Democrats Draw Up an Entirely New Anti-Trump Battle Plan

Locked out of power next year, Democrats are hatching plans to oppose President-elect Donald J.Trump that look nothing like the liberal “resistance” of 2017.Gone are the pink knit caps and homemade signs from the huge protest that convulsed blue America that year, as exhausted liberals seem more inclined to tune out Mr.

Trump than fight.Washington is far different, too.The Republicans who stymied some of Mr.

Trump’s first-term agenda are now dead, retired or Democrats.And the Supreme Court, with three justices appointed by the former president, has proved how far it will go in bending to his will.As they face this tough political landscape, Democratic officials, activists and ambitious politicians are seeking to build their second wave of opposition to Mr.

Trump from the places that they still control: deep-blue states.Democrats envision flexing their power in these states to partly block the Trump administration’s policies — for example, by refusing to enforce immigration laws — and to push forward their vision of governance by passing state laws enshrining abortion rights, funding paid leave and putting in place a laundry list of other party priorities.Some of the planning in blue states began in 2023 as a potential backstop if Mr.Trump won, according to multiple Democrats involved in different efforts.

The preparations were largely kept quiet to avoid projecting public doubts about Democrats’ ability to win the election.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....