your duty to continue educating yourself, being part of the so-called “resistance”? Or are you allowed to bury your head in the sand?
In 2016, most liberals chose the first option. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, The Women’s March filled the streets of Washington D.C.; social media sites flooded with a roar of counter-protests, the iconic pink Pussy hats and liberal righteous indignation — the resistance seemed formidable. Similarly, the cultural response to Trump was united in its mockery. When Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland, Conan O’Brien visited the country and interviewed various citizens questioning Trump’s intelligence. When the Stormy Daniels scandal emerged, late-night hosts talked endlessly about Trump’s sexual history. Trump’s win didn’t weaken liberals — he invigorated them.
The second time Trump was announced as president, the vigor and stamina seemed to have dissipated. The People’s March of 2025 reached about 50,000 attendees — a far cry from the half a million that showed in 2017. According to new Pew Research Center polling, a paltry 51% of Democrats felt optimistic about the future of the party — a significant drop from 62% shortly after the 2016 election.
Similarly, the New York Times has interviewed numerous young Democratic activists who have put down their batons and retreated from political life. The contrast between 2016 and 2025 is striking. Many people are questioning the different reactions: where did the passion go? Why were people burying their heads in the sand, especially when Trump seemed more eclectic and unpredictable than ever?
Ultimately, Trump’s second victory served not just as a resounding endorsement of his ideology, but also as a stinging criticism of Democrats as a whole. The 2024 presidential election destroyed the illusion that Trump’s first presidency was a fluke, that with enough passion, protest and movement, people could erase his legacy.
As Democrats watch Trump nominate blatantly sycophantic candidates as secretaries and political leaders, there is an overwhelming sense of despair in the party. Even the cultural “elites,” so empowered and righteously angry after the 2016 election, seemed to understand the different atmosphere of 2024: shortly after Trump’s victory, Saturday Night Live produced a sketch that mockingly capitulated to Trump, acknowledging his political power and covertly recognizing liberal burnout.
In the end, political participation is deeply important for the common good of society — but is fulfilling your civic duty worth sacrificing your mental health? For liberals attempting to recover from the bloodbath of their 2024 loss, perhaps the only solution is to withdraw from politics and prioritize their everyday lives rather than worrying about the future.
