Trygve Olson
@trygveolson.bsky.social
Democracy Expert trained 1000's worldwide to fight for it. Sr Advisor @projectlincoln & @LDIDemocracy. Weekly on @allbaughshow. WI boy, Girl Dad, Packer Fan.
Yesterday ignited lots of comments: bsky.app/profile/tryg...
They deserve a response: What You Are Actually Saying When You Say You Are Done Talking — Moral Clarity without relationship leaves only judgement. Judgement without connection won’t fix what is broken
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They deserve a response: What You Are Actually Saying When You Say You Are Done Talking — Moral Clarity without relationship leaves only judgement. Judgement without connection won’t fix what is broken
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
November 8, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Yesterday ignited lots of comments: bsky.app/profile/tryg...
They deserve a response: What You Are Actually Saying When You Say You Are Done Talking — Moral Clarity without relationship leaves only judgement. Judgement without connection won’t fix what is broken
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They deserve a response: What You Are Actually Saying When You Say You Are Done Talking — Moral Clarity without relationship leaves only judgement. Judgement without connection won’t fix what is broken
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
THE HARDEST CONVERSATIONS ARE THE ONES DEMOCRACY NEEDS MOST
1 in 5 Americans has ended a relationship with a friend or family member due to political differences. 2 in 3 actively avoid political conversations with coworkers, friends, or family.
Let that sink in.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
1 in 5 Americans has ended a relationship with a friend or family member due to political differences. 2 in 3 actively avoid political conversations with coworkers, friends, or family.
Let that sink in.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
The hardest conversations are the ones democracy needs most.
When We Stop Listening, Democracy Starts to Die
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:12 PM
THE HARDEST CONVERSATIONS ARE THE ONES DEMOCRACY NEEDS MOST
1 in 5 Americans has ended a relationship with a friend or family member due to political differences. 2 in 3 actively avoid political conversations with coworkers, friends, or family.
Let that sink in.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
1 in 5 Americans has ended a relationship with a friend or family member due to political differences. 2 in 3 actively avoid political conversations with coworkers, friends, or family.
Let that sink in.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Empowerment or Exploitation: The Real Battle Behind AI
We have been here before, many times. The question of progress has always been a questions of more than simply the political, but of who ultimately benefits as time marches forward and technology evolves.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We have been here before, many times. The question of progress has always been a questions of more than simply the political, but of who ultimately benefits as time marches forward and technology evolves.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Empowerment or Exploitation: The Real Battle Behind AI
At the highest level of humanity, every age faces the same moral test — whether power will serve the many, or exploit them for the few.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Empowerment or Exploitation: The Real Battle Behind AI
We have been here before, many times. The question of progress has always been a questions of more than simply the political, but of who ultimately benefits as time marches forward and technology evolves.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We have been here before, many times. The question of progress has always been a questions of more than simply the political, but of who ultimately benefits as time marches forward and technology evolves.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Our job is to build a coalition of the reasonable — liberals, conservatives, independents — anyone who believes in truth, pluralism, and peaceful power
In the end, it’s not about left vs. right
It’s about democracy vs. extremism
Faith vs. fear
Freedom vs. control
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
In the end, it’s not about left vs. right
It’s about democracy vs. extremism
Faith vs. fear
Freedom vs. control
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
The Extremes Aren’t Opposites — They’re Twins
The Four Psychological Traits That Fuel Political Extremism — and What They Mean for Our Democracy Now
open.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Our job is to build a coalition of the reasonable — liberals, conservatives, independents — anyone who believes in truth, pluralism, and peaceful power
In the end, it’s not about left vs. right
It’s about democracy vs. extremism
Faith vs. fear
Freedom vs. control
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
In the end, it’s not about left vs. right
It’s about democracy vs. extremism
Faith vs. fear
Freedom vs. control
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Whether you are on the Left, Right, or Center, Free Speech Isn't a Punchline.
Ask yourself:
Do you want to live in a country where you are afraid to say what you believe?
Where your children or grandchildren never know how to speak their truths, because those with power fear their voice?
Ask yourself:
Do you want to live in a country where you are afraid to say what you believe?
