Messaging Roundup: Decentering a small man with too much power

The World Cup eclipses Trump--we need more moments like that.

Like we mean it, Kate Dalton, and Julie Subrin

Jul 24, 2026

Greetings Resisters,

What a time to be alive! We hope you’re holding up okay, and also finding time for some R&R, hanging out in a hammock, or at the beach, or in your favorite section of an air conditioned bookstore or library. (To that end, we will be taking a break next week.)

Two weeks ago, Kate wrote about Trump attempting to smear Democrats and leftists by branding them “Communists” (bringing to mind My Undesirable Friends, the documentary that followed young independent Russian journalists blacklisted as “undesirables” and foreign agents). Then, this week, the administration went further, claiming that people (mostly not white) as wide-ranging as Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, DSA members like Mamdani, and the late, murdered George Floyd are essentially Cuban assets. Cuba, by Trump’s account, is the greatest threat our democracy faces—an outlandish claim, but also one with serious implications when used to further intimidate and punish activists and perceived “political enemies.” It’s mind-bending, infuriating, and a bit ominous.

Black and white illustration of ow people facing each ohter with large hands. There i sa flower in teh backgroun, a bunch of leaves and hands that look like leaves. There are stars

“Ecologies of Mutual Care” from Olly Costello Art

The good news is, it seems unlikely most Americans will take these claims seriously. And for now we have a more robust justice system than Russia and other authoritarian regimes do to offer some degree of protection against these charges (though not as robust as we’d like).

Some other good news: this week, Indivisible, Hands Off NYC, and experienced election protection organizations unveiled a solid plan (including lots of messaging advice) to protect our elections so that, come November, our voices are heard loud and clear when we say we have had enough of GOP corruption, cruelty and chaos. There will be many opportunities for our group to plug in to these efforts, with community education days of action, trainings, and more. Stay tuned for details on that.

We also have some good news related to the Messaging Roundup (aka Like We Mean It). We’ve got some new additions in Léa Zimmerman and Mikki Adamson. They are helping us stay on top of current events, plying us with thought-provoking, relevant ideas and writing, and curating social media posts that are timely and message-smart. Thank you, Mikki and Léa, for joining our ranks.

And, finally, we are also excited to introduce our very own “Resistance Agony Advice Column,” by Brooklyn Resister Mandy Keifetz, whose nom de guerre is Minty Chauffeuse. Got questions? She has answers! Submit them here.

And now on to this week’s ruminations related to our weekly reminder: “Another world is possible.” Today, we try to understand what that could look like with a simple image, a photograph from the World Cup Finals. Kate leads us down that path.

Image Credit: USA Today

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

By Kate Dalton

A national team gathers on the podium after an electrifying World Cup final win in overtime. They are all facing each other and the camera just to the left. The photo of this team and their coaches will populate the front pages of newspapers and circulate around the world. But as with any shot, there are other images, including ones that are zoomed out to feature the whole stage. If you look at these photos, you’ll see a man in a suit to the side, facing away from the team. No one is looking at him, though he is smiling and raising his fist as if it were all for him. That man is the president of the United States, and thanks to a nudging escort from the FIFA president and selective photography, he has been rendered irrelevant, just out of frame (and now, a laughingstock).

I often think of Trump as the wizard in the Wizard of Oz yelling to “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” In the movie, the wizard is trying to project an all-powerful presence unleashing thunder and lightning, but as Dorothy and her friends come to see, his might is merely an illusion. Behind the curtain, he is just a small man sweating and flipping switches. There’s a similar bluster and fake bravado with Trump. He’s building large monuments and ballrooms, attempting to reach the great heights his weak character will never reach. Though for a moment on Sunday afternoon on the international stage, the curtain was pulled back revealing a petty, small man for who he is.

