Former President Barack Obama

In a fiery call to action, former President Barack Obama reminded Americans that in a democracy, the most powerful role isn’t president—it’s citizen. “No one is going to come save us—it’s on us,” he said in a video interview with the Daily Mirror titled “It’s Up to Us to Save America.” Emphasizing the need for courage and sacrifice, Obama warned that ideals like free speech, the rule of law, and democracy are not abstract—they impact everyday life, even the price of eggs.

At a recent fundraiser, Obama told Democrats to “toughen up,” criticizing political apathy and misplaced hope in quick fixes or saviors. “Stop looking for the messiah,” he said, according to CNN. “Don’t say you care about free speech, then stay quiet. What’s needed now is courage.” He urged citizens to act—not just believe—warning that taking democracy for granted is a risk America can’t afford.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson 

Speaking at the Global Black Economic Forum, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson offered insight into the inner workings of dissent on the Court and her approach to using her judicial voice. In split decisions, the most senior justice in the minority assigns the principal dissent. Sometimes Jackson writes her own, especially when she believes she can offer a distinct perspective or when an issue holds personal significance.

Justice Jackson emphasized the importance of thoughtful, effective responses over emotional reactions, crediting her parents for instilling in her the confidence to speak boldly without fear of disagreement. When asked what keeps her up at night, Jackson pointed to the state of American democracy. She urged greater civic awareness and engagement, stressing the need for people to invest their attention in what is happening in the country and its institutions.

Stacey Abrams

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, voting rights advocate and author Stacey Abrams discussed the erosion of democratic norms and issued a clear-eyed warning about the steps toward autocracy. Drawing from her viral breakdown, Abrams listed 10 tactics used in an autocracy:

  1. Win an election – Usually the last fair one. 
  2. Expand executive power – The president overreaches. 
  3. Complicit Congress – Weaken it, make it obedient. 
  4. Neuter the judiciary – Like the Supreme Court saying they can’t stop power.
  5. Gut civil service – Fire people who know how government works. 
  6. Install loyalists – Put your people in charge of DOJ, FBI, etc.
  7. Control communication – Discredit the media, build propaganda echo chambers. 
  8. Find scapegoats – Blame the vulnerable: DEI, LGBTQ+, immigrants, etc. 
  9. Eliminate support networks – Go after pro bono law firms, philanthropies, colleges. 
  10. Use private violence – Deploy military or law enforcement to suppress dissent. Then cancel future elections once everyone is afraid, poor, or complicit.

Abrams, former Georgia House Minority Leader, emphasized that resistance must be rooted in truth-telling, mutual aid, protest, and a shared belief in democracy. She underscored the importance of community, urging people not to let isolation undermine civic power.

Karen Bass 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass pushed back forcefully against reports that federal officials had floated her arrest amid aggressive immigration enforcement in MacArthur Park and surrounding neighborhoods. “They’re going to arrest me for doing my job as mayor?” she said in disbelief on MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Show.

Bass described a disturbing scene of armed federal agents—including Customs and Border Protection, National Guard, and plainclothes officers—detaining individuals in unmarked vehicles near peaceful public spaces, such as summer camps. “What I do know is that Customs Border Patrol was definitely there… plainclothes officers jumping out of unmarked cars… wielding guns, pulling people off the street,” she said, likening the atmosphere to “a scene before a coup.”

Dismissing the arrest threat as a “political stunt,” Bass emphasized that federal officials are accountable to the people, just as local elected leaders are. “They work for us—not the other way around,” she stated.