Conservative NYT Columnist David Brooks Calls for 'National Civic Uprising' to Defeat Trumpism
Source: MEDIAite
Apr 17th, 2025, 8:08 pm
Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks has called for a mass uprising to oppose President Donald Trump, going so far as to quote The Communist Manifesto.
In a blistering piece published on Thursday, Brooks wrote that modern civilization is buttressed by several pillars, including Constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.
He went on to say that Trump threatens all of these because the president is only interested in the acquisition of power for its own sake and is engaged in a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men.
Noting that Trump has targeted law firms, government agencies, NATO, and global trade, Brooks said these various efforts are part of a singular mission to reverse the civilizational order. His solution is a multi-pronged response that is nonetheless united by a common goal:
Its time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. Its time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way hes going to be stopped is if hes confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/trump/conservative-nyt-columnist-david-brooks-calls-for-national-civic-uprising-to-defeat-trumpism-complete-with-mass-rallies-strikes/
Full headline: Conservative NYT Columnist David Brooks Calls for National Civic Uprising to Defeat Trumpism Complete With Mass Rallies, Strikes

Lovie777
(18,071 posts)I think there's one set for April 19th.
We are even gathering here in our small Upstate NY red neck town. And it will be in Veteran's Park, and many of us veterans will be there. Oooo, I can think of another use of Anchors Aweigh. hmmm.
sop
(13,796 posts)(We cannot afford to attack people like David Brooks for their past political views.)
Raftergirl
(1,664 posts)Paladin
(30,213 posts)Brooks is a gutless wonder.
femmedem
(8,506 posts)"...Donald Trump is epically unprepared to be president. He has no realistic policies, no advisers, no capacity to learn. His vast narcissism makes him a closed fortress. He doesnt know what he doesnt know and hes uninterested in finding out. He insults the office Abraham Lincoln once occupied by running for it with less preparation than most of us would undertake to buy a sofa.
Trump is perhaps the most dishonest person to run for high office in our lifetimes. All politicians stretch the truth, but Trump has a steady obliviousness to accuracy.
This week, the Politico reporters Daniel Lippman, Darren Samuelsohn and Isaac Arnsdorf fact-checked 4.6 hours of Trump speeches and press conferences. They found more than five dozen untrue statements, or one every five minutes."
Gifted article, no payroll: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/opinion/no-not-trump-not-ever.html
Javaman
(63,652 posts)2naSalit
(96,489 posts)CTyankee
(66,027 posts)Ray Bruns
(5,150 posts)🤔
JohnnyRingo
(19,851 posts)He's the Editor In Chief of The National Review, a major conservative outlet.
For a couple months now he's been pounding the drum of dissent of Trumpism. It's gotten much more direct lately.
This can't be good for Dear Leader, but these columnists are the republican elite. The rednecks with Trump flags on their trucks and billboards in their front yard don't care what they think.
BumRushDaShow
(151,125 posts)and are dubbed "RINOs" by the RW loons.
wnylib
(25,238 posts)Historic NY
(38,867 posts)too bad a missed opportunity was his big golf event. Imagine if 10000 + people showed up around Doral
Martin68
(25,509 posts)This is an excellent list: In a blistering piece published on Thursday, Brooks wrote that modern civilization is buttressed by several pillars, including Constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,098 posts)For decades, he has been a bland apologist for Republicans and an arrogant scold for Democrats.
He is the hackiest of hacks in journalism.
Now, suddenly, he displays a modicum of pro-democracy passion?
I guess that makes him a broken clock
BumRushDaShow
(151,125 posts)... behind Charles Krauthammer, who is no longer here.
Maybe he is changing direction the way Bill Kristol has.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,098 posts)BumRushDaShow
(151,125 posts)
SayItLoud
(1,757 posts)Just another "headline" that faded away with NO consequences to any of the senior officials involved. The media is only alive for 24-72 hours then on to the next "scandal" , and no one has a solution. We keep thinking "oh he will never get away with that"...and yet he does. Bit by bit eroding everything and profiting by it all.
Native
(7,064 posts)our nation." Yup, even Kinzinger is in agreement.
FakeNoose
(37,192 posts)Wow! Did someone hack his computer?
relogic
(164 posts)the obvious omission of government's practical role in ameliorating some of the US populations disease and poverty are not supported by his conservative brand. Notice: charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities. Sometimes such an inadequate list of uprising justifications can be very revealing by what is not offered as viable solutions, Mr. Brooks. Still the predictable defender of predatory, corporate capitalism at its best, eh?
andym
(5,944 posts)Following the Project 2025 roadmap and Trump's own authoritarian streak is leading the US to national conservatism with authoritarian conservatism on the roadmap.
"National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conservatism, while departing from economic liberalism and libertarianism, as well as taking a more pragmatic approach to regulatory economics and protectionism. It opposes the basic precepts of enlightenment liberalism such as individualism and the universality of human rights, and in America and Europe is majoritarian populist.[ National conservatives usually combine conservatism with nationalist stances, emphasizing cultural conservatism, family values and opposition to illegal immigration or opposition to immigration per se. National conservative parties often have roots in environments with a rural, traditionalist or peripheral basis, contrasting with the more urban support base of liberal conservative parties."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_conservatism
There are many elements of Authoritarian conservatism in Trump's behavior as well.
"Authoritarian conservatism refers to autocratic regimes that portray authority as absolute and unquestionable. Authoritarian conservative movements show strong devotion towards religion, tradition, and culture while also expressing fervent nationalism akin to other far-right nationalist movements."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_conservatism
Interesting contrast with fascism which actually opposes authoritarian conservatism from Edmund Fawcett:
"Fascism, to schematize, is a form of totalitarianism. It imposes control on every aspect of the state, society, economy, and cultural life. It works through a single party with an all-embracing ideology commonly under a charismatic leader claiming to speak for the people. Its enemies are pluralism and diversity. Fascism stifles opposition by violence and fear and stabilizes itself by mobilizing popular engagement. Authoritarianism, by contrast, allows independent economic and social bodies, forms of limited representation, and a degree of freedom of religion. Its enemy is democratic participation. It also stifles opposition by violence and fear but stabilizes itself by relying on passive acquiescence in a trade-off of social quiet for loss of political role. The fascist is a nonconservative who takes anti-liberalism to extremes. The right-wing authoritarian is a conservative who takes fear of democracy to extremes."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_conservatism
Trump's conservatism has never before achieved major power in the USA and stands against the libertarian strains of conservatism-- with its overarching emphasis on freedom that was previously the focus of the GOP. Much of what is happening is the handiwork of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. The MAGA faithful have little understanding that their conservative values have been hijacked-- possibly because the unifying aspect of conservatism is deep respect for traditional authority.
AntiFascist
(13,234 posts)directly quoting the Communist Manifesto could only give more fuel to Trump's anti-Communist, pro-Fascist following. Historically, fascism has risen up to counter rising popular support of Marxism and Socialism. This is why titans of industry (the earliest Libertarians) initially supported Hitler.
dweller
(26,437 posts)
We have nothing to lose but our chains.
David Brooks
say wut?
✌🏻
thought crime
(160 posts)We have nothing to lose but our chains.
Couldn't quite get himself to say "The Workers (or Proletariat) have nothing to lose but their chains".
But close enough. Brooks. You've come a long way, baby!