With the 2024 election delivering a Washington, DC, trifecta to the GOP in the form of the presidency, the House, and the Senate, key Democratic Party players have a plan for resistance. An anti-Trump triumvirate to resist the sweeping changes Donald Trump has proposed is forming that could present a uniquely effective front against the president-elect’s plans.
Apparently missing from the equation, however, is that the architects of this “shadow” rebellion could be laying the groundwork for future Republican opposition to reap the benefits when a Democrat president has less of a mandate than the incoming commander-in-chief.
Prong One: A Shadow Cabinet
Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC) put forth in an op-ed in Washington, DC’s most prominent news outlet that Democrats should form a shadow cabinet to counter the incoming administration. “We can’t let Donald Trump’s radical agenda go unanswered or unopposed,” he began, positing that “[we] need to borrow from our British friends and appoint a shadow cabinet to fight back against the worst excesses of a second Trump administration.”
While the idea of a “shadow cabinet” is common in countries with parliaments, it seems Nickel has a strange interpretation of the purpose. He wrote:
“Across the Atlantic, the British have something we don’t: a team from the opposition that mirrors the government’s cabinet members. They watch the cabinet closely, publicly challenging, scrutinizing and offering new ideas. It’s another form of checks and balances — a quiet guardrail that keeps power accountable.”
His proposal continued, “With a shadow cabinet, there is no hiding. Each decision by the government faces a ready counterpoint — not just from the media and voters but also from political leaders poised to (theoretically) step in.” Finally, “Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries (New York) in the House and Charles E. Schumer (New York) in the Senate could appoint 26 members of Congress to go one-on-one with each member of Trump’s Cabinet.” Here lies the problem with Nickel’s understanding.
As he correctly pointed out, these shadow members would be ready to “step in” because they have been following everything the cabinet appointment has been doing for the period. Should Democrats retake Congress, that would mean more than two dozen members (presumably who have won re-election) would have the bona fides to assume a Cabinet role. Where does that leave the Democratic Party congressional conference?
It’s one thing for an incoming president to take a few bites out of the front bench but quite another to eat the whole apple, including the core and pips. And that assumes, of course, that the president-elect even wants what the party has to offer.
In reality, all such a reactive move this time around would achieve is to provide the Fourth Estate with a speed-dial number of a “qualified” person to rebut any actions taken by the Trump administration. It would be a minor PR win with outsized negative consequences when the party eventually retakes power.
Prong Two: A Governors’ Alliance
In an apparent response to Trump’s re-election, high-profile governors have launched a project to “safeguard” democracy – presumably until such time as a Democrat is back in office. The group detailed its mission:
“Co-chaired by Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD) is a nonpartisan alliance of governors that works together to uphold and fortify American democracy. We strengthen the foundations of American democracy by catalyzing collaboration across state lines. Working together, we leverage the collective strength, experience, and institutional knowledge in governors’ offices across the country to craft laws and policies that protect the rule of law and serve the people of our great states.”
But make no mistake. This is not merely an outfit that holds the Constitution dear and is simply looking to put guardrails on any potential excess that comes out of the White House.
Laura Kelly (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
The front page of the website takes pains to assure that this is a truly open group of governors. But let’s dig beneath the headlines a little. The organization has two main pillars, the Reproductive Freedom Alliance (RFA) and the Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD) initiative. Going one mouse click further into the RFA, and we come to the raison d’être, which states: “The Reproductive Freedom Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of 23 Governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom.” The term “nonpartisan” covers a multitude of political sins.
The “Who We Are” section lists 23 names and pictures of the governors who are involved. Perhaps without surprise, all of them are Democrats (22 from the states and one from Guam). Notably, the only name missing from the list is Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, who represents a state that went for Trump by a massive 16%.
It seems that this outfit, working cooperatively, is well-funded and ready to put resources, time, and treasure on the frontline defending against, well, pretty much anything that can be described as impacting “democracy.” Rather than be the bastions of individual liberties, 50 experiments in democracy, the governors are ready to operate as an unofficial federation of blue states, with one goal in mind: Stop Trump.
While the governors in question may represent more individual Americans collectively, they do not represent more states. There are 27 Republican governors who could well decide on a more formalized form of cooperation against an incoming Democrat president.
Prong 3: The MAGAFiles
And let’s not forget what goes on outside of elected politics. On Friday, Nov. 15, a significant Democrat super PAC announced that it was launching a large-scale opposition research organization called American Bridge 21st or, more informally, the “MAGAFiles”:
“Using our vast and effective opposition research apparatus, American Bridge 21st Century is prepared to ensure that none of these ideologues are able to escape scrutiny and that Americans are constantly reminded about the extremist actions taken by the Trump Administration.”
As The Hill reported, the outfit “will focus on three distinct categories, the group said. The first will focus on vetting Trump’s nominees to government positions, including those not in the Cabinet … It will also focus on scrutiny of how the new Trump administration uses government power, and on Trump allies at the federal and state level with an eye on the midterms.”
A deep dive into American Bridge, however, appears to be little more than a fevered dream wish list of grievances against the former and future president – something that a reasonably enthusiastic teen could put together using a smartphone and a case of Mountain Dew. But the theory behind a full-time, dedicated oppo research outfit may appear tantalizing to Republicans looking to push a potential Democrat win back an election cycle or two.
An Anti-Trump Blueprint for Future Disaster?
The fact is this three-pronged approach will be effective. Whether it’s granting Democrats added airtime in the media to espouse their position on their counterparts’ action, a coalition of states operating in unison against the federal policy, or even providing fresh meat for the Fourth Estate to badmouth GOP officials, each in its turn is electoral fodder. However, President-elect Trump has a solid mandate, and that may be the crucial fly in the ointment.
With a decisive Electoral College win and an even more conclusive popular vote blowout – Trump is the first Republican ever to surpass 76 million votes – the former and future president has a mandate to deliver on his campaign pledges. What happens when the pendulum swings back the other way and a Democratic Party nominee takes the helm with less momentum?
Interested GOP strategists might consider following the same blueprint in terms of running a shadow cabinet; after all, it would be a brazen media that did not consult key figures on the right after doing the same for the left. Also, currently, there are 27 Republican governors compared to 23 Democrat – an alliance aimed at thwarting the White House could be a powerful opposition tool. And then there’s the opposition research efforts.
When it comes to digging up dirt and publicizing it, there are none better than those who have been working hand in glove with Democrat politicians. The Russian collusion hoax is arguably one of the most far-reaching pieces of partisan creation. What might happen if a well-funded Republican-aligned group spent four years on a similar mission against a new president? With social media becoming the new media – and X as its vanguard – stories like the Hunter Biden laptop travesty would no longer be relegated to the memory hole.
As Frederick Douglass wisely noted, “When men sow the wind it is rational to expect that they will reap the whirlwind.” One wonders what seeds the Democratic Party is sowing and how soon such fruits may turn to politically sour when the winds of change inevitably blow.
