The Bullies among Us

Ever since Donald Trump came down the escalator in 2015, he’s attracted bullies. At his rallies, he encouraged audience members to rough up protestors. He told cops to “not be too nice” when placing suspects in the police car. We’ve seen a steady rise in hate crimes, and of course, the ultimate show of his Bully Brigade occurred on January 6 where they literally tried to hunt down VP Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Outside of those instances, there’s been plenty of bullying in the name of Trump/MAGA culture wars. Dr. Anthony Fauci continues to be hounded, to the point of getting death threats and needing 24/7 security. Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss were so terrified after attacks following the 2020 election, that they had to move. They were the targets of online and real life harassment from people, egged on by Trump and Rudy Giuliani who insisted they helped “steal” the election.

Trump has made bullying a key part of his MAGA army, to the point where anyone who speaks out against him fears that he’ll turn his rabid cult members in their direction.

The latest incident comes after Trump conducted a political photo op at Arlington National Cemetery. Such activities are prohibited by Federal law, but did that stop him and his team from taking a grinning “thumbs up” photo in front of the grave of a fallen soldier? Nope. A cemetery official attempted to intervene and was roughly shoved out of the way by a member of his team. She made a report but opted not to go further for fear of reprisal from Trump’s Bully Brigade.

Another incident involves librarian Amanda Jones from a small Louisiana town. She spoke up about censorship and book bans in the local school, and instantly became the target of death threats. Which hits a little harder in a small rural town where everyone knows everyone. Jones just wrote a book about her ordeal called That Librarian.

The willingness to bully for Trump is one of the most disturbing aspects of MAGA. He has his own unofficial group of Brown Shirts, who enjoy using intimidation and fear to keep people silent and in their place. They show up at school board meetings or harass people online.

It’s understandable that one would opt to keep quiet, but that’s what bullies count on. So how do you fight back against the bullies among us?

1. Give as good as you get. Screenshot any nasty social media post and share it, especially with administrators tasked with warning or restricting accounts on the site. If it’s a serious threat, alert the cops or the FBI, sending them as much detail as you can, including any phone or Ring videos. On that same note, make sure your home and car are properly protected with alarms or cameras, just in case.
2. Shaming was an effective social tool centuries ago. Stand up at the town meeting or school board hearing and challenge the bullies. Have your facts ready on the issue and calmly call someone out publicly for their bad behavior.
3. Gather the troops. No matter your age, being bullied is uncomfortable. Let your close friends and family know what’s happening so they can support you and back you up. Alert your neighbors so they can be on the lookout as well.

The proliferation of Trump Bullies has made standing up for what you believe a little more difficult these days. But intimidation is not an option. Remember the words of Benjamin Disraeli: “Courage is fire and bullying is smoke.”

Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and "Star Trek" (TOS), and hardcore politics junkie. There was that one time she campaigned for Gerald Ford (yikes), but ever since, she's been devoted to Democratic and progressive policies.