In 2025, widespread opposition challenged President Trump's policies through street protests, electoral victories, and court rulings. Approval ratings for Trump dropped sharply amid economic struggles and controversial deportations. Legal experts highlight over 150 federal court blocks on his executive actions, though the Supreme Court offered mixed support.
The year 2025 saw intense resistance to President Donald Trump's second term, as detailed in a December 31 podcast episode of Start Making Sense from The Nation. Host Jon Wiener interviewed Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect on political developments and David Cole, former ACLU national legal director, on judicial responses.
Trump's approval ratings plummeted from 48% on January 20, when he took office, to 36% by year's end, according to AP polls. Meyerson attributed this to Trump's perceived bullying, cruelty, and self-absorption, compounded by a K-shaped economy where the top 10% accounted for half of consumption. Cost-of-living pressures disillusioned voters, including Latinos and young people who supported him in 2024.
Mass mobilizations organized by Indivisible marked the streets. The Hands Off demonstrations occurred in April, followed by No Kings protests: the first in June drew three million participants, and the second on October 18 mobilized nearly seven million across U.S. cities, possibly a record. Neighborhood networks resisted Trump's deportation push, aiming for 15 million removals but achieving only about 600,000—mostly non-criminals—through rapid response alerts and Know Your Rights trainings.
Elections underscored the backlash. Democrats triumphed in nearly all races, including the Wisconsin Supreme Court (despite Elon Musk's heavy spending), Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Virginia and New Jersey governorships, and New York City mayoralty won by Zohran Mamdani. In Georgia, two Democrats gained seats on the Public Service Commission amid anger over high electricity costs tied to data centers.
Trump targeted institutions like media and universities. NPR lost federal funding, CBS News faced right-wing influence, and The Washington Post dismissed opinion writers. Harvard and UCLA resisted without concessions. On mental state, observers noted increasing megalomania, exemplified by renaming the Kennedy Center and battleships after himself.
Courts provided a key battleground. From January 20, over 100 executive orders, drawn from Project 2025, faced immediate challenges from state attorneys general and the ACLU. Federal judges issued around 150 blocks, with 64% of Republican-appointed judges ruling against Trump. The Supreme Court stayed or reversed 20 of 24 lower-court decisions but rejected key moves, including a 6-3 ruling barring National Guard deployment in Chicago without the Illinois governor's consent, limiting uses in deportations and potential election intimidation.
Losses included reversals on appropriations, gutting USAID and the Department of Education. A temporary stay allowed ICE racial profiling stops in Los Angeles, but cases persist. Upcoming rulings may strike Trump's tariffs and birthright citizenship order while likely eroding agency independence, overturning 1935's Humphrey's Executor. Cole urged continued litigation: "We need to fight with every tool in our toolkit."
Meyerson summarized: "Trump’s attacks on democracy, unprecedented in the last century at least; and on the other hand, the rise of opposition from the majority."
This resistance highlighted democratic checks amid Trump's overreach.
