Trump ignites a new fervor for protests in NC and across the nation | Opinion
On Valentine’s Day, less than a month into President Donald Trump’s unlikely second term, an editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal marveled at the muted political response from Democrats.
“Why have the Democrats, having gotten what they feared and hated most, gone comparatively quiet?” Barton Swain wrote. “A plausible reading holds that Mr. Trump has been so maniacally active in so many areas that his opponents find themselves unable to formulate a coherent response.”
Two months later that quiet has become a roar. But it hasn’t come from Democratic leaders. It is an uproar from the grassroots level, people pouring into recurring local rallies and demonstrations, many of them turning out for the first time.
Protests organized by the nonpartisan group 50501 have risen in cities and towns across the nation. The American Association of University Professors drew a strong turnout for its April 17 Day of Action for Higher Ed. Rallies led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are drawing crowds of more than 30,000 people.
Advocates for measures to slow climate change protested outside the Executive Mansion in Raleigh on Saturday. A May Day march to “Stop the Billionaire Agenda” will be held Thursday in Raleigh and other locations. A “Power to the Working People” march is set for Saturday in Charlotte.
Suddenly, the U.S is alive with 1960s-style activism, but this version is different. Instead of protests over a single issue – the Vietnam War, abortion rights, civil rights – there is opposition over a host of issues – immigrants’ rights, science funding, federal workforce cuts and more.
Travis Rose, 51, of Fayetteville, is married to a disabled veteran and has an autistic son, both threatened by the Trump administration’s cuts to federal programs. She joined an April 5 protest in downtown Fayetteville.
“It’s just insanity to me,” said Rose, who was protesting for the first time. “I just can’t sit and do nothing.”
She said, “I have never in my life lost sleep over who was sitting in that seat in the White House until now. It felt good to be able to stand up and use my voice.”
Sarah Carrier, 67, of Chapel Hill, turned out for a protest in Raleigh, where she has joined Moral Monday protests against the state legislature in the past.
This time, she has noticed a wider range of protesters. “So many people’s rights are being trampled, I think it does broaden the focus,” she said.
“This is such an unprecedented time,” she said. “I think our Democracy is at risk of being lost.”
Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, said the activism now is unlike anything he’s witnessed in his 24 years with the group.
“I’ve got to believe there’s something in the air. People are engaged in ways we really haven’t seen before,” he said “It seems to be more than even what we saw with Moral Mondays. There’s more citizen activity everywhere.”
The rise of protests reflects Trump’s sinking approval rating, now down to 41 percent, according to the latest CNN poll. Nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose Trump’s policy on tariffs. Even his performance on immigration, a central issue of both his presidential campaigns, now gets a negative rating.
Nancy MacLean is a Duke professor of history and public policy and author of “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America.” The 2017 book anticipated much of what is happening with Trump’s adoption of the Project 2025 plan to recast the U.S. government along a right-wing model.
MacLean said lawsuits blocking many of Trump’s blizzard of executive orders have “given courage and determination to others, including many who have never attended a protest before but cannot abide the cruelty, lies, and recklessness they are seeing on matters they care deeply about.”
The Trump administration’s actions are triggering much of the response, but there may be more going on, a deeper assertion of dissatisfaction that ironically shares some of the anxiety that drives the MAGA movement.
Cole Dragotta, a spokesman for the 50501 protest movement in North Carolina, said in an email:
“While Trump’s actions have undeniably acted as a catalyst, this isn’t just reactionary. It’s the culmination of decades of stagnant wages, privatized services, housing crises, climate inaction, and bipartisan erosion of public trust. What’s new here is the scale and spontaneity. Without a single charismatic leader, we’re seeing millions take up the mantle of leadership themselves – organizing locally, networking nationally, and refusing to wait for permission.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Trump ignites a new fervor for protests in NC and across the nation | Opinion."