MAGAs 7 Deadly Sins—So Far—And How to Fight Back

How MAGAs are undermining every aspect of our Republic as they march the United States towards fascism—and the actions we must take to stop them

This Black History Month remember that human trafficking was legal. Slavery was legal. Jim Crow was legal. The US Government paying reparations to white enslavers and not to the enslaved was legal. Prison slavery is still legal. The lesson is—do not let legality and power be a measure of morality and justice. And this is the lesson to remember now as the new MAGA government dismantles every semblance of a functioning society under the guise of “law and order.” Their acts are not only likely illegal, they are absolutely immoral and unjust. And unless we act with immediate urgency the damage done will be irreparable. What are these injustices, and how do we work with meaningful action to counter them? Let’s Address This.

A protester holds a sign that reads "Make Fascists Afraid Again!" during a demonstration at the University of Washington. [Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP]

In just a few weeks, the Trump administration has unleashed some of the most sweeping assaults on democracy, civil rights, and global stability in modern history. Every move has been calculated to entrench authoritarian control, whether by punishing law enforcement officials who prosecuted insurrectionists, dismantling public health protections, handing over government power to billionaires, criminalizing diversity and thought, or upending global trade agreements. These are not the actions of a democratic leader—they are the hallmarks of a fascist regime.

Here are seven of the most dangerous actions Trump has taken so far—and likewise—what actions can take to counter and protect from the harm he is causing.

1. Handing an Unelected Billionaire Control Over Americans’ Financial Data

Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessant, has granted Elon Musk full access to sensitive Treasury data, including Social Security and Medicare payment systems. Musk’s cronies have reportedly blocked out government officials from their own systems. This means Musk, a private billionaire with no official government position, now has direct access to:

• Federal grant and loan distributions

• Social Security and Medicare benefits records

• Government contractor payments, including those that compete directly with Musk’s companies

This is blatant corruption. Musk previously publicly pressured Trump to fire the FAA administrator after the agency fined SpaceX for safety violations. The administrator was fired on January 20th. And we’ve already seen the devastation caused in air traffic. Two days later, Trump’s Treasury Department handed Musk access to the most sensitive financial data in the country.

A reminder once more that the President has zero authority to reallocate funds already appropriated by Congress for a particular purpose. And an unelected billionaire oligarch has even less than zero authority to hijack and reallocate funds.

If Musk were an elected official, this would be a massive conflict of interest. Instead, it’s something even worse: a billionaire oligarch being given unchecked power over Americans’ financial information. If any other nation on Earth did this we’d consider it a coup. And that’s what this is. This is a coup. A hostile takeover. A Constitutional crisis. Meanwhile, a reminder that 16 Democrats joined Republicans to confirm the billionaire hedge fund manager Bessant, who is now handing over the keys to our $28T economy to Musk.

2. Weaponizing the Justice System: Firing FBI Officials Who Investigated the Insurrection

This attempted purge of FBI officials involved in the prosecution of January 6th insurrectionists is of the most chilling early actions of the Trump regime. A reminder that Trump pardoned 1,500 white supremacist felons convicted for their role in the violent coup attempt. The people who stormed the Capitol in tactical gear, wore “Camp Auschwitz shirts,” beat police officers to death, and openly called to execute public officials are now free to walk the streets, while the law enforcement officials who held them accountable are being punished for doing their jobs.

Now, the Department of Justice has ordered the termination of eight senior FBI officials and demanded a list of every agent who worked on prosecuting January 6 insurrectionists. This is a direct authoritarian attack on law enforcement officials who dared to uphold the rule of law. In response, several of my contacts in the FBI leaked the following internal updates to me:

When told they were being fired, the FBI executives refused to leave. The Agents Association advised the Administration that it was unlawful by statute. They told the Administration they are required full formal OPR [Office of Professional Responsibility] adjudication before dismissals as we are not political appointees. So the Administration threatened that “we will OPR you” and all executives said “go for it.” Bottom line no one was walked out. The Administration backed down once they were threatened with legal action. They may OPR everyone but good luck with that. This makes me feel much better. Keeping you up to date.

