“Speaking Progressive” under Trump 2.0: Communications in a Sensitive Political Landscape

by Reni Adebayo

Needless to say, times are wild for progressives.

Even after landing big wins in the November 2025 off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey, we’re still in the thick of Trump 2.0 and all the censorship, retaliation, financial threats, and tariffs that come with it.

Worse still, many of us depend on bipartisan or nonpartisan institutional donors for grants and financial support. 

Some of these funders may feel beholden to MAGA or Republican values—or, at the very least, unwilling to upset donors, board members, or political allies across the aisle. The result is chilling—progressive organizations left with more work and fewer ways to talk about it.

So how can organizations speak on the issues progressives care about without alienating the powers that be?

It’s easier than you may think. Just focus on your impact and the facts that illustrate it.

Facts are stubborn things. They are hard to dismiss and retaliate against and less likely to trigger accusations of partisanship. Done well, sharing your impact grounds your work in reality—in the lived experiences of the people and communities you serve.

Want to talk about affordable housing? Cite how many families in your locality, county, or state were priced out of their homes this month. Pull numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, HUD, or your county’s housing authority. To frame the problem you are trying to solve, show the receipts, then show the human cost.

Tax policy? Highlight what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Stick to bill numbers, votes, and projected outcomes. 

Healthcare access? Workforce shortages? Climate resilience? The same strategy applies: document the problem, quantify the harm, and localize the impact. 

Then, tell your audience what you’re doing about it. Clearly state your mission, your priorities, and how your actions have improved lives. Use numeric quantifiers where you can—no one can argue with raw numbers. As I tell my clients, always plug your wins. 

Finally, consider whether calling out the administration is worth the risk for your organization. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

As many organizations learned the hard way in 2025, overexposure can be expensive. Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia were hit with billions of dollars in federal funding cuts tied to their handling of DEI initiatives and on-campus protests. 

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS, faced retaliatory pressure allegedly connected to its news coverage. 

Even tourists entering the United States may soon be subjected to social media searches.

This is the world we live in. And in this world, caution isn’t cowardice—it’s strategy.

At the same time, understand that, even while treading so softly, your work is likely to upset conservative or reactionary sensibilities regardless. And that may not be a bad thing.

Being targeted or censored by MAGA or the administration could serve as a rallying cry in the long term—solidifying your organization as a credible, front-line resistor in the broader movement for equity, justice, and democracy when progressives retake the reins.

Remember:

We are three years away from the end of this term.

Two years away from the next presidential election—and the wave of progressive challengers that will come with it.

And if last November’s results are any indication, the pendulum is already swinging left.

So, what should progressive organizations do in the meantime? Survive.

Tell your story, build trust, and keep delivering impact in ways that work. When the time comes for bold action—and it will—we’ll be ready.

In the meantime, here are 3 things you can do this week—

1. Explain how a policy within the past two weeks impacted your “people.” Are families served by your organization facing higher premiums? Food insecurity? Skyrocketing rents they can’t afford? Talk about it. 

2. Enumerate your impact. Highlight your success stories from last year, last month, or even last week to emphasize the timeliness of your work. A quick “we served 12,000 households in 2025” pivots the focus towards your work and prepares your audience for the big ask.

3. Craft appeals to keep doing more. Then, send out fundraising emails or texts requesting donations to power your work. Action relieves anxiety, and compelling your audience to action is healing—for them, for your organization, and for the larger progressive movement. 

   
   

It’s important to note this advice is not a guide to long-term narrative change. It’s a step-by-step strategy to keep you, your allies, and your organization safe, mission-aligned, and effective within a sensitive political landscape. 

Thank you for everything you do. 

In solidarity, 

Reni

The Collectif