Conservative NYT Columnist David Brooks Calls for 'National Civic Uprising' to Defeat Trumpism

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Apr 17th, 2025, 8:08 pm


Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks has called for a mass uprising to oppose President Donald Trump, going so far as to quote The Communist Manifesto.

In a blistering piece published on Thursday, Brooks wrote that modern civilization is buttressed by several pillars, including “Constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.”

He went on to say that Trump threatens all of these because the president is only interested in the acquisition of power “for its own sake” and is engaged in “a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men.”

Noting that Trump has targeted law firms, government agencies, NATO, and global trade, Brooks said these various efforts are part of a singular mission to reverse the “civilizational order.” His solution is a multi-pronged response that is nonetheless united by a common goal:

It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/trump/conservative-nyt-columnist-david-brooks-calls-for-national-civic-uprising-to-defeat-trumpism-complete-with-mass-rallies-strikes/

---

Full headline: Conservative NYT Columnist David Brooks Calls for ‘National Civic Uprising’ to Defeat Trumpism – Complete With ‘Mass Rallies, Strikes’

[Lovie777]

1. Peaceful protests across the country...............

I think there's one set for April 19th.

[Bohunk68]

9. There is.

We are even gathering here in our small Upstate NY red neck town. And it will be in Veteran's Park, and many of us veterans will be there. Oooo, I can think of another use of Anchors Aweigh. hmmm.

[sop]

2. It's a great column, a must read.

(We cannot afford to attack people like David Brooks for their past political views.)

[Raftergirl]

10. Next week he will be praising the moron for something he did.

[Paladin]

13. It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Brooks is a gutless wonder.

[femmedem]

22. David Brooks has long been a never-Trumper. From a 2016 column of his:

"...Donald Trump is epically unprepared to be president. He has no realistic policies, no advisers, no capacity to learn. His vast narcissism makes him a closed fortress. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know and he’s uninterested in finding out. He insults the office Abraham Lincoln once occupied by running for it with less preparation than most of us would undertake to buy a sofa.

Trump is perhaps the most dishonest person to run for high office in our lifetimes. All politicians stretch the truth, but Trump has a steady obliviousness to accuracy.

This week, the Politico reporters Daniel Lippman, Darren Samuelsohn and Isaac Arnsdorf fact-checked 4.6 hours of Trump speeches and press conferences. They found more than five dozen untrue statements, or one every five minutes."

Gifted article, no payroll: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/opinion/no-not-trump-not-ever.html

[Javaman]

3. you know times are changing when Brooks calls for this. nt

[2naSalit]

5. That's the truth!

[CTyankee]

25. Looks like Brooks has been onto him for nearly 10 years (look at date of article).

[Ray Bruns]

4. Maybe more people should have voted for the black lady

🤔

[JohnnyRingo]

6. Uber conservative Rich Lowry has been voicing similar concerns.

He's the Editor In Chief of The National Review, a major conservative outlet.
For a couple months now he's been pounding the drum of dissent of Trumpism. It's gotten much more direct lately.

This can't be good for Dear Leader, but these columnists are the republican elite. The rednecks with Trump flags on their trucks and billboards in their front yard don't care what they think.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Yup - they are considered "the Establishment"

and are dubbed "RINOs" by the RW loons.

[wnylib]

23. The RW loons should take note that a combination of the "RINOS" and the left maks the RW nut jobs a distinct minority.

[Historic NY]

8. So big that it scares the sh-t out of his diaper.

too bad a missed opportunity was his big golf event. Imagine if 10000 + people showed up around Doral

[Martin68]

11. I'm not sure what Brooks means by a 'National Civic Uprising,' but I welcome the suggestion, whatever form it takes.

This is an excellent list: In a blistering piece published on Thursday, Brooks wrote that modern civilization is buttressed by several pillars, including “Constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.”

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. Brooks' portfolio must have really taken a hit

For decades, he has been a bland apologist for Republicans and an arrogant scold for Democrats.

He is the hackiest of hacks in journalism.

Now, suddenly, he displays a modicum of pro-democracy passion?

I guess that makes him a broken clock…

[BumRushDaShow]

14. "He is the hackiest of hacks in journalism"

... behind Charles Krauthammer, who is no longer here.

