More than five million demonstrators in about 2000 communities stepped forward to declare their opposition to Donald Trump, on June 14th. “No Kings Day” was also Trump’s 79th birthday, Flag Day, and the anniversary of the creation of the American army.

So now we know what many of us are against, but the central question remains unanswered: What do we stand FOR? What do we believe in?

Just as FDR called for Four Freedoms, the Democratic party needs to articulate its First Principles.  I suggest three: “The Public Good,” “Individual Rights,” and “Rebuilding America after Trump.” 

 THE PUBLIC GOOD: Democrats must take our nation’s motto, E pluribus unum, seriously, and they must vigorously support the common good.  That means supporting public libraries, public parks, public schools, public transportation, public health, public safety, public broadcasting, and public spaces–almost anything that has the word ‘public’ in it.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: Because the fundamental rights that are guaranteed in our Constitution are often subject to interpretation, debate, and even violent disagreement, Democrats must be clear.  Free speech, freedom of worship, habeas corpus, and other fundamental rights are not up for debate, and nor is a woman’s right to control her own body.  

Health care is a right, and Democrats must make that a reality.  

Conflict is inevitable–think vaccination requirements–and Democrats should come down on the side of the public good.  

Because Americans have a right to safety, Democrats should endorse strong gun control measures that ban assault weapons that have only one purpose–mass killing. 

REBUILDING AMERICA AFTER TRUMP:  The Trump regime was and continues to be a disaster for a majority of Americans and for our standing across the world, but it’s not enough to condemn his greed and narcissism, even if he goes to prison.  Let’s first acknowledge that Trump tapped into serious resentment among millions of Americans, which further divided our already divided country.  

The challenge is to work to bring us together, to make ‘one out of many’ in the always elusive ‘more perfect union.’  The essential first step is to abandon the ‘identity politics’ that Democrats have practiced for too long.  Instead, Democrats must adopt policies that bring us together, beginning with mandatory National Service: 

National Service: Bring back the draft for young men and women to require two years of (paid) National Service, followed by two years of tuition or training credits at an accredited institution.  One may serve in the military, Americorps, the Peace Corps, or other helping organizations.  One may teach or work in distressed communities, or rebuild our national parks, or serve in other approved capacities.  JFK famously said “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”  Let’s ask BOTH questions.  

Additionally: 1) Urge states to beef up civic education in public schools, teaching real history, asking tough questions.  At the same time, federal education policies should encourage Community schools, because research proves that schools that welcome families are more successful across many measures.

2) Rebuild Our Aging Infrastructure: This is urgent, and it will also create jobs.

3) Adopt fiscal and monetary policies to address our burgeoning national debt. This should include higher taxes on the wealthy, emulating Dwight Eisenhower. 

4) Adopt sensible and realistic immigration policies that welcome newcomers who arrive legally but close our borders to illegal immigration.

5) Rebuilding America also means rebuilding our alliances around the world.  Democrats should support NATO and Ukraine, and rejoin efforts to combat climate change. 

In addition to adopting Three “First Principles,” Democrats must act NOW to ensure that the 2026 elections are free and fair. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, is concerned about this.  In an email he wrote: “For me, the essential question for my party is this: do you think this political moment is frenzied but still normal, and thus our job is to use our tried and true political tactics to make Trump as deservedly unpopular as possible so that we win back levers of power in 2026; or, do you think this moment is without precedent, and that Trump’s assault on democracy is so serious that all our work must be directed not toward winning the 2026 election, but making sure there is a free, fair election in 2026?”

Murphy is launching a fund to support citizen-led, grass roots, state and regional efforts to protect the vote.  American Mobilization will provide money and logistical support, Murphy promises. The first $400,000 is going to three organizations: the Committee to Protect Health Care, the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action, and Project 26 Pennsylvania. He explains, “The Committee to Protect Health is organizing doctors and nurses to protect Medicaid in Michigan, Louisiana, and Utah, and Georgia Youth Justice and Project 26 are organizing young people, including college students, to join the fight.”

It’s worth supporting Senator Murphy because Trump presents a genuine and serious threat to our democratic republic. Democrats have to fight.

In a column in the New York Times, David Brooks argued that we are in a ‘world-shifting’ time, and that Democrats haven’t realized how they are being left behind.  In other words, sharpening their message won’t cut it.  He writes, “This is not about policies. Democrats have to do what Trump did: create a new party identity, come up with a clear answer to the question: What is the central problem of our time? Come up with a new grand narrative.”

The three non-negotiable requirements for Democratic success are 1) First Principles that articulate a clear set of core beliefs, 2) Effective messengers, and 3) Mastery of the medium(s) that conveys the message.  Call it the 3M concept: message, messenger, and medium.  Right now too many Democrats are spinning their wheels on #2 and #3, instead of figuring out what they stand for.  

Rebuilding America also requires looking forward, because AGI, artificial general intelligence, is both an existential threat and a huge promise.  At a minimum, AGI will be a job-eliminator in ways we cannot even imagine, and that reality must be addressed.  If we cannot create enough new jobs, what will adults do with all that free time? 

And Ukraine’s drone attack deep into Russia must also be seen as another new reality.  We are now vulnerable in ways we never imagined, now that an ordinary freight truck can be converted into an aircraft carrier.

These are perilous times, the worst possible time to have a shallow narcissist in the White House, enabled by Fox News ‘personalities’ and other toadies in positions of power.

But that’s our reality until the 2026 elections, when we can begin to retake control of our destiny and begin to repair America and our standing in the world.  

Just SAYING “No” to kings won’t cut it.  Organize, register to vote, register others, contribute to the ACLU, and speak up and speak out.