Check Out This Anti-Trump #Resist Protest in California

The #resist hashtag has taken on tremendous symbolic importance in this, the Age of Trump. It’s not a joke; this actually happened, and those 200 protesters hit the dirt at southern California’s Trump National Golf Club to spell out an emphatic statement: “RESIST!”

The group in question is the San Pedro chapter of Indivisible, a nationwide network that formed after the 2016 election. Using the example set by the right-leaning Tea Party in years past, Indivisible works to bring about broader change by inspiring activism at the local level.

The flash mob that met to spell out “RESIST!” spanned every age group, from babies to retirees. After taking 15 minutes to get organized, the protesters sat down and belted out “God Bless America” as a group.

What you need to know about the #Resist movement

The hashtag exists as a reminder to the popular vote majority in the U.S., and to everybody in Canada and around the world, that it’s important to push back against toxic policies and unethical behaviour at the highest levels of government.

Why we are thinking about the #Resist movement

In the Notable Life office this morning, our team was relenting an episode we heard on The New York Times’ podcast, The Daily, last Friday titled Loyalty Versus Honesty. On the episode, Michael S. Schmidt tells us about his reporting on the secret conversation that may have doomed the F.B.I. director.

Here’s the gist:

Mr. Trump invited Comey to the White House for dinner, which is a very bizarre thing for a President to do — the FBI isn’t supposed to be anywhere near the White House, it’s a massive conflict of interest. Comey obviously couldn’t object to Trump and so he went to dinner.

There were no political aids or security personnel in the room while Trump and Comey were having dinner, it was designed by Trump to be completely covert. The only people in the room were servers, which are how we know about the ‘loyalty versus honesty’ conversation.

At one point during dinner, Trump asked Comey, “do I have your loyalty?” and Comey responded, “you have my honesty.”

To be clear: honesty is Comey’s duty and his credibility — the essence of the FBI is integrity and the job of the F.B.I Director, Comey at that time, is to pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, not to the President, which is why Comey said Trump had his honesty.

A second time, Trump asked Comey, “do I have your loyalty?” and Comey responded, again, “you have my honesty.”

Mr. Trump wanted an assurance. Mr. Comey refused to give it.

And then Comey was fired.

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