Image of Inaki Williams and Nico Williams with World Cup trophy. Text is post from Inaki: Brother, you've won the World Cup. You've made history.
But beyond the trophy, thank you for this: you've made millions of immigrants like our parents feel proud that their future children might one day live what you've lived, and that millions of Spaniards empathize with our story, which isn't just ours but that of all the people who leave everything behind for a better future.
Because you've touched the sky with your fingertips and you've shown that with hard work and effort, anything is possible.
Today the world has come to know you even more, if that's possible, and you've put our last name in the stars, forever and ever.
I admire you. I love you. World Champion."

Message from Nico Williams’s older brother Iñaki, Credit Barcelona News Update

It wasn’t just the World Cup final that highlighted Trump’s smallness–there were a number of moments throughout the tournament that did something similar. An international celebration of culture and sport by its very nature pushes back on the Trumpian blood and soil aspirations. Players choose teams flexibly based on sometimes loose ties to nations, and stars like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams have compelling immigration stories. Here in New York, the city lived up to its international reputation, as a cornucopia of glossy national team soccer jerseys peppered the city streets for weeks. When Trump attempted to insert himself on behalf of the U.S. team, by persuading FIFA to overturn a red card to their advantage, it only served to turn World Cup fans against the team, which would suffer a humiliating loss against the more talented Belgians.

One could argue that Trump has recently failed in his attempts to garner attention domestically as well. Last week, he delivered remarks on the 2020 election and was ignored by most of the major networks for its misinformation and overall lack of newsworthiness (it’s 2026 after all). Meanwhile, many of us are continuing to organize around election protection and put forth our own positive vision for democracy. This includes the Good Trouble Weekend of Action, for which Resisters enthusiastically mobilized last Friday through Sunday.

illustration of Black owman with heart on her cheek and holding a package with a heart on it. Text says "I hope your will to change things is stronger than the part of you that's convinced what you do won't matter"

Image Credit: @devthepineapple on Instagram

Any and all attempts at counterprogramming to offset Trump’s impact remain deeply urgent and necessary. But we would be disingenuous if we didn’t acknowledge that Trump still remains very much in frame with the amount of power he wields. Amidst all of the international good will of the World Cup, we knew that the United States was continuing its war on Iran and working to dismantle bastions of international order like the International Criminal Court And we cheer on immigrant players as an unregulated militia kills people in American streets, or disappears them to countries where they have zero ties.

No, as much as we’d like, and as much as a lot of Americans try, we can’t ignore Trump. But that image of him scuttled to the periphery during the World Cup celebrations does offer a vision of what the coming years could be like if (and it’s a big if) we win the midterms. With a Democratic House, and dare we dream a Democratic Senate, we could be that smiling Spain team taking in the moment, a small man off to the side who will never stop thinking it should be all about him, but with less and less ability to make it so.

Illustration of a. field of yellow flowers with a woman walking no path in middle that leads to the sun. Around the horizon the text says "there is hope after despair and many suns after darkness"

Image Credit: @wecareourselves on Instagram

Amplify this:

What the World Cup shows us about who belongs, from TIME Africa
Happy Disability Pride Month! Check out these disability book recommendations from NYPL and these reminders

Graphic that says "A few reminders for disability pride month: disability is diverse…not all disabilities are visible (or any of your business)!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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disability is common, 1 in 4 adults in the US have a disability that significantly affects their life (source: CDC)! So there’s no excuse to not have accessible spaces and content!
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disability justice is needed now - disabled folks still can’t get married without losing their benefits!
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keep invasive questions to yourself - you are not entitled to anybody’s personal medical history without consent!
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disabled is not a bad word - but handicapped, differently-abled, special, and gifted can be considered offensive (always ask before assuming)!
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This is a time for celebration, education, activism, and action - not a time for pity, sympathy, or “inspiration!” The world wasn’t built for people with disabilities in mind but disabled folks have fought for decades to get accommodations for work, school, and medical care...but the fight for equality is not over! " There are drawings of flowers, pencils, a wheelchair and diverse people

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