The Progressive Coup d’tat That Wasn’t Quite – Huffington Post
The presidential victory of Donald Trump in November of 2016 has been under systematic assault by Democrats, their institutional and media organs, and their followers in an effort to delegitimize him. Why? Progressives thought they had won the battle and would be in power in perpetuity. The election of President Trump demonstrated otherwise. Consequently, Progressives responded with protests, marches, riots, and sustained rage in an effort to undermine his effectiveness in order to restore Progressive governance, now and forever.
Their purpose is to delegitimize not just President Trump but all Republicans and Independents that oppose a Progressive agenda and its stranglehold of policies that undermine American democracy, free speech, and constitutional liberties. Just consider how easy it is to boycott and ban conservative speakers on university campuses these days under the guise of concerns about safety. The result is the loss of divergent opinions that lie at the very heart of liberty.
Progressive outrage is directed against President Trump and is unrelenting. Nearly all television, Internet, and newspaper coveragesave for Fox News and conservative outletshas become a series of hit pieces that make no pretense of impartiality or fact-driven analysis.
Why the vitriol? Progressives believed their revolution had succeeded under President Obama and that Hillary Clinton would ipso facto secure the mandate. What would that encompass? It would include national health care, a European-style socialism, an emphasis on open borders, and a focus on global initiatives at the expense of national issues that responded to the needs of ordinary Americans and their desire for better jobs with the potential of higher incomes. Why was the Progressive agenda rejected by so many voters? It failed to address the anguish of many Americans whose incomes in 2015 remained the sameas measured in real dollarsas 1999.
Progressives never understood the significance of that indicator or the pain that ordinary Americans felt. Consequently, President Trump won and his victory signified the dismantling of the Progressive dream of socialist revolution and replaced it with the hope of reinvigorated capitalism.
Despite the onslaught of attacks against Present Trumps administration, its important to understand that these are but a proxy war for the real villain, the Republican Party and its supporters. The objective in demonizing President Trump is to turn the American tide so decisively away from conservative values that no Republican-leaning leader will ever win again. To this end Americans must never hear, read, or understand the opposing perspective. Social media, television, news, and the Internet must be saturated with a sustained and unrelenting war against conservative beliefs unanchored by pesky facts or true evidence. The outcome, if Democrats had their way, would be nothing less than a perfectly executed coup dtat resulting in 1,000 years of Progressive rule.
What would Progressives advocate? Above all, a foreign policy in which our national goals are sacrificed in favor of interests characteristic of a post-American world. To that end, Progressives would promote measures aimed at ameliorating the conditions of the underprivileged everywhere. However, these improvements typically come not from social directives, but through sustained and systematic changes in the infrastructure that alter the nature of labor, the products produced, and their inherent value. Thus, global socialism, even if it were commendable, would not measurably enhance peoples lives overall. Meanwhile, America, saddled with this global mission, would no longer pursue objectives that would benefit our citizenry and improve their social and economic circumstances.
How would Progressive values be manifest here at home? Socialized health care would replace best practices with palliative care, thereby jettisoning medical advances and excellence. Governmental programs would encourage individual and familial dependence on the state at the expense of empowering Americans to achieve their own economic success. Our educational system would focus on multiculturalism, instead of universal national values committed to excellence. America would be rendered economically and militarily powerless due to its inability to create wealth, enforce borders, and support mandates that champion democratic freedoms both here and around the world.
The case for what was is at stake in the 2016 election was pervasively argued by Michael Anton, a senior staffer at the National Security Council, under the pseudonym Publius Decius Mus in his essay The Flight 93 Election. It was published in September of 2016 on the website of The Claremont Review of Books, a conservative journal associated with the Claremont Institute.
Antons premisecharge the cockpit or you diewas bold and to the point. Failure of the Republican Party to align behind Trump in the 2016 election, he argued, was analogous to doing nothing as terrorists hijacked a plane. Failure to act, he implied, would result in death for everyone onboard and, if the metaphor was extended nationally, imperil our country. Sadly, many Republicans and Independents have yet to heed Antons message.