Where your children or grandchildren never know how to speak their truths, because those with power fear their voice?
Free Speech Isn’t a Punchline
And it Does Matter Which Side of the Political Divide You Are On
open.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Whether you are on the Left, Right, or Center, Free Speech Isn't a Punchline.
Ask yourself:
Do you want to live in a country where you are afraid to say what you believe?
Where your children or grandchildren never know how to speak their truths, because those with power fear their voice?
Ask yourself:
Do you want to live in a country where you are afraid to say what you believe?
Where your children or grandchildren never know how to speak their truths, because those with power fear their voice?
Wednesday’s events overtook what I had intended to share in remembrance of 9/11. However I have decided to share it today — something I originally wrote in 2018 on 9/11 because it is perhaps more important today than it was back then.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
September 11th: Remembering Win-Win America
Editor’s Note:
open.substack.com
September 12, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Wednesday’s events overtook what I had intended to share in remembrance of 9/11. However I have decided to share it today — something I originally wrote in 2018 on 9/11 because it is perhaps more important today than it was back then.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When Violence Comes Home — we have to start with asking ourselves who are we and what do we want us to be as a nation.
My latestest on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
My latestest on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When Political Violence Comes Home
We all need to take a moment to reflect on who and what we are and want to be.
open.substack.com
September 11, 2025 at 3:59 PM
When Violence Comes Home — we have to start with asking ourselves who are we and what do we want us to be as a nation.
My latestest on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
My latestest on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When AI Lies, Trust Dies
Let’s start with this: I didn’t expect ClickUp Brain to be a real brain. But I also didn’t expect it to be a pathological liar with a straight face.
clickup.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Let’s start with this: I didn’t expect ClickUp Brain to be a real brain. But I also didn’t expect it to be a pathological liar with a straight face.
clickup.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When AI Lies, Trust Dies
ClickUp Brain Fabricated Capabilities—and That Should Scare Us All
open.substack.com
August 14, 2025 at 2:39 AM
When AI Lies, Trust Dies
Let’s start with this: I didn’t expect ClickUp Brain to be a real brain. But I also didn’t expect it to be a pathological liar with a straight face.
clickup.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Let’s start with this: I didn’t expect ClickUp Brain to be a real brain. But I also didn’t expect it to be a pathological liar with a straight face.
clickup.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Everywhere I go right now, I hear the same thing: “I’m exhausted.”
People who care about democracy feel like they’re in a permanent crisis loop.
But here’s the truth:
Democracy building isn’t regime change.
It’s a long-term investment in a better world.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
People who care about democracy feel like they’re in a permanent crisis loop.
But here’s the truth:
Democracy building isn’t regime change.
It’s a long-term investment in a better world.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
You don’t win democracy like you win a campaign. You sustain it like you build a forest.
The Long-Term Game: Democracy as a Generational Investment
open.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Everywhere I go right now, I hear the same thing: “I’m exhausted.”
People who care about democracy feel like they’re in a permanent crisis loop.
But here’s the truth:
Democracy building isn’t regime change.
It’s a long-term investment in a better world.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
People who care about democracy feel like they’re in a permanent crisis loop.
But here’s the truth:
Democracy building isn’t regime change.
It’s a long-term investment in a better world.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
One of the most dangerous myths in American politics today is that authoritarianism is something that happens “over there.”
It doesn’t.
Not anymore.
Not in 2025.
Because the fight for democracy — and against it — is now global.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
It doesn’t.
Not anymore.
Not in 2025.
Because the fight for democracy — and against it — is now global.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
The Anti-Democracy Alliance: What We’re Actually Up Against
What if the fight we’re in isn’t just domestic? What if the other side is already coordinating?
open.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 6:27 PM
One of the most dangerous myths in American politics today is that authoritarianism is something that happens “over there.”
It doesn’t.
Not anymore.
Not in 2025.
Because the fight for democracy — and against it — is now global.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
It doesn’t.
Not anymore.
Not in 2025.
Because the fight for democracy — and against it — is now global.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
In the early 2000s, I worked in countries where democracy was fragile, new, or still just an idea.
