What Comes Next
Reflections on the 2024 Election
There’s no need to sugar-coat it: Tuesday night was a defeat for Democrats and more importantly, for the cause of American democracy. We must now grapple with the reality of a second Trump presidency and the threat of the United States being fundamentally reshaped around the policy vision of Project 2025. The second Trump administration will lack the guardrails of the first and Trump will attempt to use the powers of the presidency to drag this country towards authoritarian rule. Our allies will undoubtedly feel the effects of this election, as Trump’s return signals America’s embrace of isolationism. His foreign policy will be an invitation to autocrats to fill the vacuum across the globe.
My thoughts are with the millions of Americans that the incoming administration will directly impact. Threats will flow downstream from an administration that will enable and validate the darkest visions of American society.
But all hope is not yet lost. We can still make a difference.
As we face these grim possibilities, we must not give into despair - we must fight and take solace in victories where we can find them. My twin brother Eugene Vindman will now be representing Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, and Josh Stein has defeated MAGA extremist Mark Robinson in North Carolina’s Governor race. Across this country, Democratic politicians will continue to fight for a better America and use their powers to advocate for and protect their constituents. We are not alone.
One area that I will focus on is mobilizing people-power to win the next election. When Trump and MAGA overreach fail to deliver prosperity to the American people, we need to be ready to mobilize voters in order to win back America. We have no other choice.
I faced the personal wrath of Donald Trump for standing up for the Constitution and defending the ideals of our country. With his return to office, I must now face the prospect of again being the target of his retaliation. I did the right thing then because it mattered. Despite his threats, I know I will do what is right in the future. I call upon each of you to join me in this effort. Over the next four years, our responsibility to defend our freedoms and our democracy will be greater than ever before. It will not be easy but I know that when we stand together, we will be able to overcome this extremist movement.
I will be here, providing my insights on the implications of this election for our country and our world.
Thank you,
Lt. Col. Alex Vindman.
I hope that your family's personal security is at the top of your list. I think we are in for a vicious cycle of "payback," and they will try to screw/get rid of a lot of good/great people. Never in my 88 years have I felt as insecure as I do today. As a child I was scared of the "Japs" and the Nazis, as we darkened our family home for feared Air Raids. Then came the A-bomb; Korea; the deaths of the Kennedys; Vietnam. At one point with two small children, I was in a radio announce booth narrating the tense play-by-play of the Cuban Missile Crisis - scared to death for my kids. Nothing was as profound or unsettling as the ascent of Donald Trump. With him we already know the horrors of what he has been espousing, and with whom he is aligned. Protest is now mandatory. God help us all.
With you totally. Also plan to sharpen listening skills to better hear about people’s anxieties. Not all Trump voters are MAGA cultists; many truly felt us Dems weren’t hearing them and they may have been right. We need to be humble about where we made mistakes so we don’t repeat them next time.