Trump has signed a number of illegal orders during his first week in office. But his decision to issue a broad freeze on federal spending allocated by Congress is among the most radical, brazenly unconstitutional, and harmful acts by a president of the United States in modern history.
It’s not alarmist to say that if this is allowed to stand — if the president can usurp the powers of Congress and unilaterally withhold government services to suit his own political agenda — we’ll be entering the realm of dictatorship.
And it’s not just our democracy under threat in this moment. The chaos Trump has unleashed with this freeze has already touched millions of Americans as agencies, nonprofits, and people who rely on government grants for education, housing, and food assistance try to figure out what the hell is going on.
- Throughout the country today, Medicaid portals were shut down, preventing people from accessing care.
- Meals on Wheels program directors were unsure whether they could legally deliver meals to seniors this evening.
- Preschools couldn’t access Head Start reimbursements, threatening paychecks to teachers.
- Nonprofits serving veterans were unsure whether they could help provide emergency housing to homeless vets tonight or assistance to cover rents.
- Domestic violence shelters are considering closing their doors.
These things happened before the freeze was set to go into effect. What happens when the freeze begins at 5pm ET today? Chaos. The White House has been intentionally vague about what programs will be impacted, guaranteeing massive disruptions and hardship for millions.
Amidst the chaos and harm, remember: Trump does not have the constitutional authority to do any of this. It’s all illegal. The Constitution says so, and the Supreme Court agrees. This is a dictatorial power grab and we need to fight it accordingly.
What you can do now
- If you have a Democratic senator: They need to know we expect them to fight with every tool they have. This isn’t a moment for half-measures or mealy-mouthed statements. They need to sound the alarm and grind Senate activity to a halt until this freeze is lifted. Call your Democratic senator(s) now >>
- If you have a Republican representative: Tell them that their silence makes them complicit in this unconstitutional act and they’ll be held accountable for the harm it causes if they refuse to speak up. Call your Republican representative now >>
- If you are impacted by the freeze: Share your story. Go to social media and share a video or a post talking about how Trump’s seizing of funds impacts you. More than the illegality, it’ll be the stories of harm that generate backlash to Trump’s overreach. Consider tagging your elected officials and sharing with us.
- If you want more to do: Visit our resource page where we’ve got info you can share and call scripts for your other elected officials.
This is just the start. If this thing continues, we’re going to be ramping up the defiance in order to save lives and our democracy. No compromise with dictatorship. Period.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