We didn’t talk about “election years” or “get out the vote.”
We talked about survival
Strategy.
Coalition
Courage
We didn’t always win. But we learned what worked
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We didn’t talk about “election years” or “get out the vote.”
We talked about survival
Strategy.
Coalition
Courage
We didn’t always win. But we learned what worked
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
The Democracy-Building Toolbox — And Why We Need It Here Now
Tools we used to export. Now we need to use them to save ourselves.
open.substack.com
August 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
In the early 2000s, I worked in countries where democracy was fragile, new, or still just an idea.
We didn’t talk about “election years” or “get out the vote.”
We talked about survival
Strategy.
Coalition
Courage
We didn’t always win. But we learned what worked
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We didn’t talk about “election years” or “get out the vote.”
We talked about survival
Strategy.
Coalition
Courage
We didn’t always win. But we learned what worked
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Most people think opposition movements rise or fall based on charisma, ideology, or momentum.
But the movements that survive fear-based regimes, and actually win, rely on something else.
://open.substack.com/pub/trygveolson/p/what-opposition-movements-need-and?r=f0clj&utm_medium=ios
But the movements that survive fear-based regimes, and actually win, rely on something else.
://open.substack.com/pub/trygveolson/p/what-opposition-movements-need-and?r=f0clj&utm_medium=ios
What opposition movements need — and what fear-based regimes fear most.
The Four Es: A Framework for Building Movements That Survive and Win
open.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Most people think opposition movements rise or fall based on charisma, ideology, or momentum.
But the movements that survive fear-based regimes, and actually win, rely on something else.
://open.substack.com/pub/trygveolson/p/what-opposition-movements-need-and?r=f0clj&utm_medium=ios
But the movements that survive fear-based regimes, and actually win, rely on something else.
://open.substack.com/pub/trygveolson/p/what-opposition-movements-need-and?r=f0clj&utm_medium=ios
We’re in a global contest between two systems — one rooted in democratic values, the other in strategic manipulation, fear, and zero-sum control.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
The Battle of Worldviews Is Now Global — And Personal
What I wrote 15 years ago is happening again. This time, everywhere.
open.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 11:23 AM
We’re in a global contest between two systems — one rooted in democratic values, the other in strategic manipulation, fear, and zero-sum control.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
One Thing That Made America Great
For all our flaws, one of the things that truly made America exceptional — and made us trusted — was this:
We didn’t cook the books.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
For all our flaws, one of the things that truly made America exceptional — and made us trusted — was this:
We didn’t cook the books.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
One thing that made America great: we didn’t cook the books.
The Day They Fired the Economist for Telling the Truth
open.substack.com
August 3, 2025 at 8:17 AM
One Thing That Made America Great
For all our flaws, one of the things that truly made America exceptional — and made us trusted — was this:
We didn’t cook the books.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
For all our flaws, one of the things that truly made America exceptional — and made us trusted — was this:
We didn’t cook the books.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Stillbirth doesn’t leave you with many instructions.
Especially if you’re a dad.
You’re expected to hold it together.
Be present. Be useful. Be strong.
And maybe you try to do that.
But inside, it’s something else entirely.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Especially if you’re a dad.
You’re expected to hold it together.
Be present. Be useful. Be strong.
And maybe you try to do that.
But inside, it’s something else entirely.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Lessons for Fathers Who’ve Lost a Child
What I Learned From a Life Never Lived — Entry 2
open.substack.com
July 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Stillbirth doesn’t leave you with many instructions.
Especially if you’re a dad.
You’re expected to hold it together.
Be present. Be useful. Be strong.
And maybe you try to do that.
But inside, it’s something else entirely.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Especially if you’re a dad.
You’re expected to hold it together.
Be present. Be useful. Be strong.
And maybe you try to do that.
But inside, it’s something else entirely.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Stillbirth is a different kind of loss.
You’re not just grieving a child — you’re grieving the future you imagined.
The milestones never come.
There’s no timeline to anchor the pain.
It’s a life unlived, and a version of yourself that disappears with it.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
You’re not just grieving a child — you’re grieving the future you imagined.