Why werent Americans outraged of the recent evidence of wiretapping and the unmasking of Trump and several of his advisors during the campaign and the transition to the presidency? Why werent Americans distressed by the illegal public disclosure of national security documents leaked by governmental officials with associations to the former Obama administration that targeted President Trump and some of his team?
These were actions that breached our national security and suggest illegal practices that dwarf the Nixon administrations 1972 illegal break-in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Washington, D.C. Watergate complex. What will it take to unite the Republicans, Independents, and fair-minded Democrats against a Progressive agenda intent on a dictatorship-style coup dtat through the illegal use of national security information to bolster a failed regime and its misguided agenda?
Dr. Diana E. Sheets is a Research Scholar at the University of Illinois. She writes literary criticism, political commentary, and fiction. Much of it can be read on her website, http://www.LiteraryGulag.com. Her latest book, The Doubling: Those Influential Writers That Shape Our Contemporary Perceptions of Identity and Consciousness in the New Millennium, is published by Nova Science Publishers.
Continued here:
The Progressive Coup d'tat That Wasn't Quite - Huffington Post
- Opinion | Real progressives go to the library - The Pitt News - September 22nd, 2026 [September 22nd, 2026]
- Nikole Hannah-Jones and the hard bigotry of progressives - The Spectator - September 22nd, 2026 [September 22nd, 2026]
- The Kirkaversary speaks to the sickness of progressives - spiked-online.com - September 17th, 2026 [September 17th, 2026]
- Chicago mayor bets progressives will turn out for him in announcing reelection bid - Politico - September 17th, 2026 [September 17th, 2026]
- Republicans talk about the national debt. Its up to progressives to fix it. - ajc.com - September 17th, 2026 [September 17th, 2026]
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- Progressives Supply the Vocabulary. Islamists Supply the Narrative - The Times of Israel - September 17th, 2026 [September 17th, 2026]
- Hasan Piker cheerleads progressives as 80-year-old senator wins six more years - Fox News - September 8th, 2026 [September 8th, 2026]
- DNC Chair Ken Martin on progressives growing the Democratic coalition - Yahoo - September 8th, 2026 [September 8th, 2026]
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- Merkur brings linked progressives and new cabinets to G2E 2026 - Yogonet - September 8th, 2026 [September 8th, 2026]
- Policy Pro: Council progressives push fall housing agenda - The Real Deal - September 8th, 2026 [September 8th, 2026]
- Transcript: How Progressives Can Revive the Police Reform Movement - The New Republic - September 8th, 2026 [September 8th, 2026]
- Progressives are learning the hard way how to survive Fox News - Politico - August 31st, 2026 [August 31st, 2026]
- Senator Markey fields national progressives to make his case in primary race against Moulton - The Boston Globe - August 31st, 2026 [August 31st, 2026]
- Progressives Warn Democrats Endlessly Invoking Hasan Piker to 'Get Their Shit Together' - Common Dreams - August 31st, 2026 [August 31st, 2026]
- In the Age of Trump, Progressives Should Stand Up for Sovereignty - Inkstick Media - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Aspiring politician? NJ progressives are actively recruiting candidates for 2027. - Gothamist - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Democrats and progressives wrestle with the Woke 1.0 era - Yahoo - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Democrats and progressives wrestle with the Woke 1.0 era - The Week - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Mass. primary is pitting new progressives against old-school organized labor - Spectrum News - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Are Too Many Vancouver Progressives Running for Mayor? - The Tyee - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Two Black Progressives Made History Tuesday Night. Neither Waited for Permission. - The Root - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- The Information State: Progressives Road to Dystopia - Mises Institute - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Democratic star AOC caught in balancing act between progressives and centrists - The Observer - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Why are progressives winning across the United States? Its not complicated | Bernie Sanders - The Guardian - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- In a Big Year for Progressives, Heres Why These Moderates Won Their Primaries - The New York Times - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- South Korean progressives' 'Park Chung-hee' coalition in the AI era - Nikkei Asia - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Trump and Vance lead GOP midterm push as progressives head to Uruguay - Fox News - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Progressives are rising, but Black voters arent sold - Yahoo - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Hillary Clinton to host karaoke night for progressives in NYC - Washington Examiner - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Fox News: Get these sexy progressives away from my hungry eyes - Daily Kos - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Hillary Clinton to host karaoke night for progressives in NYC - Denver Gazette - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
