Jennifer Rubin, former Washington Post op-ed columnist, and co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Contrarian recently wrote, “Although democracy is inarguably in worse shape since Trump took office, democracy’s antibodies have surged.”
The phrase “democracy’s antibodies” is a brilliant metaphor for the institutional and individual actions being undertaken in defense of the US Constitution. It is exhausting, and comes with risks, but fighting the daily barrage of antigens is what Democracy’s Antibodies are doing.
Jen is emblematic of Democracy’s Antibodies. In just six months, she and The Contrarian co-founder Norm Eisen, have built a substantial media company on Substack, in the wake of their intentional departures from The Washington Post. The company features notable columnists, live chats, and podcasts, attracting over a half million subscribers.
Historian and Professor Heather Cox Richardson, whose Letters From An American, tops the Substack charts with over 2.6M readers, noted she would prefer paddling in Maine this summer, than documenting each day’s travails, truths, and tormentors. But she does so with historical perspective and sardonic wit. Before the 2024 election, she took Sunday’s off. Now it is a seven-day slog.
Jess Craven’s newsletter, Chop Wood, Carry Water offers insight into the latest reckless political activity in DC, and beyond, and gives subscribers weekday direction, and scripts to attack the madness.
Immunoglobulin M
Lower courts have been the Immunoglobulin M of democracy’s antibodies. IgM is the first antibody to appear in the response to initial exposure to an antigen; causing it to also be called an acute phase antibody. They have played a crucial role in blocking the Administration’s executive orders—ranging from ending birthright citizenship and deporting immigrants without due process, to firing federal workers without cause—even under pressure from the Supreme Court’s 6-3 majority. Judges from both parties continue to uphold their oaths despite facing real threats.
The ACLU has taken over 50 legal actions during President Trump’s second term challenging this administration’s cruel immigration policies alone – and they are not slowing down.
According to The Guardian, Indivisible, a progressive grassroots organization with a national office and thousands of offshoots in cities and towns around the country, grew out of a Google Doc created by former Hill staffers Ezra Levin and his wife, Leah Greenberg, when Trump won in 2016. In the past six months the number of Indivisible local chapters has exploded to over 2000. Indivisible helped organize the Hands Off and No Kings protests drawing millions around the world. Currently their “One Million Rising” campaign is attempting to train a million people in the tools and tactics of civil disobedience and non-compliance, especially focused on ICE.
Credit: Daniel Terna for The New York Times
New York Times journalist Michelle Goldberg recently profiled Elizabeth Castillio, in her opinion piece, “They Saw Their Neighbors Taken Away by ICE. Then They Made a Plan.” Castillio, a mother of five, was not an activist before ICE began disappearing people in her Los Angeles neighborhood. She started with a megaphone, following ICE agents in her car, warning people of their presence. Up before dawn, she is now connected with a network of people and organizations tracking ICE’s activity.
These defenders – Democracy’s Antibodies – journalists, legal scholars, activists, and everyday citizens—form a living network, vigilant and adaptive in the face of unprecedented challenges. Their collective resistance is not always dramatic; sometimes it is the quiet diligence of watchdogs, the careful drafting of amicus briefs, the tireless fact-checking, or the neighborly organizing. They serve not only as chroniclers but as catalysts – reminding the public that every act of engagement matters, that defending democracy is a marathon, not a sprint.
