AOC’s Plan for Resistance: How to Fight Back Against the Trump Administration’s Incompetence

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Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.

By:  Lisa M. Hayes

In a series of posts on BlueSky, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) laid out a blueprint for resisting the looming Trump administration, urging Americans to take advantage of what she describes as their “shockingly dim and incompetent“ leadership.

 

“Yes, this administration is dangerous and cruel, but they are also shockingly dim and incompetent. Opportunities are everywhere,“ she wrote. “Make everything as hard as possible. Resist every demand. Refuse entry without a warrant. Don’t take the buyout. Their problem-solving skills are 📉.”

 

Her message is clear: non-cooperation is power. Bureaucracies grind to a halt when people refuse to comply. And in an administration already struggling to keep its house in order, even small acts of resistance can create significant disruptions.

How Non-Cooperation Has Toppled Oppressive Regimes Before

AOC’s approach is not new. Throughout history, people have fought back against authoritarian governments using similar tactics of strategic resistance.

• During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, citizens refused to cooperate with German directives. Railway workers staged slowdowns, and businesses subtly disrupted German supply chains.
• In the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, activists like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. used civil disobedience, sit-ins, and boycotts to disrupt systems of racial segregation.
• In India, Mahatma Gandhi led a successful campaign of nonviolent resistance against British rule by encouraging people to refuse cooperation with colonial authorities.

The principle remains the same: systems of power rely on the compliance of ordinary people. When enough people say no, those systems begin to crack.

Ways to Resist the Trump Administration Beyond AOC’s Call

AOC outlined a few core tactics—refusing cooperation, resisting demands, and forcing officials to jump through every legal hoop. But there are many other ways to grind the gears of an administration that thrives on fear and chaos.

1. Demand Warrants, Stay Silent, and Know Your Rights

Many of the policies Trump has promised—mass deportations, criminal crackdowns, expanded surveillance—depend on people voluntarily giving up their rights.

• Refuse warrantless searches. Whether it’s ICE or law enforcement, they need a legal warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.
• Do not consent to questioning without legal representation. Silence is powerful—invoke your right to remain silent if questioned by authorities.
• Spread awareness. Many people, especially vulnerable communities, do not know their legal rights. Educating others is an act of resistance.

2. Disrupt Data Collection and Mass Surveillance

The Trump administration will likely rely on digital surveillance, facial recognition, and AI-driven tracking to target activists, immigrants, and dissenters. There are simple ways to make mass surveillance harder:

• Use encrypted messaging apps like Signal or ProtonMail.
• Turn off location tracking on phones and social media.
• Avoid using biometric security like facial recognition.
• Use cash when possible to reduce data tracking.

3. Sabotage the Bureaucratic Machine

The Trump administration will need local and state agencies, contractors, and businesses to comply with its policies. Resistance at every level can slow implementation.

• Refuse to process paperwork quickly. If you work in a government office or administrative job, slowing down paperwork and approvals can create bottlenecks.
• Make legal challenges frequent and unavoidable. If Trump’s administration tries to roll out harmful policies, challenge them in court at every step. Lawsuits delay implementation.
• File complaints, reports, and public grievances. Bureaucracies bog down under large amounts of paperwork—use that to your advantage.

4. Stop Financial Cooperation

Money fuels power. Cutting off financial resources can cripple harmful policies before they even take off.

• Boycott companies supporting Trump and his allies. Research which corporations are funding the administration and take your business elsewhere.
• Divest from banks and financial institutions backing his policies. Consider credit unions or ethical investment funds instead.
• Refuse buyouts and settlements. If government agencies offer money to push policies forward (such as selling land for harmful projects), say no.

5. Flood Their Communication Channels

Government agencies rely on clean, efficient communication to function. Overloading these systems creates delays and confusion.

• Call, email, and write letters to officials. Overwhelming them with public input forces them to spend time and resources on responses.
• Report fake support to pollute their data. If they are tracking public sentiment on policies, flooding their systems with misleading input makes their numbers useless.
• Use Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to slow them down. Repeatedly requesting government documents creates paperwork backlogs.

6. Build Community Resistance Networks

AOC noted that much of the real resistance is happening offline. While online activism is important, real change happens in communities.

• Organize local resistance groups. Whether it’s a tenants’ rights group, a racial justice collective, or an anti-deportation network, small groups have big impact.
• Practice mutual aid. Government services may become hostile or unreliable—creating networks where people share food, shelter, and resources can keep communities safe.
• Train in protest safety and direct action. Learn from groups experienced in civil disobedience and direct action to ensure safety and effectiveness.

This Fight Is Winnable—But It Requires Relentless Action

AOC’s call to make life as difficult as possible for Trump’s administration is not just about resistance for its own sake—it’s about survival. The next four years will likely see attacks on civil liberties, marginalized communities, and democratic institutions. But as history has shown, no authoritarian government can function without the cooperation of the people it seeks to control.

 

This is not a time for passivity or complacency. Every small act of defiance, every refusal to cooperate, and every intentional disruption adds up. Resistance is not a single action—it’s a way of life.

And as AOC so powerfully reminds us:

Tyranny is eroded by a sea of small acts. Everything matters.

Now, let’s get to work.

 

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Lisa Hayes is a life coach, writer, and editor of Confluence Daily, specializing in social issues, political issues, and mental health. Her work has appeared in publications like Huffington Post and  Real Simple. She is also the Communications Director for a local fire department in Mexico and runs a life coach training program called The Coaching Guild.