By Adam Pagnucco.
Many descriptors apply to the reaction of progressives at the prospect of renewed federal rule by Donald Trump. Anguish. Despair. Bewilderment. Dread.
And then there is Council Member Kristin Mink, one of MoCo’s leading progressives. Mink has no time for melancholy. She wants to fight.
In a stream of X posts published shortly after the election, Mink laid out a resistance plan against the Trump regime. Here is what she said:
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Montgomery County will work with the state to protect ALL our people. We may need to refuse to cooperate with the federal criminalization of abortion, trans health, etc. the way we have for undocumented residents.
We need a supply plan for vaccines, and for drugs for reproductive and gender-affirming care.
We need a financial plan for dealing with the loss of Title I funds for our most vulnerable students.
It is overwhelming to consider what’s before us. But Maryland remains a bright spot on the electoral map. Know that those you have elected are ready to go to bat loudly, proudly, & strategically for the breadth of our communities and the values we all hold dear. We are with you.
Grateful to my state colleagues as we buckle up for what lies ahead. We will be standing together on this.
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At this moment, I am unaware of any other council members echoing Mink’s cries for combat. But that’s not how this will go down. Mink is the bullhorn of the county’s left. Progressive groups will soon adopt her line. They will pressure the county executive and the county council to adopt the governmental equivalent of civil disobedience against the Trump regime. Similar displays of progressive fealty will no doubt play out in other blue corners of America.
Adherence to such policies may well develop into a set of progressive litmus tests in the next election. Imagine what the questionnaires will say. Imagine what the answers will be. And imagine how far it could all go.
It won’t make a difference to Trump’s troops. They welcome defiance from the left because they can use it to justify their policies on Fox News and similar outlets. It could result in consequences to the county government if federal funds are at stake and litigation is spawned. But such considerations are often set aside when the necks of politicians rest on electoral guillotines.
We shall see if these thoughts remain the exclusive province of social media or if they result in tangible action soon enough.