We’re now about a month into the Trump/Musk assault on our government and country, and I wanted to take a moment to share some reflections—and more importantly, to carve a path forward.
This is the most important moment of the three years we’ve been in operation, and one of the most important passages of all of our long lives.
Even those of us who worked hard to defeat Musk and Trump in November are a little stunned by the scale of their attacks on institutions that have long defined our nation. We knew it would be different from the first Trump term, but the ferocity and speed with which they have mounted their assault threatens to leave us shell-shocked. I imagine that’s the goal of this blitzkrieg.
They have used every tool at their disposal to overwhelm, confuse, and demoralize—and they want us to feel powerless in the face of it. I confess that there are moments every day when I feel bewildered, flummoxed, and heartbroken.
But we are not powerless. But we must move from reactivity to action, in ways that are strategic, effective, and sustainable.
What Third Act Is—and Isn’t—Doing
We know that real change comes from steady, determined effort. We move at the speed of trust, building power that lasts. In a moment like this, it’s tempting to react to every crisis, but we need to stay strategic, disciplined, and focused on the long game. We’re meeting this moment by doing what we do best: mobilizing elders for sustained political pressure, visibility, and movement-building that can’t be undone with the next news cycle. That means:
Publicly Calling This Moment What It Is
The most powerful tool we have right now is our voice—and we need to use it.
WRITE: We’re launching a targeted Letter to the Editor campaign: The Legacy Project. The message? “I’m X years old, and I’ve never seen an attack on our democracy like this.” Young people don’t always recognize how abnormal this moment is. We need to name it and our experience gives us credibility.
SPEAK OUT: We need to remind our communities, online and in real life, that this moment is unprecedented. Talk about it. Write about it. Hold signs at protests. Tag Third Act so we can be a mighty megaphone.
Applying Pressure Where It Matters
SUPPORT ACTIONS WITHIN OUR NETWORK: We are not organizing national protests, but we are partnering with groups like Indivisible, the Working Families Party, and MoveOn who specialize in rapid response. When mass mobilizations happen, we’ll share ways to show up.
JOIN THIS ACTION FROM MOVEON: Our partner MoveOn is mobilizing people to tell Congress that they work for us, not Elon Musk. This action is happening this week, while Congress is on break.
Playing the Long Game—Because This Fight Won’t End Tomorrow
We need to fight smart and lay the groundwork for real power shifts—not just survive the next crisis. At the state and local levels, we’re well equipped to get stuff done.
Third Act Working Groups are already deep in the work—pushing state and local policies that protect democracy, hold corporations accountable, and expand clean energy.
In many places—even in red states—we’re working to try and ensure that the money promised under the IRA actually gets delivered; we need to keep pressing corporations and financial institutions to clean up their acts. It’s hard, productive, and nitty-gritty work. If you’re not already plugged in, join your local Working Group.
We also need to keep a foothold in the future. We have the technology and solutions to build a better world—if we can muster the political will. That’s why we’re planning towards SunDay, an action in September—a reminder that the power of the sun belongs to all of us, not just billionaires and corporations. It’s going to be big. Come to our March All-In Call to learn more.
If we do this work faithfully and well, some power may start to shift. The midterm elections will be an early test—if we’ve made the White House unpopular enough, we might just regain a majority in the House and a foothold in Washington. There’s no guarantee; Trump and Musk will do everything they can to rig the rules in their favor. But the fight back has to start somewhere.
Many of you have kindly written to ask how I’m holding up, knowing that the goal I’ve worked my life for—slowing the heating of the planet—can feel more out of reach than ever. The true answer is that I’ve had a lot of nights when I wake at 3:30 and can’t get back to sleep, worrying and planning. But I’m doing my best to find some time in nature (it’s been an ironically deep and glorious Vermont winter), and to hold fast to my family (our first grandson is on the edge of walking) and to find a few things that can distract me (the Red Sox have a new second baseman—hope springs eternal!).
But most of all, I take strength from all of you. From the idea that we get to stand side by side in this fight, not because we know we’ll win, but because we know we must. We are not panicking—we are organizing. And we will keep going, with all the love we can muster, and some of the anger too.
On we go,
Bill McKibben for Third Act
Third Act
10 Fairgrounds Ave, #445
Nassau, NY 12123
United States info@thirdact.org
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