Perhaps one of the most important things to come out of the Trump presidency is how it has exposed the elitism, bigotry, and false concern entrenched in liberal ideology and the so-called “party of tolerance.” There seems to be one overwhelmingly common sentiment among bitter liberals and Kamala Harris voters toward regretful Donald Trump voters: “Are you happy now? Didn’t you want this? Why should I feel bad when this is what you voted for?”
It is absolutely acceptable and understandable to be scared and to want someone to blame for an uncertain — and so far, highly destructive — four years under Trump. But the issue of apathy is not about anger toward Trump, because this is not a post-2024 election phenomenon. Liberalism has always been about conditional empathy and empty values.
When nearly 246 people died during the 2021 winter storm in Texas, the response from liberals was not to support the millions of Texans who lost power, but to get on social media and mock dying people, saying, “This is what you get for voting Republican,” simply because Texas is a red state. Contrast this with the outpouring of support for the victims of the California wildfires, and it becomes clear that, for liberals, having a monolithic “enemy” to blame comes before recognizing the humanity of anyone not living in a blue state or an expensive, progressive coastal city.
The facade of liberals caring about marginalized people crumbles even further once you realize liberals had no qualms about turning a blind eye to the fact that the storm disproportionately affected Black, Brown, and low-income communities. How cruel and out-of-touch do people have to be for their first instinct upon seeing children dying of hypothermia to make snide jokes and victim blame? It’s no wonder Democrats keep losing elections when the left actively pushes people away from it.
If we are to survive the next four years, learning to form, protect, and cherish community is critical. This does not just involve using our privilege to uplift minorities but also extending patience to regretful people who were misled into voting for Trump.
To be clear, I am not talking about Trump voters motivated by racism, xenophobia, misogyny, antisemitism, or transphobia, because there are plenty. I am talking about former Trump supporters whose legitimate concerns about inflation and unemployment were shunned by the left and whose desperation and resentment for how they were treated by the left were preyed upon by Republicans with fear-mongering and empty promises. There is no better time to get through to someone who would normally be unreceptive to such conversations than when they are already questioning their beliefs, and there is no better way to do so than to extend the empathy and solidarity they desire but won’t find from the right.
I would be remiss to chastise liberals without talking about where my own belief in the importance of solidarity came from. As Malcolm X said, “Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.”
Solidarity is a fundamentally radical concept. I learned it first from the Black Panthers, and when I talk about solidarity, I will quote from them directly. I know there are plenty of liberals who admire the Panthers and are not opposed to the idea of armed resistance. They romanticize the Panthers, but only the militant revolution. They are intrigued by the incarceration and assassinations but have no interest in the most important aspect: the love and care in how the Panthers fed, taught, and protected their communities. As Huey Newton said, “I think what motivates people is not great hate, but great love for other people.” Love and care are acts made revolutionary by the fact that we live in a society that breeds individualism and apathy, preventing us from ever forming solidarity.
Yet, some people don’t want to engage with anyone with differing viewpoints or life experiences. Because they were privileged enough to be raised in a progressive environment, or because they already “did the work” to reach their current politics, they think everyone should have to figure things out on their own. They have no patience or empathy for the turmoil and fear that formerly misled Trump supporters are experiencing, only contempt. This type of liberal individualist thinking is one of the greatest dangers to successful movements and community-building. In reality, we owe each other everything.
Says Kwame Ture, “The job of the conscious is to make the unconscious conscious.” Not just the Panthers, but every revolutionary and radical thinker has understood this. It is our responsibility to confront hate when we see it, to help our communities unlearn the bigoted rhetoric forced upon us by society to keep us divided, and, in the words of Fred Hampton, to “work with anybody and form a coalition with anybody that has revolution on their mind” across racial, gender, religious, and national bounds.
In the wake of the election, Democrats have asked, “Have racism and hate truly won over acceptance and kindness?” while simultaneously asking, “How could you Trump voters be so stupid?” Rather than practice solidarity, liberals preach elitist, classist, and implicitly racist rhetoric under the guise of progressivism, shame voters with concerns that aren’t theirs, and accuse others of having no empathy when they themselves refuse to care about anyone who didn’t vote for Kamala Harris.
When Angela Davis said, “Justice is indivisible. You can’t decide who gets civil rights and who doesn’t,” she captured the hypocrisy of liberalism perfectly. Solidarity is not easy, but prioritizing convenience and personal comfort is what allows liberalism to continue perpetuating systems of oppression. As bell hooks explained, “Solidarity is not the same as support… Support can be occasional. It can be given and just as easily withdrawn. Solidarity requires sustained, ongoing commitment.” Liberals only understand support. Their empathy is conditional and shown only when convenient for them, but in dire times like these, what we need is solidarity.
Nobody can force you to practice solidarity, change your political beliefs, or even simply care about other people. But liberation can only be won by fighting oppression with love — love for our communities and a belief that an equal world is possible — not with the tool of the oppressor, hate.
