Voters’ rebuke of Trump gives Democrats historic opportunity and responsibility

The American people delivered an enthusiastic, undeniable rebuke to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party that remade itself in his image. Democrats now have a responsibility to make the most of the opportunity voters have given them.

Trump’s second term has been characterized by the president’s arrogance, recklessness, self-enrichment, abuse of power, broken promises and indifference to the harm his policies have been imposing on American families, farmers, workers and communities. And by Republicans cheering him on.

Trump and his allies promised they would uphold the rule of law by deporting violent criminals — the worst of the worst. Instead, Trump and the Republican Congress unleashed a brutal, lawless, campaign of violence against teachers, preachers, pastors, shopkeepers and parents. They inflicted a show-me-your-papers regime on brown people and communities, and used deadly violence to punish anyone, regardless of citizenship, who resisted them.

Trump promised to prioritize relief for families struggling to keep up with the high cost of living. Instead, he and congressional Republicans passed a budget that prioritized giveaways to the richest people in history — paid for by cutting millions of families’ access to food and affordable healthcare. When Trump’s trade wars and real wars — more broken promises — made things even worse, he essentially told Americans they should be grateful to be living in his delusional “ golden age .”

And when polls started to make it clear that voters weren’t buying it, Republicans tried to resort to Trump’s old playbook one more time — hoping to win voters back with smears and fearmongering about communism, Sharia law and transgender people.

It didn’t work. In fact, it failed spectacularly.

Americans rejected the corruption and cruelty. We resisted the torrent of bigotry that tried to make us fear our Muslim and transgender communities. We rejected the voices who tried to define America along exclusionary racial and religious lines.

Together, we elected a fantastically diverse group of senators, representatives, governors and state legislators who shared a vision of an America that works for all of us. So many young leaders. So many people breaking barriers for the first time.

The first Black woman ever elected governor. The first Native American woman governor and senator. The first Muslim senator. The first openly gay man in the Senate. A Latina governor in Texas. This is the multicultural democracy they irrationally fear.

And millions of Christians in traditional Republican strongholds rejected MAGA pastors and self-proclaimed prophets who tried to insist that only their version of the faith is legitimate. Right-wing Christian nationalists will have to contend with powerful progressive people of faith who voters have entrusted with power.

All these victories were grounded in organizing. The kind of long-term community organizing to which the late great Dolores Huerta devoted her life . The kind of strategic movement-building organizing led by the brilliant Stacey Abrams and the people she has mentored. The kind of solidarity-based organizing modeled by Minnesota activists who defended their neighbors from official brutality.

That kind of organizing does not and must not end on election night. It must continue to build momentum for a government that makes our lives better, not worse. For a government that serves the interests of everyday people, not just the wealthy and powerful. For a government that holds those who have abused their power and abused us accountable.

The new Democratic majorities in Congress must make clear that accountability and progress go hand in hand. They must affirm the rule of law by exposing corruption and holding lawbreakers accountable. They must take action to relieve the harms that have been imposed on the American people. And they must safeguard our future by passing needed anti-corruption, pro-democracy measures, including structural reforms for a Supreme Court that has lost Americans’ trust.

There is much work ahead. Let’s celebrate how we made that work possible and take inspiration to keep working. A lot of courageous Americans took on the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful man — and won.

Together we have the power to build the future we dream of.

Svante Myrick is president of People For the American Way .