March 3, 2025
How to Combat Trump and Musk
Philip Kotler
How do you feel when you hear the number of Trump and Musk gross firings of federal government employees? They are firing American men and women who work at the Center for Disease Control, the Internal Revenue Service, our foreign assistance departments, and our public sector parks and recreational services. Trump promised to expand the economy and jobs. Now Trump and Musk are wildly cutting jobs.
Trump promised to end inflation. Yet every Trump tariff initiative will raise our citizen’s costs for food, clothing and shelter.
Trump said he would not interfere with Medicare or Social Security. Yet Trump knows that he has to squeeze out huge funds from Medicare and Social Security if he is to ever get real costs down to support lowering taxes on rich Americans and corporate America.
Ironically, the best way to reduce our growing federal deficit is to raise, not lower taxes on rich Americans and companies. Trump should increase funding to the Internal Revenue Service, not reduce funding and firing many IRS staff members.
The major hope for stopping Trump’s destruction of America’s law and order system and civil service system is to show major American groups that their interests will be hurt. It’s not enough for them to feel that others are being hurt. They have to sense that their own interests are being undermined.
How Can Trump’s Illegal Use of Executive Power be Stopped?
Trump’s unprecedented and destructive effort to reduce the size of the federal government can be stopped in three ways.
1. The Supreme Court issues rulings that the executive branch cannot initiate new expenditures without Congress’ approval and cannot stop expenditures that Congress voted for.
2. Trump’s Maga support turns against Trump. The prices of groceries continue to rise and impose hardships on low-income voters. More Maga citizens start saying that Trump’s federal job cuts are hurting our educational system, our science research, our health system, and our journalists.
3. The Democratic Party develops an exciting new platform that appeals to the bread-and-butter needs of citizens.
How Can the Democratic Party Win Back Enough Votes in the 2026 mid-term Election?
The Democratic Party needs to identify the major voting groups that can be persuaded to organize and oppose Trump’s destructive behavior. Democrats should establish an effective communication group to address each of the following eight voting groups to expose the damage Trump’s actions are causing.
1. Agriculture. Farmers are feeling the pinch of having grown much food that was to be shipped abroad under U.S. foreign aid commitments. Much of it will now have to be sent somewhere or be destroyed. Farmers do not know what to produce since consumers are tightening their expenditures. Farmers will be getting much less climate information and warning because Trump has laid of many weather scientists and broadcasters.
2. Unions. Trump opposes the growth of unions. Powerful unions question why their companies are paying so much to their CEOs and managers and so little to their workers. Unions question the indiscriminate ways that union members are being laid off.
3. Businesses. Companies are facing increased uncertainties because of the chaos caused by Trump/Musk. Companies are deciding to plan more conservatively and expect lower profits. Their workers are feeling less secure and might perform more poorly.
4. Conservatives. Many old-line Republicans remember the respect they once had in working bilaterally with Democrats to find win-win solutions to American problems. They don’t like the idea of a King, especially one that doesn’t welcome discussion and feedback. They don’t like the President appointing chairmen who don’t have experience or merit in running departments, who only get their position by pledging loyalty to Trump.
5. College students. Many college students graduate but find themselves with high debt and difficulty in finding a job to match their training. They see many educated federal workers indiscriminately fired without warning. They worry about whether their specialty will be around in the next five years, given the growing impact of AI and robots.
6. Professionals. Doctors wonder why they have to work so hard in a health system that leaves little time to spend with patients and much time needed to fill out reports. Lawyers wonder how honest the legal system is given the way Trump and Musk can kill or bury controversial cases.
7. Religious leaders. Many religious leaders know that Trump is one of the world’s least moral men. Trump is an inveterate liar who takes pleasure in punishing anyone who has crossed him. He revels in power and money, and cares less about people.
8. Consumers. Consumers will ultimately be Trump’s nemesis as inflation rises without worker’s wages moving up. We can expect growing complaints and boycotts against Trump coming from ordinary cities and even some Maga members.
The Need for New Leadership in the Democratic Party
The Democratic Party must decide on the action plan to adopt. It has three choices:
1. Oppose every damaging move by Trump and even sue when feasible.
2. Stay quiet and wait for the public to turn against Trump and his destructive behavior.
3. Work hard and develop a more appealing platform of liberal beliefs and actions to attract more voters.
Of these, I prefer to see Democrats visibly and angrily oppose every bad move by Trump’s followers. I can’t trust the Democrats remaining silent as if they were not bothered by Trump’s incursions. I also prefer to see the Democrats develop a more appealing platform filled with new exciting ideas.
The key thing needed is new leadership for the Democratic Party. Bill Maher suggested that the ideal new leader would be someone who has Trump’s charisma and real concern for the working people of America. The right candidate might be one of the current 23 Democratic governors of which nine are women.
What Might Happen with Trump’s Policies if He is not Stopped
I see an America that has declined from its former position as a world leader. Many European, Asian and South American countries will have lost trust in America’s promises and abilities. More countries will be ready to trade more actively with China or Russia. Americans will lack the lifestyle found in many European countries where the working people have six weeks of vacations a year, free or low-cost health and educational system, and maternity benefits for new mothers. America will be known as being friendless and run by billionaires with a growing number of poverty-struck citizens.
I strongly fear that Trump’s policies will bring about a Great Depression with long lines of disheartened workers looking for jobs and food kitchens.
My major fear is that Trump’s alliance with Russia will lead the world into World War Three.
