Trump is reeling because resistance is growing and his support is diminishing. The November elections look likely to both reflect and enlarge that trend—supposing people vote. 

Put differently, as Trump and his chosen minions and their corporate puppet masters get shoved against the wall, what are they likely to do? Will they back down? Maybe. Will they surrender? Maybe. But there is also considerable possibility they will rear up and let loose. And this isn’t just about November. What if Trumpism gets shellacked in the election? Again do they say okay, you win, we give up? Or do they escalate? And what would escalation look like? And what can we do to undercut the possibility of it happening, or, if it does happen, to ensure that it fails?

One thing is already occurring and will increase week after week on the way to November. Activists will organize to protect voters from MAGA interference and to support voters being able to vote. But there is something beyond that to consider.

What if the response of the military and police will be the final factor to determine if public opinion and organizing prevail or if instead Trump prevails? Will the military and police serve Trump, obey Trump, do whatever Trump calls upon them to do? Or will they balk at installing a dictatorship and warring on all dissent? It may not come to that—but it may.

So should some effort be put into trying to win over or at least put serious questions into the minds and feelings of police and military? Should some outreach try to reach those who may ultimately decide the issue? Not instead of continuing to enlarge broader resistance and undercut Trump’s popular support. And not instead of working to protect voters and other dissenters. But in addition to all that. Should we ado another task on our resistance agenda?

Should the movement to stop Trump, wars, deportations, cultural abominations, sexual violations, malignant data centers, and deadly incursions on democracy, and to positively campaign for a wealth tax, election reform, and ecological sanity take up still another task? Should it attempt to reach rank and file national guard and other military and even police with materials and especially discussion to break down Trump’s support there too, where it may become ultimately decisive?

More specifically, should the movement have outposts near military bases and police stations from which to conduct conversations with those who might otherwise bolster Trump’s ultimate transformation into our own Fuhrer? Should those who fight oligarchy and reach out in meeting all around America reach out, as well, to military Americans? Even Open Letters from people the rank and file police and military respect, cheer, and otherwise appreciate in the non-commanded parts of their lives might help. But direct communication with activists may matter most.

We may be approaching crunch time. Might it make some sense to address Trump’s final line of defense?

---