The milestones never come.
There’s no timeline to anchor the pain.
It’s a life unlived, and a version of yourself that disappears with it.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
My daughter's Life was Never Lived, and Today she would have Turned Nineteen.
For Vilte — And For Anyone Who’s Lost a Child Before They Were Born
open.substack.com
July 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Stillbirth is a different kind of loss.
You’re not just grieving a child — you’re grieving the future you imagined.
The milestones never come.
There’s no timeline to anchor the pain.
It’s a life unlived, and a version of yourself that disappears with it.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
You’re not just grieving a child — you’re grieving the future you imagined.
The milestones never come.
There’s no timeline to anchor the pain.
It’s a life unlived, and a version of yourself that disappears with it.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Reposted by Trygve Olson
NEW #ThatTrippiShow: @joetrippi.bsky.social & @trygveolson.bsky.social discuss Trygve’s s seven rules for winning back control of the public square from AI and the threat to democracy posed by the technology.
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/that-tripp...
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/that-tripp...
That Trippi Show | How to Fight Back Against the AI Autocratic Takeover with Trygve Olson
Don't miss Trygve's seven rules for winning back control of the public square.
www.lincolnsquare.media
July 20, 2025 at 5:46 PM
NEW #ThatTrippiShow: @joetrippi.bsky.social & @trygveolson.bsky.social discuss Trygve’s s seven rules for winning back control of the public square from AI and the threat to democracy posed by the technology.
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/that-tripp...
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/that-tripp...
The Law of Political Gravity
In The Battle for Democracy, I wrote that democracy building — like physics — operates by laws.
One of the most important:
Fear-based systems work top-down.
Free societies work side by side.
Fear consolidates.
Freedom distributes.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
In The Battle for Democracy, I wrote that democracy building — like physics — operates by laws.
One of the most important:
Fear-based systems work top-down.
Free societies work side by side.
Fear consolidates.
Freedom distributes.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They’ll Use AI to Centralize Power. We Must Use It to Decentralize Resistance.
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
open.substack.com
July 18, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The Law of Political Gravity
In The Battle for Democracy, I wrote that democracy building — like physics — operates by laws.
One of the most important:
Fear-based systems work top-down.
Free societies work side by side.
Fear consolidates.
Freedom distributes.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
In The Battle for Democracy, I wrote that democracy building — like physics — operates by laws.
One of the most important:
Fear-based systems work top-down.
Free societies work side by side.
Fear consolidates.
Freedom distributes.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Authoritarians won’t need to steal elections.
They’ll just use AI to steal your belief that the results were real in the first place.
But here’s the thing
Democracy is resilient. Belief can be rebuilt.
But only if we act with urgency, clarity, and the right tools
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They’ll just use AI to steal your belief that the results were real in the first place.
But here’s the thing
Democracy is resilient. Belief can be rebuilt.
But only if we act with urgency, clarity, and the right tools
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Lesson 5: They’ll Use AI to Undermine Elections. We Must Use It to Defend Them.
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
open.substack.com
July 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Authoritarians won’t need to steal elections.
They’ll just use AI to steal your belief that the results were real in the first place.
But here’s the thing
Democracy is resilient. Belief can be rebuilt.
But only if we act with urgency, clarity, and the right tools
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They’ll just use AI to steal your belief that the results were real in the first place.
But here’s the thing
Democracy is resilient. Belief can be rebuilt.
But only if we act with urgency, clarity, and the right tools
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
I’ve met FSOs who learned the language, understood the culture, and stayed long after the rest of Washington had lost interest.
When you fire 1,300 of them, you don’t just eliminate jobs.
You gut the connective tissue of American soft power.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When you fire 1,300 of them, you don’t just eliminate jobs.
You gut the connective tissue of American soft power.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Firing the Front Line
Why Hollowing Out the State Department Destroys American Power
open.substack.com
July 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I’ve met FSOs who learned the language, understood the culture, and stayed long after the rest of Washington had lost interest.
When you fire 1,300 of them, you don’t just eliminate jobs.
