Truth and Action Roundup 4.4.25

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, a reliable weekly source of information, inspiration, and action for the first hundred days of the second Trump administration. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. Today is Friday, April 4, day 75 of the new Trump administration. This week, even as we continue to see attacks on vulnerable populations and our democratic checks and balances, the coming of spring is also bringing some budding signs of hope. We see these signs from the floor of the U.S. Senate, voters in Wisconsin, and protests set to take place across the country — and around the world — tomorrow. As the popular protest chant proclaims: “This is what democracy looks like!” — Rev. Adam Taylor and Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners In the News Here’s what’s been happening this week: 1) President Trump’s sweeping imposition of tariffs on imports from around the world on Wednesday sent shockwaves through global and domestic financial markets this week. An analysis of Trump’s use of tariffs during his first term also raises the concern that he will wield the latest round of tariffs — and exceptions for individual companies — to reward friends and punish enemies. 2) Trump issued an executive order last week targeting cultural institutions like the Smithsonian, as well as national parks, monuments, and memorials around the country — seeking to purge them of supposedly “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology.” The order singles out the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the American Women’s History Museum, though it’s unclear what it will mean in practice for these institutions. This week also saw every staff member of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services — which provides grants to museums and libraries — placed on administrative leave as Trump seeks to eliminate the agency. 3) New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker held the floor of the U.S. Senate this week in a wide-ranging criticism of the Trump administration’s agenda, as well as its attacks on the checks and balances of American democracy. He spoke for more than 25 hours, setting a record for the longest speech in Senate history. Several Senate colleagues asked him questions throughout the marathon to give him short breaks from speaking, with Booker remaining standing throughout. Booker broke the record previously held by racial segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond, who held the floor for 24 hours in 1957 to oppose the Civil Rights Act. 4) Resistance to Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration continues around the country and the world, with a global day of action at hundreds of Tesla showrooms planned for this Saturday. Musk’s support of a conservative Supreme Court candidate in Wisconsin may also have backfired, with Susan Crawford decisively defeating the Musk-supported candidate on Tuesday despite Musk pouring $25 million into the race. News also broke this week that Musk may be on his way out of Trump’s administration in the coming weeks. Take Action This week, we are sharing a variety of significant ways you can take action: March: Join organizations and activists all over the country for the Hands Off! National Day of Action tomorrow, Saturday, April 5. These nonviolent protests will focus on pushing back on Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on democracy and programs like Social Security and Medicaid that help millions of people. Learn: Join our immigration webinar, “A Church that Walks with Migrants”, on Monday, April 7 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. It will feature updates on recent lawsuits, legal help for unaccompanied minors, and resources for congregations — plus an opportunity after the webinar to connect with others from your region. In Spanish with English translation. Pray: On Wednesday, April 9 at noon Eastern time, attend our weekly Faithful Witness Wednesday vigil outside the U.S. Capitol Building — in person or virtually — as we call on Congress to exercise greater moral courage in preventing executive overreach. Organize: Plan or join #PublicWitness events during Holy Week and Easter. Get resources and ideas for how you can mark Holy Week in your community by taking action to uphold the teachings of Jesus and his special focus on care for the poorest and most vulnerable. Act: Tell Congress to protect the right to vote by voting NO on the SAVE Act. This bill would impose significant real-world barriers to voting, potentially silencing the voices of millions of people. What We’re Reading and Watching Robin Wall Kimmerer Believes Our Economic Scarcity Is Manufactured | Her new book, The Serviceberry, offers us an alternative path: the gift economy. (By Avery Davis Lamb) Jamelle Bouie: The Constitution Belongs to the People | The Constitution isn’t just a symbol, it’s the base document for our democratic republic. And Jamelle Bouie says that in a time of crisis, it’s important to remember that in a democracy, we have ownership over its meaning. (By Mitchell Atencio) The Best Way To Love Elon Musk? Protest Him | The Tesla Takedown is a clear example of following Jesus’ command to love enemies. (By Dean Dettloff) Deep Breaths  Living in Liminal Spaces We are living in interesting — and deeply unsettling — times. Our worlds have been turned upside down. Things we once took for granted have become precious. We are facing some of the cruelest policies of our lifetimes and sitting with the ache of uncertainty about what tomorrow might bring. And yet, despite the trouble on every side, I sense a glimmer of hope breaking through. Whether it’s Sen. Cory Booker speaking for more than 25 hours on the Senate floor, or the people of Wisconsin making their voices heard at the ballot box, something is shifting. The ice is cracking. Flowers are beginning to bloom. Change is in the air. We are in a liminal space — the sacred in-between — awaiting the fruit of collective resistance. Protests and prayer vigils. Phone calls and petitions. Letters and town halls. The people are moving. We are doing the holy work of We the People. This in-between time — between what is and what is yet to come — calls us to breathe deeply and listen closely. The Spirit is still speaking, guiding us step-by-step. Our task is to stay attuned, to be strategic, to align our actions with divine wisdom. As we move toward Holy Week, let us ground ourselves in spiritual disciplines: read, pray, meditate, study, rest, worship, serve. Let us stay connected to the Source of our power and remain steadfast in hope for the change that is already taking root. Here’s a remixed playlist for this liminal space. ––Rev. Moya Harris, Director of Racial Justice, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Director of Racial Justice: Rev. Moya Harris Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Senior Adviser and Director to the President’s Office: Elizabeth Denlinger Reaves Senior Director of Campaigns and Mobilizing: Sandy Ovalle Martínez Director of Congregational Outreach & Education: Rev. Andrea Saccoccio Associate Editor: Josina Guess Mobilizing and Policy Assistant: Miriam Tellez Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842