And Continued Peaceful Resistance

Something has changed in America, and pretending otherwise is no longer safe.

Across the country, people are watching federal power being used in ways that feel increasingly detached from constitutional limits: aggressive immigration enforcement without clear judicial oversight, sweeping tariffs imposed without Congressional approval, and rhetoric that treats political opposition not as fellow citizens, but as enemies.

When force replaces law, and fear replaces representation, democracy begins to fail — not all at once, but quietly, through normalization.

This is not about left versus right. It is about whether our constitutional government will continue to function as it was created to do.

Why waiting for elections may not be enough

Elections matter — but they are not the only safeguard the Constitution provides.

The American system was designed with shared sovereignty. States are not subsidiaries of the federal executive. Governors are not required to enforce federal actions that violate constitutional process. That principle has been upheld repeatedly throughout U.S. history.

When executive power exceeds constitutional bounds, states are meant to act as a stabilizing force, not as silent accomplices.

We have seen the Trump administration is willing to lie to the public. January 6^th is being framed as a peaceful protest, and peaceful protestors are being called radicals and shot dead.

What happens when the midterm results are framed as phony or rigged, and our purchased Supreme Court justices rule for the administration? We cannot wait for elections with this administration in power. They show no respect for our Constitution; Donald Trump is on record saying he would like to end the Constitution.

Two peaceful, constitutional pressure points

There are two areas where unlawful federal overreach is most visible — and where lawful, non-violent resistance can restore balance quickly.

1. Immigration enforcement without warrants

Federal agents do not have unlimited authority inside states. When arrests or detentions occur by masked men without proper judicial warrants, state governors are within their rights to refuse cooperation. This is not obstruction; it is constitutional compliance.

Public safety improves when law enforcement operates transparently and lawfully. Communities are safer when fear is not used as policy. It is a governors sworn duty to protect his citizens.

2. Tariffs imposed without Congressional approval

The Constitution gives Congress — not the executive — the power to levy taxes and tariffs. When tariffs are imposed unilaterally, they function as a hidden national sales tax, raising prices for everyone while bypassing representation.

If states decline to collect unconstitutional tariffs through their ports until Congress votes on them, prices fall immediately — and citizens feel the difference in real time.

This is not theory. It is pocketbook economics citizens in all states will appreciate.

Why this matters now

Authoritarian systems thrive when people feel powerless and divided. Tariffs raise grocery prices. Fear fractures communities.

Democracy survives when citizens insist — peacefully, lawfully, and together — that power flows from the Constitution, not from loyalty to a single leader.

Russia and Hungary have elections, but their results do not matter. History shows that democratic backsliding rarely ends at the ballot box. Democracy will prevail only when institutions and key agents in our government refuse to participate in illegal, unconstitutional actions.

The goal is de-escalation, not conflict

This is not a call for violence.
It is not a call for chaos.
This is a call for constitutional equilibrium as the founders of our nation intended

When the unlawful ICE actions stop, tension will drop. After the unapproved tariffs stop and the savings passed on to consumers, prices will fall and financial anger will cool. When constitutional law replaces fear, democracy will begin to regain its footing.

America does not need a “strongman” or king. It was formed to get away from that way of governance.  It just needs the Constitution to work again. State power to balance federal overreach is built in to the constitution.

Why a union of aligned governors is critical right now

Imagine if Tim Walz announced he would not allow ICE agents to enter the state, nor be quartered in the state, if they come without warrants to arrest specific people. He would need the power to enforce said action if Trump sent them anyway. But Minnesota is just one state. If the federal government knew 50% of the states, many of which surround Washington DC, were in a mutual self-defense union much like NATO, he would have cause to re-think military actions against Minnesota. There is real strength in unity.

What governors can do today

Blue state governors and any others inclined to resist the debasement of our Constitutional can call each other and form a union.  I like to call said union States United, dedicated to protect the member states from federal overreach. Announce said union. The announcement of its creation will be a great comfort to Americans in all states, blue and red. As we stand today, most US citizens feel there is no one in government to protect them from federal government overreach.

What citizens can do today

• Write your governor, online and on paper, and ask where they stand on warrantless federal enforcement
• Ask why your state is collecting tariffs that Congress has not approved and if he will consider refusing to collect tariffs until they are approved by Congress as per the Constitution.
• Ask your governor if he believes he has a duty to protect his state’s citizens from the dangers and costs of Trump’s unconstitutional executive actions
• Continue to protest peacefully.
• Share this plea on social media. Let’s get this plea to citizens and governors going viral.

About the author: Joseph Aronesty was a classmate to Donald Trump at Wharton in 1968 and worked in his orbit from 1986-99 in Atlantic City NJ. He has been warning Americans about the danger Trump poses for our country since 2016.