One of the first rules in resisting autocracy is “do not comply in advance.” Therefore, it is encouraging to see that the targeted FBI officials have threatened legal action, which has temporarily halted the firings. The FBI has also refused to turn over the names of agents involved in January 6th cases until the DOJ provides a legal justification. As a reminder, this is the same tactic Trump used last week when he attempted to purge 17 Inspectors General. The IGs also responded by pointing out that Trump did not follow the legal procedure to fire them, and therefore refused to leave their posts. Finally, USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong was forced to leave. This is courage in the face of fascism.

Clearly, Trump does not support law enforcement. He only supports law enforcement when it is a tool to uphold white supremacy and silence dissent.

3. Censoring Public Health: Erasing Critical Medical Information

The Trump regime has purged crucial public health resources from government websites, an action that medical experts warn will cost lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed:

• Contraception guidance

• HIV prevention and treatment resources

• Studies on mental health in transgender and nonbinary communities

• Data on bullying, suicide rates, and drug use in marginalized communities

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has condemned these removals, stating that erasing HIV information directly undermines efforts to end the epidemic, and will lead to more death. Indeed, as we still recover from the deadly COVID pandemic, we know all too well how stripping access to health resources costs lives. This move by the Trump regime will kill people, and sadly that appears to be the point.

4. Reviving Concentration Camps: 30,000 Migrants to Be Detained at Guantanamo Bay

Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to detain up to 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

This is not just a return to some of the darkest moments of U.S. history—it is an intentional echo of Executive Order 9066, which led to the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Already we see reports of ICE illegally detaining U.S. citizens, assuming they are “illegal” because of the color of their skin. Meanwhile DHS Secretary Noem, whom 6 Democrats joined Republicans to confirm, is on the streets with ICE assisting, even as IC raids of schools and hospitals. Yes, even children are not spared this cruelty, including sick children. For example, the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta sent a notice to its entire staff to prepare for ICE raids, and provided guidance on how to remain calm when they show up. The Trump regime wants Americans to believe that “freedom” is targeting and arresting sick children at their most vulnerable point in life. Barbaric.

And for those who claim that “America is becoming 1930s Germany”, let’s remember that in the 1930s, Hitler sent his lawyers to study U.S. segregation laws, ultimately to model his own genocidal policies. America was Hitler’s blueprint, and shockingly, Hitler’s lawyers reported back to him that the U.S. segregation laws were in fact “too extreme, even for Nazis.” (The pre-eminent book on this topic is Hitler’s American Model by Princeton Professor James Q Whitman). Trump is not “copying 1930s Germany,” but reviving 1920s America—the America of Jim Crow, immigration bans, women’s oppression, and state-sanctioned racial violence.

That is what “MAGA” has always meant.

5. Shutting Down Humanitarian Aid: USAID Purge

The Trump regime has virtually dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—the agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid to people in crisis worldwide.

At least 56 senior USAID officials have been placed on administrative leave, while over $1 billion in critical aid has been frozen. This means:

• Food assistance for starving children has been blocked

• Medical aid for war-torn regions has been suspended

• Disaster relief programs have been dismantled

All of this is being carried out under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom Democrats joined Republicans in unanimously confirming 99-0.

This is not just MAGA cruelty—it is bipartisan complacency.

6. Igniting a Trade War: Tariffs That Will Crush Consumers

Trump has recklessly imposed a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on all imports from China. These tariffs are scheduled to go live on Tuesday at midnight February 4 Let’s be clear: Tariffs are not paid by foreign governments or foreign companies. They are paid by American consumers. And unsurprisingly, Canada and Mexico have already announced retaliatory tariffs:

• Canada is imposing 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. exports

• Mexico is planning tariffs on U.S. pork, cheese, fresh produce, and steel

This will skyrocket prices for consumers while crushing American businesses that rely on exports. Trump either doesn’t understand basic economics or doesn’t care how much working people suffer. At a time of historically high wealth and income inequality, this reckless move will further crush working people.

