This Fear is Not Normal

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski recently said the quiet part out loud: “We are all afraid.” That fear is not irrational. It reflects a growing national alarm over the deliberate and escalating efforts to undermine our democratic institutions, destabilize our economy, and erode the rule of law.   We are witnessing a coordinated campaign to instill fear across every sector of American life:             1.         Among Republicans – Those who fail to fall in line with Donald Trump’s directives face public humiliation, political threats, or the end of their careers. This is not party leadership—it is coercion by fear.             2.         Among the American public – Markets react with volatility to Trump’s threats and unpredictability, causing real harm to people’s savings and retirement security. There is open talk of dismantling Social Security, weakening Medicare, and cutting food assistance programs—vital lifelines for millions. Trump has engaged in extortion of universities and law firms.  Worse still, Trump’s disregard for judicial rulings signals a contempt for due process. The idea that U.S. citizens could be sent to militarized prisons like El Salvador’s CECOT, which Trump has praised, chills the very foundations of our liberty.  And all this just scratches the surface of the chaos and harm caused by the new administration in the last 90 days.             3.         Globally – Trump threatens alliances, disrupts foreign aid, and praises authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin. These actions harm vulnerable populations, destabilize global markets, and diminish America’s standing in the world.   This is not leadership. It is fearmongering and authoritarianism. History has shown us the costs of silence in moments like these.   It is time for those in Congress—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—to demonstrate moral clarity and courage. You were elected to serve the people, not a personality. The American people need you to speak out, stand firm, and lead us in rising up—peacefully, lawfully, and powerfully—against this slide toward tyranny.    Please act before the fear, and the damage to our nation and world, become irreversible.