It’s Been a Year Since the Election—What Did It Motivate You to Do?

We want to hear your stories about life after Nov. 8, 2016.

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Trump made me do it. 

On the night of Nov. 8, 2016, when it became clear that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was going to win the presidency, I felt this need to do something—take some kind of action to combat the collective numbness that was unfolding around me. I took a break from the makeshift “war room” my newsroom had erected and took a walk. That was just the first step.

Once the initial feelings of surprise wore off, it seemed like everyone I knew did something they wouldn’t have otherwise done if Hillary Clinton had won that night. One colleague told me he immediately subscribed to National Review so he could gain some insight into what conservatives were thinking. Another coworker “finally subscribed to the New York Times.” Friends on Facebook announced that they were donating to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. And me? I clicked on over to The News Literacy Project and inquired about volunteering. 

So, now a year later, our question for you is: What did you do after the election? Is it something you kept doing throughout the year? Or maybe you didn’t do anything at all—and if so, why? 

Mother Jones reporter Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn and I want to start collecting your stories. We may follow up with you to find out more about how the election affected you and what it inspired you to do—or not do. Share your stories here.







We may share your message with our reporters. By providing your email address, you agree to let us contact you regarding your response. We respect your privacy and will not use your email address for any other purpose.

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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