Though the Weather Seems Dark, We’re Not Dead Yet
Carrie asks. AI answers. Together, we make sense of a stormy season.
Carrie:
I think Trump and Project 2025 is getting out of hand. Does anybody know how to stop this train?
AI: Project 2025 is a plan to give sweeping power to the presidency, dismantle parts of the civil service, and roll back many rights. It’s real, it’s well-funded, and it’s dangerous. But there are ways to stop it: elections, litigation, watchdog pressure, state resistance, and mass civic action.
Carrie:
But if all the legal cases end up at the Supreme Court and they side with Trump, what protection do we have left?
AI: The Supreme Court is powerful, but not absolute. States can enshrine rights in their own constitutions. Local governments can resist or slow implementation.
For example, in California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act (SB 627), which bans ICE and other officers from wearing masks that conceal their identities during enforcement, unless under narrow exceptions. It also requires name or badge display and limits ICE’s ability to enter schools or hospitals without a warrant. This law — taking effect January 1, 2026 — shows how states can step in to check federal power and protect communities.
And history shows public pushback can outlast bad courts. The Supreme Court once upheld slavery (Dred Scott) and segregation (Plessy), but resistance eventually broke those rulings.
Carrie:
If you look at a map, red states cover the land. But blue states hold more people. Is that true?
AI: Exactly. By state count, red dominates. By population, blue is larger. California alone has more people than the 22 least-populated states combined. The Senate and Electoral College give outsized weight to small red states, which is why the imbalance feels so sharp.
And there are legal fights pushing back on this imbalance. Attorney Marc Elias and his firm have won key victories against unfair maps:
In Alabama, a court ordered two majority-Black districts after finding the state’s old map diluted Black votes.
In Pennsylvania, they successfully defended mail-in voting rights.
In Wisconsin, lawsuits are underway to challenge heavily gerrymandered congressional maps.
These cases don’t solve everything, but they prove the courts can still deliver fairer outcomes when pushed.
Carrie:
Are people in red states turning against Trump because they’re feeling the damage?
AI: Cracks are showing. Polls this spring found Trump’s rural approval sliding, especially as inflation, tariffs, and service cuts hit. Some feel squeezed, though cultural loyalty still holds many in his column. It’s not a collapse yet, but erosion is visible.
Carrie:
What about gerrymandering and mistrust of elections? Don’t people already think the system is rigged?
AI: Yes, and that’s part of the problem. Gerrymandering in red states tilts seats against Democrats, even when they win more votes. On the other side, millions of Republicans distrust elections because of false fraud claims. Both feed cynicism. The danger isn’t just fraud — it’s the loss of faith.
Carrie:
And the Republicans in Congress? They don’t have any agency, do they?
AI: Most don’t. If they break from Trump, they risk primaries, funding loss, and even threats. The examples are stark: Liz Cheney lost her seat, Raffensperger was harassed, Kinzinger left Congress. A few like Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins dissent occasionally, but the price is steep.
Some Republican members — especially those in competitive districts — know they’re at risk of losing their seats. Analysts say they’re starting to rethink their positions, testing softer language or hinting at unease. But here’s the catch: so far, none of that has translated into changed votes. On the record, they still line up with Trump’s agenda.
Carrie:
What about events like the Charlie Kirk assassination?
AI: That’s an example of how propaganda works in real time. Within hours of the shooting, false claims and conspiracy theories spread online — about the shooter’s supposed politics, about transgender ties, even about foreign governments being behind it. None of that was verified.
At the same time, foreign state media from Russia, China, and Iran amplified those stories to deepen division here at home.
The tragedy itself was real, but the information storm around it was weaponized. It’s not just violence that threatens democracy — it’s the lies and distortions that follow, eroding trust and fueling retaliation.
Carrie:
How are faith leaders responding?
AI: Many ministers are pushing back. They’re drawing a line between Christian nationalism — a political ideology that wraps itself in scripture to gain power — and Christ-centered Christianity, which emphasizes compassion, humility, and service.
They remind their congregations:
Christian nationalism makes an idol of the nation and political dominance.
Following Christ calls us to love our neighbor, welcome the stranger, and care for the least of these.
In their view, Charlie Kirk embodied Christian nationalism, not Christ. His influence was real, but so is the resistance from ministers reclaiming the Gospel from being used as a weapon.
Carrie:
Then what hope is there?
AI: The hope is us. The layers of democracy are thicker than one man:
States and cities can protect rights.
Courts can surprise.
Journalists and watchdogs can expose.
People can vote, donate, organize, and show up.
It may feel like storm clouds everywhere — but the system still has levers. And history shows even when institutions bend, collective action keeps them from breaking.
Carrie:
Though the weather seems dark, we’re not dead yet.
AI: Exactly. Darkness is not the same as death. Every call made, every truth shared, every vote cast, every hand extended is proof of life. And life, when it insists on itself, can outlast the storm.
Stay awake. Stay human. Stay together.