7. The Ideological Purge: Attacking DEI and Silencing Journalists

As I’ve documented before, Trump is purging non-white officials, political opponents, women, and journalists from federal agencies and the Pentagon. Specifically, since taking office, he has:

• Canceled student visas for pro-Palestinian protesters, a clear First Amendment violation

• Ordered Politico, the New York Times, and NBC to vacate their Pentagon offices, and has replaced them with OANN, Breitbart, and the New York Post—right wing outlets with a history of bias and disinformation

• Attempted to force out federal employees who are not ideologically aligned with the “Trump agenda”

• Purged all DEIA verbiage, actions, and initiatives from all Federal agencies, and openly demonized Black and brown people, disabled people, and women as the cause of America’s problems

This is not about government reform. It is about creating a one-party fascist state where Trump controls the media, purges opposition, and rules with unchecked power.

How Do We Respond With Meaningful Action?

“So what do we do?” is a question I receive dozens of times per day. I answer in detail below. To be sure, the worst thing we can do is give up. Autocrats want capitulation through exhaustion and compliance through fear. Do not give them that fuel.

Instead, in response to the 7 fascist actions cited above, I offer below 7 acts we can take to enact meaningful change for justice. Even if you don’t know where to begin or don’t have expendable funds, you can play a meaningful role. Some of these action items below have immediate effect and others take time. I ask you to engage in both.

1. Federal Employees — Use All Legal Means At Your Disposal: The eight FBI agent executives and the 17 Inspectors Generals refusing to comply in advance with unlawful firings are two excellent examples to follow. As federal employees, you have rights and protections. Contact employment attorneys in your area and speak to labor rights organizations. Understand your rights and know your rights. Get in good trouble, as John Lewis reminds us. Fight tooth and nail for your position, as your actions set a precedent for the future. Set the precedent of resisting autocratic terminations. Use your full constitutional protections to drag out every case imaginable and clog up the legal system for the Trump regime. If even 10% of the 2.3 million federal employees stand united and resist through the court system, you will slow down Trump autocracy. Do not capitulate to autocracy, combat autocracy with the full power of the law.

2. Democrats in Congress - Do Something More Than Tweet Your Outrage: Your constituents are angry, tired, and confused at your apathy, silence, and lack of organization. For your convenience, I have a short list of questions that should not be hard to answer:

   1. Who is your party leader who should be coordinating all counter-fascism efforts and calling the shots on how to protect the American people?

   2. Where are the daily press conferences and media blitzes documenting Trump’s fascism?

   3. Where are the courageous protests by Members of Congress on the Capitol steps like former Congresswoman Cori Bush held in 2020 to protest the end of the rent moratorium during COVID?

   4. Where are the Senate investigations into Trump’s corruption and Musk’s illegal access to the Treasury? How are you protecting our sensitive data?

   5. Where are the guidances on what to do if our care is denied or the resources on getting accurate healthcare information removed from the CDC website? Where are the guidances if our SNAP, TANF, or Section 8 is denied?

   6. Where are the barrage of lawsuits to clog up Trump’s fascist Executive Orders? For example, between lawsuits and floor votes, Republicans have attempted to repeal the ACA more than 100 times, even when in the minority, and now they might finally succeed in doing so. If Republicans can organize this effectively to strip our healthcare, why can’t you organize even half this effectively to protect our human rights?

Moreover, as Indivisible Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg excellently said:

Democrats can oppose all Trump nominees, deny unanimous consent to slow senate proceedings, vote no on all cloture, force quorum calls at every chance. It’s a constitutional crisis. There is absolutely no reason the Senate should be connecting business as usual.

All of the above actions are wholly within Democrat control, even as the minority party—yet we see virtually none of it. Stop hiding behind the excuse of being a minority party, and start working with the awesome power of Congress afforded to you.