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- Its Obvious Now Why Woke 1 Failed. I Have an Idea for How Progressives Can Be Less Annoying Next Time. - slate.com - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Top 5 most heated moments as progressives spar over who is farther to the left in final Dem Senate debate - Fox News - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Hey progressives: Shoplifting isnt need, its just plain greed - New York Post - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Progressives are on the march. Can they break Beacon Hill's status quo? - MassLive - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Opinion | The AI Emergency Is Already Hereand Progressives Must Confront It - Common Dreams - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Bernie Sanders has a response for progressives upset over Hongs loss in Wisconsin - Politico - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Progressives back substitute teacher over Wasserman Schultz in Florida - theguardian.com - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Before todays progressives, there were Conyers and Jackson | Thompson - The Detroit News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- GOP targets progressives as frustration over economy grows - The Hill - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Opinion | Progressives in 2026 Are in a Catch-22 - WSJ - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Major tests for progressives and Trump are on tap in Tuesdays primaries - NBC News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Progressives see a win and a loss in Minnesota and Wisconsin Democratic primaries - prismreports.org - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Op-Ed: Progressives Are Winning the Future of Washington's Legislature - The Urbanist - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Trump ally loses, mixed results for progressives: takeaways from primaries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and beyond - theguardian.com - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Progressives are on the cusp of a huge win. Their biggest stars are staying away. - Politico - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Francesca Hongs loss in Wisconsin is a win for progressives - salon.com - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Why AOC and other progressives are backing off Woke 1 - vox.com - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Could progressives win over long-term Delaware Democrats? - Bay to Bay News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- CO-1 candidate Shimon Blau courts progressives after years of mocking them - 9News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- What Abdul El-Sayeds victory says about progressives, outsiders and the Democratic Party - ThePrint - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- The Campaign Tactics Helping Progressives Win Primaries Ahead of the 2026 Midterms - The New York Times - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives' wave of success meets choppy waters in Hawaii - USA Today - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives look to shake up Beacon Hill as Sept. 1 primary nears. The key races and why they matter - MassLive.com - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Opinion | Without the Working Class, There's Only So Much Progressives Can Win - Common Dreams - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives must ditch the all-or-nothing approach - The Seattle Times - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives Rack Up Primary Wins, Testing Democratic Assumptions Ahead of the Midterms - Time Magazine - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- The Democratic party needs to do more than represent wealthy progressives | Dustin Guastella - The Guardian - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives expand their reach and money finds its limit: Takeaways from Tuesdays primaries - NBC News - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives didnt get the big election night they wanted - Politico - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Wisconsin is the latest test for progressives, the electability argument and, soon, party unity - Straight Arrow - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Primaries in the Midwest have become a high stakes proving ground for progressives - NPR - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Key Election Takeaways From Progressives Big Night - wsj.com - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
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- El-Sayed gives progressives another victory and a new challenge - The Washington Post - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
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- With Primary Wins, Progressives Make Clear That Michigan Is Not for Sale - Truthout - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Wisconsin is next battleground between progressives and moderates over future of the Democratic Party - Milwaukee Independent - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
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- Michigan primary gives progressives a breakthrough and Democrats a test - Detroit Free Press - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
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- After Abdul El-Sayeds Win in Michigan, Progressives Are Preparing for the Next Round Against AIPAC - inthesetimes.com - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives in Ascendance With Key Primary Wins in Michigan | National News | U.S. News - U.S. News & World Report - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
- Progressives big Midwest test - Politico - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]
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- Queens councilmember breaks with progressives on ICE abolition letter - Queens Daily Eagle - August 11th, 2026 [August 11th, 2026]