A broad coalition of Democratic officials, progressive activists, watchdog groups, and former Republicans is making extensive preparations in case Donald Trump wins a second presidential term. They are united by concerns that his return to power could seriously endanger their policy goals and the “foundations of American democracy.” 

But mostly their policy goals. 

It’s a gripping tale of mass hysteria and plans to undermine the will of the people should Trump win in 2024. Some of the highlights include hoarding abortion pills, proactively lining up lawsuits, and securing Biden’s mass illegal immigration agenda. 

This spring, the Biden administration implemented numerous regulations to prevent these rules from being easily overturned next year if Trump were to win the election and Republicans were to gain complete control of Congress. 

During the first Trump administration, opponents frequently used litigation to challenge and delay policies, sometimes successfully blocking them altogether. The ACLU played a prominent role in this effort and is preparing to continue its legal challenges if Trump returns to the White House. The ACLU has conducted a thorough financial review to strengthen its readiness and prepare for potential IRS scrutiny under a new administration. 

Anthony Romero, the ACLU’s director, indicated that they have identified 63 potential threats under a renewed Trump presidency, categorizing them based on severity and timing. From there, they have prioritized four key areas: immigration crackdowns, restrictions on abortion access, politicized firings of civil servants, and the use of military forces to suppress protests. The ACLU is actively preparing legal strategies to address these concerns. 

In 2020, amid protests for racial justice that occasionally turned violent, President Trump drafted an order to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows presidents to use federal troops domestically in emergencies, but he did not sign it. Democrats are stoking fears that in the future, he would deploy troops to Democratic-led cities even without local requests for assistance. The ACLU is planning legal action to challenge the potential use of the Insurrection Act. 

Democracy Forward, founded after Trump’s 2016 election, is central to liberal opposition planning for a possible second Trump administration. They have filed numerous legal challenges against Trump’s policies and have now prepared a detailed 15-page “threat assessment” covering areas like abortion, climate change, civil rights, healthcare, “weaponization of governmental agencies,” and immigration. 

CEO Skye Perryman stated that Democracy Forward is not only drafting potential lawsuits to challenge future actions by the Trump administration but also actively seeking plaintiffs with legal standing to bring these cases to court. Cases that haven’t yet arisen and cases that are all parts of the mass hysteria Democrats would have Americans believe is reality. 

At the Brennan Center for Justice, the primary focus currently revolves around voting rights issues ahead of the 2024 campaign. The center has enlisted Barton Gellman from The Atlantic to assist with scenario planning and tabletop exercises, anticipating potential developments under a future Trump presidency. 

Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center, explained that they are preparing for two scenarios: one where Biden wins, focusing on advancing voting rights legislation, and another where Trump wins, strategizing how to mitigate the impact of potential abuses of power. 

President Biden recently issued an executive order that mandates the immediate rejection of asylum claims when their numbers become excessively high. This directive has sparked legal challenges from several immigrant rights groups supported by the ACLU. Despite these efforts, leaders in the immigrant rights community express concerns that Trump’s potential policies, such as widespread deportations and large-scale detention centers, would be significantly harsher. 

At the National Immigration Law Center, preparations for a potential second Trump administration have been ongoing since last fall, particularly following revelations detailing plans for extensive deportation efforts under Trump. The center has held planning meetings in response and collaborated internally with other organizations. 

For instance, during Trump’s presidency, a volunteer network in New Haven, Connecticut, formed a rapid response unit to monitor immigration raids, document them on video, and intervene if they witnessed any legal violations. The center is exploring ways to replicate this model nationwide while also, inexplicably, preparing for increased threats and harassment targeting immigration rights advocates, including death threats and physical violence. 

What Democrats fear is that Trump will stop their drive to “fundamentally change America.” They are not concerned that a Trump victory would be a referendum on their agenda and obvious proof that they have already taken things too far. 

Make no mistake, Democrats are openly devising ways to remain in power even if America tells them, to quote Trump, “You’re fired.”