Maybe he is changing direction the way Bill Kristol has.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Brooks is the Chuck Todd of print media. Nt

[BumRushDaShow]

17. ....

[SayItLoud]

15. Anyone remember the National Security debacle?

Just another "headline" that faded away with NO consequences to any of the senior officials involved. The media is only alive for 24-72 hours then on to the next "scandal" , and no one has a solution. We keep thinking "oh he will never get away with that"...and yet he does. Bit by bit eroding everything and profiting by it all.

[Native]

18. Adam Kinzinger: "As David Brooks has said, we're approaching civil disobedience and national strikes phase of defending

our nation." Yup, even Kinzinger is in agreement.

[FakeNoose]

19. This doesn't sound like the David Brooks we all know and hate

Wow! Did someone hack his computer?

[relogic]

20. Brooks being Brooks...

…the obvious omission of government's practical role in ameliorating some of the US population’s disease and poverty are not supported by his conservative brand. Notice: …” charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.” Sometimes such an inadequate list of “uprising” justifications can be very revealing by what is not offered as viable solutions, Mr. Brooks. Still the predictable defender of predatory, corporate capitalism at its best, eh?

[andym]

21. Trump's national conservatism is not the traditional American conservatism of Brooks, William Buckley and the past GOP

Following the Project 2025 roadmap and Trump's own authoritarian streak is leading the US to national conservatism with authoritarian conservatism on the roadmap.

"National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conservatism, while departing from economic liberalism and libertarianism, as well as taking a more pragmatic approach to regulatory economics and protectionism. It opposes the basic precepts of enlightenment liberalism such as individualism and the universality of human rights, and in America and Europe is majoritarian populist.[ National conservatives usually combine conservatism with nationalist stances, emphasizing cultural conservatism, family values and opposition to illegal immigration or opposition to immigration per se. National conservative parties often have roots in environments with a rural, traditionalist or peripheral basis, contrasting with the more urban support base of liberal conservative parties."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_conservatism

There are many elements of Authoritarian conservatism in Trump's behavior as well.
"Authoritarian conservatism refers to autocratic regimes that portray authority as absolute and unquestionable. Authoritarian conservative movements show strong devotion towards religion, tradition, and culture while also expressing fervent nationalism akin to other far-right nationalist movements."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_conservatism

Interesting contrast with fascism which actually opposes authoritarian conservatism from Edmund Fawcett:
"Fascism, to schematize, is a form of totalitarianism. It imposes control on every aspect of the state, society, economy, and cultural life. It works through a single party with an all-embracing ideology commonly under a charismatic leader claiming to speak for the people. Its enemies are pluralism and diversity. Fascism stifles opposition by violence and fear and stabilizes itself by mobilizing popular engagement. Authoritarianism, by contrast, allows independent economic and social bodies, forms of limited representation, and a degree of freedom of religion. Its enemy is democratic participation. It also stifles opposition by violence and fear but stabilizes itself by relying on passive acquiescence in a trade-off of social quiet for loss of political role. The fascist is a nonconservative who takes anti-liberalism to extremes. The right-wing authoritarian is a conservative who takes fear of democracy to extremes."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_conservatism

Trump's conservatism has never before achieved major power in the USA and stands against the libertarian strains of conservatism-- with its overarching emphasis on freedom that was previously the focus of the GOP. Much of what is happening is the handiwork of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. The MAGA faithful have little understanding that their conservative values have been hijacked-- possibly because the unifying aspect of conservatism is deep respect for traditional authority.

[AntiFascist]

24. I agree with what he says, BUT...

directly quoting the Communist Manifesto could only give more fuel to Trump's anti-Communist, pro-Fascist following. Historically, fascism has risen up to counter rising popular support of Marxism and Socialism. This is why titans of industry (the earliest Libertarians) initially supported Hitler.

[dweller]

26. Brooks quotes Marx

… “We have nothing to lose but our chains”.
David Brooks …

say wut?


✌🏻

[thought crime]

27. Did hell just freeze over?

“We have nothing to lose but our chains”.

Couldn't quite get himself to say "The Workers (or Proletariat) have nothing to lose but their chains".
But close enough. Brooks. You've come a long way, baby!