Another Wake Up Call: Republicans Keep Hitting Snooze

It's Time to Be Their Alarm Clock

Once again, Donald Trump and his congressional lackies – who have made turning a blind eye into an Olympic sport – robbed us of a break, and wrecked a perfectly good holiday.

The New Year started gloriously enough. At least, it did for me.

A few warm days led to unseasonably balmy hiking. My holiday schedule was not completely frenetic. And New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated and gave an incredibly moving speech – with themes of collective care and action and solidarity and hope.

My little blue heart was buoyant.

I spent a day or two dreamily musing about how Mamdani’s leadership could give those of us (especially those of us in Red States) the vision and boost of momentum we need to see that “better” is right there in front of our noses.

But then.

I woke up on Saturday to a text message with no context: “OMG. What the hell are we doing?”

I scrolled to the AP website, and my jaw dropped. A massive headline streamed across the page: TRUMP SAYS MADURO CAPTURED.

And just like that, I learned that Trump had ordered the invasion of a sovereign foreign nation and the capture and detention of its leader. That Maduro was a brutal dictator that deserves no quarter is a fact, just as it is a fact that Trump’s capture and detention of him is a violation of international law and separation of powers.

It’s infuriating and insulting and monumentally stupid that Trump trashed our world standing, the rule of law, and our constitution – seemingly for oil and so he could see big guns go boom and because he thinks nobody will stop him from doing whatever the hell he wants to on any given day.

So I’ll say what I said early on Saturday.

Republicans need to wake the hell up.

From my estimate, they’ve been asleep for about ten years. Five years ago today, Republicans had a chance to wake up when they watched an insurrection unfold in real time, and saw the violence and chaos their silence had enabled. Instead of seeing the situation with clear eyes, they hit snooze. They told themselves it was an aberration. They convinced themselves things would settle down.

Now five years later we’re watching a president order the invasion of a sovereign nation from a makeshift situation room in a Mar-a-Lago ballroom, monitoring Twitter on a computer screen like he’s live-tweeting a reality show. We’re having to ask ourselves whether the suggestion that Greenland or Cuba or Colombia are next on his list of targets are actual plans or just attempts to distract and troll us.

Our allies and enemies are likely wondering the same.

And Republicans are doing what they’ve always done – rolling over, closing their eyes, hoping it all goes away by morning.

That’s why, friend, we need to be their alarm clock.

Because without us to wake them the hell up, Republican members of Congress will do what they always do – even when they know Trump has violated the law. They’ll stick together, test the waters, memorize their Fox News talking points, and ultimately fall in line. They’ll tell themselves this was justified, that Maduro deserved it, that the ends justify the means.

They said the same thing five years ago today, when they decided their political futures mattered more than our democracy. Even when they saw it in person; even when their own lives were at risk.

The end result is that now we have a president who thinks he can order military invasions from a hotel ballroom while monitoring social media reactions – and believes (with good reason) they won’t lift a finger to stop him.

Five years ago, when I saw insurrectionists storm the capitol, I assumed that was the end for Trump. I fully believed that once the American people saw the result of his toxic brand in action they’d shy away from it – and wouldn’t forget it.

I was wrong on both counts.

Too many rolled right back over and went to sleep.

That’s why we need to be the most annoying, most persistent, most grating alarm clock in history. Both for Republican lawmakers, and for our fellow Americans. We cannot let this go. We have to keep talking about it, sharing it, making sure every person in our orbit knows that this happened and why it matters, and how it’s part of a dangerous pattern that destabilizes the world and our place in it.

That education is real work, and it’s important.

We need to keep contacting our representatives – especially if they’re Republican. We need to be that thorn in their side that just won’t go away; that daily caller that always has an opinion. That woman who always sends those emails. That guy who never gives up.

They have lost their moral compass. We can supply it. And in doing so we can give them the cover of “withering constituent pressure” to do the right thing.

I know you’re tired. We all are. We just got through an exhausting 12 months, and here we are again, having to sound the alarm in the infancy of the new year.

But that’s exactly what they’re counting on – that we’ll be too exhausted to fight, too worn down to care, too busy with our own lives to keep paying attention.

We can’t give them that.

Let’s give them a wake up call instead.

And let’s get to work.

Actions for the Week of January 6, 2026

Friend, things may be heavy – but you can lighten that load by doing something small – a “small deed” – to bring about the world that you want to see. I call it Action Therapy.

That’s why in each Tuesday post I share a few “small things” – usually a Small Thing to Read, a Small Event to Attend, and a Small Call to Make or Action to Take. My intention here is to give you actions you can tuck into your week with ease – and know that you’re doing something today to make tomorrow better.

Join me in doing so. It matters.

Small Call to Make: Sen. Kaine’s War Powers Resolution re: Venezuela!

Let’s all call our Senators and Representative this week to express our dismay and to push them to be guardrails. This week Senator Tim Kaine is expected to force a vote on a War Powers resolution that would block further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval. We should encourage our MOCs to support that resolution.

*It’s key here to call your Senators especially if they are Republicans.

Call the DC Switchboard (202-224-3121) if you don’t have your Senators’ numbers saved to your phone.

Script: Hi, my name is (your name) and I’m a constituent at (your zip/address whichever they require). I’m calling because I’m shocked and appalled that this administration invaded a sovereign country without congressional approval. I believe in the Constitution, and I think the Senator does too, right? Congress has the War Power, and a president shouldn’t be able to just go and invade a country without Congress. I’m asking the Senator to support Senator Kaine’s War Powers resolution to make that fact clear. Thanks.

Small Thing to Read: Mamdani’s Speech!

Honestly, this is just an incredible piece of writing. It’s full of so many delicious sentences and phrases and ideas that it’s a very good use of your time to take just five minutes and read it. I think you’ll agree that your heart feels better for it.

And I’ll be bold and say if you work in politics or organizing, it’s almost required reading. It’s that good.

Here’s the link: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-zohran-mamdani-inaugural-address

Small Event to Attend: Tonight at 6pm central! Journalist National Town Hall (Virtual)

This sounds like a fascinating event, highlighting journalists that have been targeted for doing their jobs. From the event description: Journalists don't usually get to tell their own stories. But, we're changing that – because it has to. …

During this administration, we have seen clear hallmarks of authoritarianism that threaten free speech and put the future of the news industry at risk. We have seen this pattern play out around the world, and it demands action.

This town hall is for readers, journalists and the general public—a clarion call in a time of crisis.

Sponsored by The National Writers Union, NABET-CWA, The NewsGuild-CWA, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Freedom of the Press Foundation, and the National Association of Black Journalists

Register here.

Thanks for reading, friend – I’m glad to see you here! You’re making a difference, I promise.

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Photo by mostafa mahmoudi on Unsplash