This is also why I'm a bear on Vance '28 - this is an elemental power, you can't just transfer it to a guy who hasn't been famous for 50 years.

Completely misread your post. Apologies.

The real effective forms of protest at the moment are going to come from a cadre of savvy bureaucrats and state level political appointees who will learn to implement Trump’s brazen orders in the most politically damaging ways (see: Medicaid).

Elected Democrats are basically powerless even when they are united. Successful opposition to Trump will require seriously damaging his approval. To do that, opponents have to prioritize their focus on the hideously unpopular and chaotic stuff.

To every extent possible elected Dems and people with power should resist this admin. But expecting to be able to protest maximally at every point of resistance will burn everyone out and it’ll collapse things that damage Trump with things that don’t.

Resistance works but there’s in fact a finite amount as much as we hate to admit it so picking the battles that are most damaging to Trump is an important exercise in prioritization.