10 PRACTICAL THINGS TO DO TO PREPARE FOR THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY

Plus how to survive Inauguration Day

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. I’m co-hosting a DC Happy Hour with Matt Yglesias of

   Slow Boring
   on February 6th at The Admiral in Dupont from 6pm until 9pm.

2. Annual Subscriptions are currently on sale for $30 as an Inauguration Week special. This ends today, Friday the 24th.

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It’s coming. Donald Trump is going to be president again in a few short days. I’m terrified, exhausted, pissed off as hell. But I’m also motivated and ready for what is next.

On Monday I let out all of my rage (the post is already my most-read Substack of all time). And now I am giving you practical ideas of what to do to prepare.

My goal is always to not just inform, but help you find your place in the action. I’m running a special Inauguration Week sale right now, subscriptions are only $2.50 a month with an annual subscription of $30. Your support makes this work possible.

My friends and I have been texting for the last couple months about what we are doing to prepare for the 2nd Trump Admin. Online there’s lots of mentions of trying to figure out how to get a 2nd passport - but for most of us that’s not reality.

I asked my IG audience for PRACTICAL TIPS about how to prepare, I collected all that advice here. If you have additional ideas please add them in the comments!

Personally, I have been very busy organizing my house, and one person put that in perspective by quoting Kendra Adachi, who says “a calmer home is more space to handle everything.”

Additionally, Monday is both Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Day, which is also our national day of service. It gives us something else, something meaningful to focus on amidst all of the pomp and circumstance and nausea. More on that below.

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1. Figure out your plan for your reproductive health:

Already, states across this country have restricted access to abortion and women are being flown across state lines to access care. We don’t know what is going to happen with birth control, reproductive health or maternal rights going forward - but many OBGYN’s in my DM’s urged me to say to err on the side of caution:

• Consult with your doctor and get what's right for you, maybe an IUD or use Cost Plus or GoodRX to have a few months backup of your BC

• Buy Plan B or Plan C.

• If you might get pregnant, have a plan for out of state care and make sure your partner/ a loved one knows it. Identify an ER where you could receive all the care you need given any possible complication. If you are pregnant, make sure your OB doesn’t work in a Catholic hospital where they might deny you necessary care.

2. Protect your personal data:

There are very valid worries about potential expansion of government surveillance programs, particularly targeting immigrants and certain groups. This could lead to more extensive collection and analysis of personal data. Here are four things to do:

• Take your personal identifying information off the Internet. I used DeleteMe (affiliate link) and here is a workbook to DIY.

• Erase your Google search history on a regular basis or completely switch to a safer browser like Brave.

• Download and use an encrypted messaging app like Signal.

• Delete period tracking apps. Many period tracking apps collect and store sensitive health data on external servers, not on users' phones. This data is often not protected by federal health privacy laws like HIPAA, leaving it vulnerable to sharing or misuse. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there are concerns that data from period tracking apps could be used as evidence in criminal cases related to pregnancy loss or abortion.

3. Make a plan for how you want to consume the news:

Creating structure around media consumption feels like a must right now. While staying informed is important, avoiding outrage bait that makes you tap out is as well. I typically read my news, via newspapers and substacks and I follow lots of informed people on IG who repost things regularly. If you’ve been wanting to cut your addiction to cable news now might be time to cut the cord. Here are some more ways to limit consumption.

• Turn off push alerts on your phone

• Develop an intentional plan for the best way to consume. Do you want to limit consumption to podcasts, to news organizations via websites or in your IG feed?

• I get a LOT of newsletters. I’ve set up Gmail filters so they go into specific folders that I can open on my timeline instead of having them come into my main stream of emails that I track all day.

• Unsubscribe from outrage bait spam and emails (and also from all those stores that email you coupons and clog your inbox.)

4. Buy that big ticket item that has to be imported:

We don’t know exactly what they will look like, but we should take Trump’s word that tariffs will be a reality. If you know you have major expenses that are being shipped from abroad, get them now. Among the big ones are cars and appliances. Many kids' car seats are shipped internationally. If you own a car that will not take American replacement parts, consider getting older parts replaced as soon as possible.

5. Update all of your documentation:

Take part of your weekend to go through your files and make sure you have all your stuff in order. The next four years will be chaos as the Trump administration tries to rebuild the federal government with the outline from Project 2025 and Elon Musk starts implementing his plans for DOGE. You want to make sure your house is in order going into it.

• If your passport is expiring in the next year, start the passport renewal process now (you can do this online).

• Make sure all of your banking and financial information is in order. If you are concerned about the risks of cyber hacks, consider spreading out your banking to multiple FDIC backed entities.

• If you have a loved one who does not have permanent legal status, make sure to identify a legal services provider or lawyer ASAP who you can reach out to if there's a problem as Trump begins to implement his immigration policies.

• Make sure your necessary legal protections are in order like adoptions, name changes, healthcare proxy etc (find a lawyer to do this!)

