By CFT President Jeff Freitas

The first month of the Trump administration has featured the usual bluster, threats, and disregard for the rule of law and for democracy that many of us saw coming. As Ezra Klein said in the New York Times: “Trump is acting like a king because he is too weak to govern like a president.”

These are scary times, and this administration is relying on the time-tested autocratic strategy of “shock and awe” to paralyze us. We cannot let that happen. In this moment, what is needed is to stay calm, stay our course, and continue to fight for what is right.

And we are already winning in the courts. Our national affiliate, the AFT, and our state government, under the leadership of Attorney General Rob Bonta, are pushing back on Trump’s dangerous and illegal maneuvering. For example, AFT successfully filed an injunction to protect private data from extra-legal actors like DOGE. And they have filed suit to stop the administration from weaponizing civil rights in a bid to defund public education. The Attorney General’s office has filed multiple lawsuits, including ones regarding birthright citizenship, federal funding for medical research, and ACA access for DACA recipients. 

And we will continue to stand up for one another and take this fight to the streets. On March 4, we will be gathering in Sacramento for the “March in March” where we will be participating in a nationwide AFT day of action to protect our students and defend the Department of Education from those who seek to dismantle it. And we will be rallying in San Diego at our Convention later this month, where we will speak up for the most vulnerable among us that are threatened by this administration’s dangerous policies. 

We will continue to show up, day in and day out. Our students and their families, our members, and our school communities are worth fighting for, and we will never back down from speaking up. 

We know what our students need: they need safe and welcoming learning spaces, inclusive and accurate curriculum, and dedicated teachers and classified staff who can do their jobs without fear of retaliation. We know that there is talk of layoffs around the state and we will continue our work of supporting leaders and locals to push back on any actions that seek to remove dedicated professionals from our classrooms and our campuses. 

The last month has been infuriating and exhausting, but rest assured that we are in this fight for the long haul. We are stronger together, and our union and the commitment we share with one another is more important than ever. Let’s keep fighting, together.  And don’t forget, Keep Calm and Carry On.