NYT Columnist David Brooks Calls for ‘Communist Uprising’ to Topple Trump

New York Times columnist David Brooks has published a column calling for what he describes as a “comprehensive national civic uprising” to counter the administration of President Donald Trump.

The article, released Thursday, outlines a plan to mobilize various segments of American civil society against what Brooks calls “Trumpism,” and ends with language historically tied to revolutionary communist movements.

In the piece, Brooks argues that institutional resistance to President Trump has been insufficient and calls for Americans across a wide array of professional sectors — including education, law, business, and government — to unite and organize against the current administration.

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“It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising,” Brooks wrote.

“It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.”

Brooks points to historical movements that, in his view, succeeded in undermining regimes by provoking them into actions that damaged their legitimacy.

He references the civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, as an example of how public demonstrations can shift public opinion through confrontation.

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“Sometimes they used nonviolent means to provoke the regime into taking violent action, which shocks the nation, undercuts the regime’s authority and further strengthens the movement,” he wrote.

The column has drawn sharp criticism from conservatives who argue that Brooks is advocating for organized unrest aimed at nullifying the results of the 2024 election, in which President Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris.

Others have pointed to the concluding paragraph of the column, which ends with the line: “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

The phrase is widely known as a rallying cry originating from The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

Brooks acknowledged that he is “not a movement guy” and “doesn’t naturally march in demonstrations,” but said current circumstances require extraordinary action.

Brooks wrote, “Trump is shackling the greatest institutions in American life. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

The column comes amid ongoing attempts by some on the left to organize public demonstrations, pursue lawsuits, and pressure institutions to oppose the Trump administration’s agenda.

In the wake of President Trump’s re-election, a number of high-profile liberal figures — including Ezra Klein, David Hogg, Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have floated various proposals to resist the administration.

Brooks’ column adds to that growing list of calls for action, though with language that has raised alarms among critics.

The New York Times has not commented publicly on the backlash to the piece.

While the publication has often featured columns from a variety of ideological viewpoints, Brooks’ language — particularly the revolutionary phrasing in his closing — has sparked concern from analysts who say the mainstream press should not be promoting rhetoric that could be interpreted as a call to disrupt government operations.

In response to the article, senior Trump officials have reiterated that the president was elected through a democratic process and that any effort to delegitimize the administration through coordinated protest or legal warfare is an attempt to undermine the voice of the American voter.

Legal experts also note that while protest and speech are protected under the First Amendment, any movement that seeks to intentionally provoke violence or disrupt federal institutions could face scrutiny under federal law.

As the 2024 election aftermath continues to unfold, Brooks’ column signals that some voices on the left are prepared to escalate their opposition — not through policy arguments or the ballot box, but through coordinated public pressure and mass mobilization.

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