Empty Chairs and Rising Activism: A Nation Responds to Trump’s Second Term
Across the nation, a wave of activism is building in response to President Donald Trump’s second term in office. From small town street corners to major cities, protests are erupting, fueled by concerns over policy changes, government restructuring, and perceived threats to civil liberties. The surge in activism mirrors the resistance that arose during Trump’s first term, but with a renewed sense of urgency and a focus on local engagement.
In California’s congressional district represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley, this growing discontent is palpable. Residents are organizing a town hall meeting, but Kiley’s absence will be marked by an empty chair on stage. Kathy Dotson, the event’s organizer and leader of the Nevada County chapter of Indivisible, a progressive advocacy group, expressed disappointment at Kiley’s silence. "We would love to have him show, but we haven’t heard one word from him," Dotson said.
The frustration stems from a desire to engage with their representative on critical issues. Nevada County voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election, indicating a significant portion of the population holds views that may diverge from Kiley’s. A recent event staffed by Kiley’s team drew over 400 unhappy constituents, primarily seniors worried about the future of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Veterans, in particular, expressed fears that their livelihoods would be affected.
"People are scared. People are really, really nervous," Dotson said, highlighting the anxiety gripping the community.
Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has initiated a sweeping overhaul of the federal government, including firing federal employees, closing departments, and shuttering local offices for agencies like Social Security. These actions have ignited a firestorm of protests, echoing the resistance seen during Trump’s first term. Protests have accelerated as Trump has rolled back protections for green card holders, asylum seekers, transgender people, and federal workers.
The Crowd Counting Consortium, a joint project of Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut, documented over 2,085 protests nationwide in February alone. This marks a significant increase from the 937 protests recorded in February 2017, during Trump’s first month in office.
The White House has dismissed the growing activism, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, "Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years. President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly re-elected him."
In response to a wave of contentious town halls that gained media attention last month, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has advised House Republicans to avoid in-person meetings. The NRCC has accused liberal activists of instigating these high-pressure events, claiming that Democrats are attempting to distract voters from their poor approval ratings with manufactured productions funded by billionaire mega-donors.
"Voters see through their pathetic charade," said NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella.
Instead of in-person public forums, some members of Congress, including Kiley, are opting for virtual town halls with pre-screened questions, eliminating the opportunity for direct pushback from constituents. Kiley, whose district stretches along California’s eastern border, has not responded to requests for comment.
Faced with this lack of engagement, local activists are adapting their strategies. Dozens of groups have scheduled meetings in the coming weeks to discuss the implications of Trump’s administration on their communities. These meetings will feature an empty chair, a symbolic gesture intended to shame their representatives for their refusal to hold in-person town halls accessible to all constituents.
"Honestly, he deserves to be shamed for this. He absolutely does," said Heather Meaney-Allen, who leads an Indivisible chapter in Williamsburg, Va., referring to her congressman, Rep. Rob Wittman. "He is too much of a chicken to actually show up and face the people that put him in office, or even those of us who didn’t vote for him ever, but he still represents us. He’s still supposed to be our congressman."
Wittman’s office stated that he will not attend the Indivisible town hall because his staff did not organize the event. He has, however, expressed a willingness to answer questions during a telephone town hall.
Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin has described the empty chair town halls as "Organizing 101." He explained that if the representative attends, the town hall is a success. If they don’t, the empty chair serves as a visual representation of their absence, often accompanied by creative stand-ins like cardboard cutouts or even a live chicken.
National Indivisible organizers are not directly involved in organizing these local town halls, but are promoting the idea. Levin emphasized that the initiative rests on the shoulders of local activists.
Meaney-Allen, who anticipates over 140 attendees at her town hall, has witnessed a surge in participation in her group’s weekly protests at the local courthouse since Trump’s election.
"We have a huge amount of retired military here, and they showed up. They are livid. They took an oath to our Constitution, and they are still living that oath to our Constitution. These were true Americans out there," Meaney-Allen said.
Protests are occurring across the country, targeting various issues, from support for federal workers and LGBTQ rights to immigrant rights and the situation in Ukraine. These demonstrations are being organized by progressive groups like Indivisible, labor unions, special interest groups, fired federal workers, and ordinary citizens.
Hundreds gathered outside the Stonewall Inn in New York City to protest the Park Service’s deletion of the word "transgender" from its national monument website. Thousands have protested staffing cuts at national parks. In New York City, almost 100 protesters were arrested during a sit-in at Trump Tower, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, demanding the release of a Palestinian activist detained by immigration agents. In El Paso, activists hung an upside down American flag from an overpass.
Indivisible, Womens March, MoveOn, and other national and local activism groups have joined forces for a "mass mobilization" to bring together thousands of people at protests and marches in Washington and across nearly every state.
Indivisible’s local numbers are growing, exceeding the levels seen during Trump’s first term in 2017. Levin believes that more and more people are becoming alarmed and are taking action.
Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs, chief partnerships officer at Womens March, has also observed an influx of people joining existing groups or forming new ones. Womens March organized the mass protests in Washington and across the country after Trump’s first inauguration, where many local activists connected and formed groups.
St. Bernard-Jacobs emphasized that more people are willing to assume leadership roles in their communities and are organizing independently of national groups. She stressed the importance of sustained engagement beyond a single march.
"We want people to envision mobilization going forward like Yes, show up, yes. Make your sign, yes. Put on your slogan T-shirts, and (then) think about day two and day 30 and day 100 afterwards," she said.