You gut the connective tissue of American soft power.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
When you fire 1,300 of them, you don’t just eliminate jobs.
You gut the connective tissue of American soft power.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Autocrats will Use AI to Erode Reality, Democracy’s Defenders Must Use it to Anchor Shared Truth
Reality is now a frontline.
We don’t defend it with nostalgia.
We defend it with infrastructure, speed, and clarity.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Reality is now a frontline.
We don’t defend it with nostalgia.
We defend it with infrastructure, speed, and clarity.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They’ll Use AI to Erode Reality. We Must Use It to Anchor Shared Truth.
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
open.substack.com
July 10, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Autocrats will Use AI to Erode Reality, Democracy’s Defenders Must Use it to Anchor Shared Truth
Reality is now a frontline.
We don’t defend it with nostalgia.
We defend it with infrastructure, speed, and clarity.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Reality is now a frontline.
We don’t defend it with nostalgia.
We defend it with infrastructure, speed, and clarity.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Bottom Line
Authoritarians will use AI to simulate solidarity and sabotage it.
We must utilize both AI tools and human strategy to reinforce what is real.
Solidarity isn’t soft.
It’s a security system.
And in 2025, division isn’t just a risk — it’s a weapon.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Authoritarians will use AI to simulate solidarity and sabotage it.
We must utilize both AI tools and human strategy to reinforce what is real.
Solidarity isn’t soft.
It’s a security system.
And in 2025, division isn’t just a risk — it’s a weapon.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Lesson 3: They’ll Use AI to Engineer Division. We Must Use It to Strengthen Solidarity.
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
open.substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Bottom Line
Authoritarians will use AI to simulate solidarity and sabotage it.
We must utilize both AI tools and human strategy to reinforce what is real.
Solidarity isn’t soft.
It’s a security system.
And in 2025, division isn’t just a risk — it’s a weapon.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Authoritarians will use AI to simulate solidarity and sabotage it.
We must utilize both AI tools and human strategy to reinforce what is real.
Solidarity isn’t soft.
It’s a security system.
And in 2025, division isn’t just a risk — it’s a weapon.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
What Democracy Must Do
We can’t stop this by legislation alone, though regulations will matter.
We must use AI to defend the rights it’s being weaponized to destroy.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We can’t stop this by legislation alone, though regulations will matter.
We must use AI to defend the rights it’s being weaponized to destroy.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
They’ll Use AI to Target Dissent. We Must Use It to Protect Expression.
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
open.substack.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:42 PM
What Democracy Must Do
We can’t stop this by legislation alone, though regulations will matter.
We must use AI to defend the rights it’s being weaponized to destroy.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
We can’t stop this by legislation alone, though regulations will matter.
We must use AI to defend the rights it’s being weaponized to destroy.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
What This Series Is
This isn’t a primer on AI.
It’s a field manual for people trying to protect democracy from the systems that now threaten it, digitally and psychologically.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
This isn’t a primer on AI.
It’s a field manual for people trying to protect democracy from the systems that now threaten it, digitally and psychologically.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
AI vs. Autocracy: Seven Lessons in the New Battle for Democracy
Introduction + Lesson 1
open.substack.com
July 7, 2025 at 8:54 PM
What This Series Is
This isn’t a primer on AI.
It’s a field manual for people trying to protect democracy from the systems that now threaten it, digitally and psychologically.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
This isn’t a primer on AI.
It’s a field manual for people trying to protect democracy from the systems that now threaten it, digitally and psychologically.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Your job is to make more people believe they belong in the room at all.
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t need heroes.
It needs humans who show up.
Together.
Consistently.
With courage.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t need heroes.
It needs humans who show up.
Together.
Consistently.
With courage.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Lesson 10: Democracy Builders Don’t Tell. They Empower.
Ten Lessons for the Resistance in a Fear-Based System
open.substack.com
July 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Your job is to make more people believe they belong in the room at all.
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t need heroes.
It needs humans who show up.
Together.
Consistently.
With courage.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t need heroes.
It needs humans who show up.
Together.
Consistently.
With courage.
open.substack.com/pub/trygveol...