There is no time to wait. Socialist Alternative is committed to fighting back against Trump, the billionaires, and the whole system—that’s why we hit the streets on day one.
Socialist Alternative (ISA in the United States) reporters
(This article was first published on 25 January 2025)
Nearly one week into his second term, Trump has already passed over 100 draconian executive orders—including declaring a national emergency at the Mexico border, pardoning far-right January 6 rioters, and signing the executive order “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,”. He has promised a “new golden age of America,” calling for US expansion while attacking the “enemy within,” whipping up nationalism through the brutal scapegoating of immigrants and trans people.
Ready to aggressively take the helm of US imperialism on Martin Luther King Day, Trump declared, “We will make [MLK’s] dream come true.” Obviously, this is not the dream the Civil Rights leader, who near the end of his life vocally criticized the Vietnam War and US capitalism, had in mind. This new, better-organized Trump regime represents far more serious dangers for marginalized groups and the entire working class than his first administration. Ultimately, there is no force that can push back Trump and the far right except mass, working-class struggle in the streets, in our schools, and in our workplaces.
There is no time to wait. Socialist Alternative is committed to fighting back against Trump, the billionaires, and the whole system—that’s why we hit the streets on day one.
Inauguration Day protests
The weekend leading up to and on Inauguration Day, Socialist Alternative members joined thousands of students and workers in protests across the country. From NYC to LA, Chicago to Houston, we bundled up in the cold to begin the fightback against the incoming Trump administration. We spoke at rallies about how we can defeat Trump and the far right. We talked to union nurses and teachers about refusing mandatory reporting to ICE, to trans people about organizing bathroom sit-ins, and to young people attending their very first protest, looking for what to do next. We shouted from the rooftops, and will continue to do so: Trump is the symptom, capitalism is the disease! We need socialism to stop the far right for good.
To those looking to fight back against the far right, one thing was clear: the Democrats have left us out to dry. Any effective fightback against Trump must be completely independent of the Democratic Party, who spend their time cozying up to the right wing instead of fighting it. They spent the last four years signing off on more oil drilling, attacking immigrants, breaking strikes, and approving tens of billions of our tax dollars to bomb the Palestinian masses. When it came to protecting abortion rights, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring even basic access to healthcare, it was the same old story—“our hands are tied.” The Democrats are bankrolled by many of the same billionaires and corporations as the Republicans, and will always throw us to the wolves before risking their allegiance to the ruling class, which only cares about enriching themselves and maintaining their system while the rest of us suffer.
We rallied against the far right in DC and in cities across the country. Again and again, marchers asked the same thing: where is everyone? The crowds were smaller, a far cry from the tens of thousands who stomped the concrete in 2016 to defeat some of Trump’s attacks, including the “Muslim ban.” Clearly, the crises we face today are severe and dire, and the movement against the far right has been pushed back. Right now, Trump has the backing of most of the billionaire class and the global far right has the initiative. But working and young people have the power to shut down society through protests, occupations, and strikes. Even these small protests show that there are many people out there looking for a way to fight Trump. It’s time for us to get more organized to prepare for when even bigger struggles break out against the attacks that are coming.
Fight the right, fight for socialism
Our protests need to go much further than they did during Trump’s first term. The labor movement needs to play a major role, linking up with movements in the streets under the slogan, “an injury to one, is an injury to all”. We need student walkouts, strike action in workplaces, and movements with accountable, working-class leadership. Most of all, we urgently need movements that take up socialist ideas to defeat the right. Trump is a monster created by the capitalist system, which runs on war, climate destruction, oppression and exploitation.
If Trump gets elected for a second time has made you ask what you can do to be part of the fightback, now’s the time to join the socialists.
Out of Inauguration Day protests, Socialist Alternative is hosting public meetings “A Socialist Strategy to Defeat Trump and the Billionaire Class”. Already, we have met young and working people at these meetings ready to get organized and to discuss action we can take in the coming months.
The threat of Trump’s attacks shouldn’t be underestimated. But, a better world free from the rot of capitalism is possible, if we fight for it. If you agree, you should join us today!
