Last week, Donald Trump was elected president for a second time. The convicted felon, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women, has been open about his plans to take “revenge” against his political opponents, pursue mass deportations of immigrants, rescind federal LGBTQ+ non-discrimination policies and roll back climate protections.
Many Americans have been worrying about what a second Trump term would mean for their lives, communities and futures. We spoke to activists and therapists across the country about how they were dealing with the news and how they planned to take action going forward.
“I have to remind myself that our pursuit of justice, of equity, is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Faisal Al-Juburi, chief external affairs officer of Raices, a group that offers support and legal representation to immigrants.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Faisal Al-Juburi, chief external affairs officer, Raices
I am feeling heartbreak and frustration. Anti-immigrant sentiment was pervasive throughout this election cycle – racial politicking and the promise of harm to immigrant families were central to President Trump’s campaign. So his re-election reflects a sobering reality that the scapegoating of Black and brown people sadly resonated with the public.
Remember that you have the agency to rebuff today’s cries for resilience. Unyielding strength is something our society demands only of those whose rights we systematically obstruct. So grant yourself the grace and luxury to feel that you’re not going to be okay – but know that you will be. Take the time to grieve, to replenish your body, mind and soul. Then rise up and heed the call to fight for justice once more.
Aaron Almanza, executive director, LGBT National Help Center
I’m feeling a lot of things: anger, fear, exhaustion. Basically what our callers are also feeling. We’re not a political organization, but we know that the election is going to directly affect us. So it’s frightening.
We’re checking in with each other just to see how we’re doing. What I’m doing with volunteers is asking them, “Do you have support in your life? Other friends, or people you could talk to?” All of this is so fresh. We’re still processing it.
Unfortunately the LGBT community has always faced darkness and people pushing against us. So what we always need to do is circle back – check in on yourself and check in on those you love. And be aware of your own limitations. If you need to take a break, take a break. Are you doomscrolling right now? If that’s making you feel worse, take a step back.
Don’t burn out. Maybe shut your brain off. You’re allowed to do that. My brain-shutting-off thing is doing dishes. I didn’t do any of my dishes last night knowing that I would need them today.
Tamika Lewis, clinical director and founder of WOC Therapy
I feel rattled for sure. I’m trying to allow myself time to be with the emotions. I think that oftentimes, our default as women of color is to get distracted or get busy and to try to power our way through hard emotions.
[On the day after the election] I canceled a couple of things and rested. I’m trying to manage how much news I take in. But after I get over the hump of this shock, I do feel an urgency around mobilizing. Maybe that’s shifting our services to more group models so that we can reach more people. I think there’s going to be higher rates of anxiety and distress, and we’re going to need more access to mental health, especially in marginalized communities.
I want to stay hopeful for society. Especially for our teens, because they feel so much existential despair. I still want to choose hope. We just got a new puppy, and nothing is as soothing as a puppy. She brings so much light and play to an otherwise really dark moment. I think we need to practice that too.
Nancy Lumb, LCSW, New York City
Licensed clinical social workers take an oath when we get our degrees, and it’s about values of service and social justice and the worth of the person. Basically, the importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. All of those things seemed to be questioned during this election.
As therapists, we need to walk the walk that we teach people. That means using coping skills like breathing, mindfulness and meditation to remain in the present so that we’re responsive versus reactive. If we let ourselves spin out, what are the next four years going to look like?
When I think about what I’m going to do going forward, I think about what I can control and what I can’t. What are the positive things I can do to affect me and others in a positive way? Then I can put energy into that.
Madison Nardy, director of 215 People’s Alliance
I am coping with my emotions by allowing myself time to feel and process them, while simultaneously putting my emotions into actions. This helps prevent my feelings from becoming overwhelming or paralyzing. For me, it is a way to align my values with meaningful impact and to feel connected to the larger purpose of collective liberation. It also helps keep my emotions balanced and grounded.
To keep ourselves grounded, we need to resist the urge to internalize the weight of these policies as personal failures. It’s crucial to remain focused on the long view: our collective history of resistance, our shared capacity for resilience and our ability to create change despite being systematically undermined. It’s easy to feel crushed by the overwhelming nature of these issues, but by focusing on tangible actions – like organizing, building solidarity and directly supporting our communities – we remind ourselves that we’re not passive victims of these systems. We are active participants in shaping a different future, even when it feels like the system is stacked against us.
Melody Li, LMFT, founder of Inclusive Therapists
I feel deep compassion and care for oppressed and marginalized communities that are navigating a spectrum of emotions such as grief, disgust, fear and anger. I am also feeling centered, emboldened and motivated to mobilize. Cycles of structural violence are nothing new here on stolen land built upon by stolen lives. Indigenous and Black communities especially have resisted, fought back and created amazing systems of care for generations.
Your fear and overwhelm are real and valid. Be gentle with yourself. Surround yourself with chosen family and kin that honor your feelings and experiences. Create soft spaces for you and your community to grieve and tend to your hearts. Self- and community-care are both important – remember to water and nourish yourself and one another. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support – we will move through this together.
Sadie Salazar, LCSW, COO of Sage Therapy
I have been really trying to ground myself in my routines. I think that’s something that’s helpful to anyone, regardless of your work or your position. Having a sense of normalcy and doing the things you typically do – making a meal, cuddling your pet. It’s a reminder of the safety you can feel in your home and your relationships. I had a good cry, then made a smoothie.
Be mindful about how you talk to yourself and others, and don’t force toxic positivity. Sometimes, there isn’t a silver lining. For many of us, this isn’t surprising. This isn’t the first time we’ve been confronted with a sense of a lack of safety, or have felt the effects of hatred. When we try to soothe ourselves or other people prematurely and say: “Well, not much about your life will change” – that’s not helpful. It can feel like gaslighting. Sometimes, it’s just shit, and that’s what this is. We can sit with that, hold that, and then turn to mobilizing and activism.
Ariela Lara, student at UC Berkeley and organizer with the Sunrise Movement
I’m feeling scared and overwhelmed. As a woman of color and daughter of an immigrant mother I fear how Trump’s agenda will strip our rights away – whether it’s mass deportations that will reach our communities, my reproductive rights, or the climate policies I’ve organized toward for most of my teen years.
What kept me sane through this election process? Talking to voters, knocking on doors, understanding where people are coming from when their government hasn’t been working for them. I’m taking action by organizing a walkout at UC Berkeley.
With all the emotions that are weighing on me, I will create the disruption needed to win bold policies, protect our voices and rights. I am relying on my community, because we are going to need each other now more than ever. Mutual aid groups, checking in on my family, friends and mobilizing collectively gives me hope. Moving forward I will continue fighting for my neighbors, the people I see on the bus ride home and the students I go to class with.
Kathryn Stinson, psychotherapist and coach
Getting outside, moving my body and doing breathwork are always top of my list for coping with difficult stuff. Connection with others is also very helpful. Going forward, I suspect finding opportunities to take action on specific issues I care about will be helpful.
We learned a few things from the 2016 election. Nothing unfolded exactly the way we thought it would. That’s not to say bad things didn’t happen, because of course they did. But anxiety was not right about everything. Anxiety is very good at convincing us that we know exactly what’s going to happen, that the way we feel right now is the way we will always feel and that we won’t be able to cope. But the fact that those things feel true right now doesn’t mean they are true.
Activists are a stubborn bunch of people. They’re in it for the long haul, and they are used to the rollercoaster of progress and loss. No one is giving up.