• If you have made student loan payments, go online and screenshot the records of your past payment history. AFT has more info on forgiveness here.

6. Check all of your insurance coverage:

Natural disasters and extreme weather are only going to get worse and we need to be prepared. There may also be a potential reduction in federal disaster aid: The Trump administration has previously proposed cuts to disaster relief funding and FEMA programs. This could lead to less federal support for recovery efforts after natural disasters.

• Review your home or renters insurance to make sure your coverage includes the natural disasters that you could be subject to such as fire or hurricane.

• If you need flood insurance, you can get it through the National Flood Insurance Program.

7. Protect yourself from cyber attacks:

Cyberattacks and hacks targeting US companies and organizations may increase as the Trump administration is expected to maintain a hard line against China and other countries considered "foreign adversaries."

• Use strong passwords and consider a password manager with security (my friends recommend 1password.) Create unique, complex passwords for each account, ideally using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Consider using a passphrase or sentence to make it longer and more memorable.

• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) and implement MFA on your accounts to add an extra layer of security beyond just passwords.

• Regularly backup your data and store important information in a separate, secure location to protect against data loss from cyberattacks or hardware failures. If you think you are going to be subject to government surveillance, consider storing this information on SSD not the cloud.

• If you are concerned about identity theft, you can freeze your credit and/or pay for an identity theft monitoring service.

8. Some additional random things:

• You can opt out of credit card offers here. To stop junk mail you can click here.

• I recommend digitizing all your precious memories, photos videos etc, in case of a natural disaster or even just a home flood. I have personally used Scandigital and thought it was great (not sponsored).

• I wanted to give you information on how to stop Meta and other companies from using your private information, they make it exceptionally complicated. Consumer Reports has an app that they say does this. If you go into your “Privacy Center” on IG you can review the privacy settings and limit Meta’s ability to make money off of targeting ads to you.

Less Practical more Philosophical:

9. Invest in your village:

Start that book club (invite two friends, then ask each of them to invite two friends so you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting). Join a community-based activity. My friend Jo Piazza is taking an improv class. I have another friend joining their local chorus. And don’t forget about the members of our village that we need to outsource like a therapist. Therapy may be in the cards for all of us and you might want to start searching for a good one now because they get booked up quickly. (I know it’s easier said than done!)

10. Recommit to democratic engagement at all levels:

While national politics commands attention, local governance profoundly shapes our daily lives. Know who is on the ballot in your county and your state. Learn about the races. I'm making plans to attend city council meetings, learn more about school board decisions, and stay involved in community organizing. These spaces often offer the most direct path to creating the changes we wish to see.

If you don’t know where to start, grab yourself (or your friend!) a copy of Democracy in Retrograde (amazon, bookshop) - it is a practical guide on how to get and stay engaged.

BONUS: Set boundaries & maintain perspective:

You don’t have to engage in every political discussion. You can choose when to talk about politics and when to let your brain have a break. Remember that no one ever wins a political argument and that this is a long game.

American democracy has weathered numerous transitions of power, each bringing its own dramas. Rather than viewing this inauguration as a definitive moment, I choose to see it as one point in our ongoing journey. Democracy isn't just about elections and ceremonies - it's about the countless small actions we take every day to build the world we want to see. Whether through volunteer work, civic education, community organizing, or simply being a more engaged neighbor, we all have roles to play in shaping our collective future.

The inauguration may mark a political transition, but our commitment to progress doesn't depend on who holds office. By grounding ourselves in our values, connecting with community, and focusing on constructive action, we can move forward with purpose and hope, regardless of the political climate.

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And to that end, let’s focus on MLK Day. When MLK Day was first established as a federal holiday in 1983 (signed into law by President Reagan after years of advocacy), it was primarily commemorative. However, in 1994, Congress passed legislation that transformed the holiday into a national day of service. The holiday was designated as a "day on, not a day off" through the King Holiday and Service Act. This aligned with Dr. King's own words: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"

Bernice King wrote an excellent IG Post about how to commemorate MLK DAY given that it coincides with Inauguration day - you can find that here. She suggests studying these three speeches/writings:

1. Letter from Birmingham Jail

2. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? (Book, amazon link)

3. The Quest for Peace and Justice (Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, YouTube link)

I encourage you to take time this weekend and on Monday to ponder the question: What am I doing for others?

The MLK Day of Service includes thousands of projects nationwide, ranging from:

• Food drives and meal preparation for those in need

• School and park cleanup projects

• Home building and renovation with organizations like Habitat for Humanity

• Educational programs and mentoring initiatives

• Health awareness and screening programs

• Letter-writing campaigns to seniors and service members

Many of these projects are local. I did a quick google search for MLK volunteer opportunities around me and found more than a dozen things that were easy to join.

Remember, you get to choose how you spend the day. You get to choose how you feel and how you process all of this. I’m here for you and so is this community. We’ll get through it together.