3. Everyone - Activate: Get involved in your local politics, which affects you more than most realize. Whether it is your local school board, your local city council, or your local immigrant rights organization—get involved. Show up to the next meeting, meet your local elected officials, and, for example, make sure you have a local policy on how to counter ICE raids in your local schools, shelters, and hospitals. Google is your friend in finding a local calendar of events. Use it.

4. Everyone - Communicate: Contact your member of Congress (find them here) and relentlessly remind them that you do not support Trump’s fascist agenda. Even if they are not willing to listen to you, inundate them with calls, texts, and emails. Ensure they hear your outrage as much as possible. Here’s a sample email to send to protest the illegal FBI firings (and illegal federal terminations in general):

   Hi, my name is [insert name] and I live in [city/town/zip code]. I am a constituent of Congressman/Senators [name] and I am calling to strongly oppose the firing of any rank-and-file FBI agents, and any federal civil service employees, that are suspected to happen by the White House and DOJ. 
   
   I am asking Congressman/Senator [name] to contact DOJ and White House leadership to demand they stop any planned action into these unjust firings and forced resignations. Unlike political appointees, line FBI agents are non-partisan federal government employees that are assigned to investigate any allegation of federal crime and they do so without any bias. Firings of these agents sets a dangerous precedent that retribution could take place if a rank-and-file FBI agent investigates a federal crime. This would fundamentally damage the core of our country’s premier law enforcement agency — that justice is blind. In addition, the mass firings of FBI agents would also indefinitely halt thousands of cases into violent criminals and gangs, drug tracking organizations and cartels, and terrorists, which is a something that this Administration has promised to focus on.
   
   I strongly believe civil service protections for line FBI agents help them maintain independence from external influence or pressure from any outside group, person, or political party, no matter what side. This issue is of the upmost priority for my representative to take action on this immediately and is something I will pay close attention to as the upcoming elections come around.

5. Everyone - Invest: Invest your time and your money into the people and organizations doing the front line work. If you have time to volunteer, make phone calls, knock doors, and sign petitions, do so. If you have the financial resources to donate to organizations working to protect our democracy, especially local orgs, please do so. Even a few dollars a month, if you can afford it, goes a long way. And as always, consider running for office yourself. And especially if you’re under 40, reach out to Run For Something to get started.

6. Everyone - Educate: It is critical we remain informed on the key issues, by educating ourselves and those around us. As corporate media sadly continues to capitulate to fascism, support writers and human rights lawyers working to stop fascism in America (e.g. like yours truly). Read the work of non-profit media like ProPublica, The Appeal, and more. We may not have the billions of dollars in autocrat dark money, but we have strength in numbers and your support makes that difference.

7. Everyone - Organize: Bring friends with you. You are the best ambassador for justice in your friend group—lead by example. Grab even one friend and drag them with you to the next school board meeting, city council session, next phone banking session to an elected official, or town hall in your local community. We need to build organizational capacity, and means each one reaches one to get involved. This also means consider joining the General Strike that so far nearly 200,000 Americans have joined. The goal is to reach 11 million Americans. You can find out more at GeneralStrikeUS.

Conclusion

The Southern Strategy never stopped. Capitulation to MAGA fascism is made possible because so many are willing to embrace culture wars to distract from economic injustices as long as it gives them the perception of racial superiority over Black and brown people. We need to reject these culture wars and recognize that billionaire oligarchs will undermine the humanity in all of us, left or right, if it makes them a few extra bucks. We need unity in this time of crisis.

The only way to fight back is through relentless resistance, organization, and action, as I’ve described above. It is imperative we remember what justice looks like—because none of this is just—and continue to fight for that justice. I will continue to document and expose these autocratic attacks as they unfold, and I encourage you to act on the action items mentioned above. Again—do not let legality and power be a measure of morality and justice. And finally, I need and welcome your continued support to advance my human rights advocacy.

Resist. Activate. Communicate. Invest. Educate. Organize. Subscribe. And share. Thank you for your trust in this battle for democracy itself.