What should Democrats do now? Form a Shadow Cabinet.

Here’s an idea for how to organize our opposition: We should borrow from the British and appoint a shadow cabinet to fight back against Donald Trump.

Democrats in Washington have been reactive - not proactive - in creating a strategy to counter the Trump agenda. We can’t continue to be caught flat-footed. That’s why I’ve got one very specific proposal to fight back against the worst excesses of a second Trump Administration.

Just days after the election I wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post outlining my plan for an American version of the British Shadow Cabinet. I took to the floor of the House to make the case and I went on MSNBC, Fox News and CNN to promote the plan.

Since then, folks like Timothy Snyder, Seth Abramson and Laurence Tribe have echoed my call. We’ve even created a petition you can sign if you support the idea.

The voters want leaders who are focused on the economy. They’re looking for Democrats to tackle inflation, protect jobs, and help keep food on the table. The path forward is simple. We’ve gotta organize, fight lies with truth, and offer a vision for the future that speaks to the real lives of middle class families.

A Shadow Cabinet would help keep Trump accountable to the American people and allow Democrats to show the country what we stand for, and what we’d do differently.

We’ve gotta get much tougher in response to Trump. If Democrats continue to use the same tired playbook we can expect the same results in the next election.

The complete text of my Washington Post opinion piece is below. I’d love to know what you think.

What should Democrats do now? Form a shadow cabinet.

The venerable British institution of the opposition would serve America well today.

November 11, 2024

Last week stung. As Democrats, we simply failed to convince the American people we have better ideas to solve their problems. Now, we need to dust ourselves off and get ready to fight.

We can’t let Donald Trump’s radical agenda go unanswered or unopposed.

Here’s an idea for how to organize our opposition: We need to borrow from our British friends and appoint a shadow cabinet to fight back against the worst excesses of a second Trump administration.

The special relationship between the United States and Britain extends not just to our strength on the world stage but also to our shared belief in democracy. Across the Atlantic, the British have something we don’t: a team from the opposition that mirrors the government’s cabinet members. They watch the cabinet closely, publicly challenging, scrutinizing and offering new ideas. It’s another form of checks and balances — a quiet guardrail that keeps power accountable.

With a shadow cabinet, there is no hiding. Each decision by the government faces a ready counterpoint — not just from the media and voters but also from political leaders poised to (theoretically) step in. Shadow cabinet members can also become the clear point people for advocacy and grassroots organizers, making it easier to unify and amplify ideas and solutions out of favor among those in power.

It’s democracy’s insurance policy. And it strengthens the government, too: There is no room for lazy ideas when rivals stand ready.

So, what would a shadow cabinet look like here in the United States? We have an amazing wealth of talent on the Democratic side of the aisle in Congress — people loyal to the Constitution and ready to serve in opposition. Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries (New York) in the House and Charles E. Schumer (New York) in the Senate could appoint 26 members of Congress to go one-on-one with each member of Trump’s Cabinet.

If Trump attempts to weaponize the justice system against his political opponents, we could see Sen. Adam Schiff (California), as our shadow attorney general, arguing against replacing our independent prosecutors with Trump loyalists.

If Trump seeks to eliminate the Education Department, Rep. Jahana Hayes (Connecticut), a former teacher of the year, could step up as shadow education secretary to loudly defend it.

If Trump tries to hand Ukraine and much of Eastern Europe to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (New York), as shadow secretary of state, could be a strong voice in support of maintaining international relationships and protecting democracy at home and abroad.

Sen. Michael Bennet (Colorado), as shadow treasury secretary, and Rep. Suzan DelBene (Washington), as shadow commerce secretary, could help ensure the middle class and small businesses have a voice in government, and call out Trump’s proposed tax cuts for billionaires and corporations.

Rep. Adam Smith (Washington), as shadow defense secretary, could counter Trump’s threat to use military force against his political opponents and work to ensure that the Defense Department stays loyal to the Constitution and not a wannabe dictator.

And Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Illinois) could argue against cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs that would delay the benefits and care our service members have rightly earned.

If Trump hands over the Environmental Protection Agency to the fossil fuel industry, we could see Rep. Kathy Castor (Florida) pushing back for environmental protection and conservation to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink.

And if Trump pushes to ban abortion nationwide, Rep. Rosa DeLauro could step in, as shadow secretary of health and human services, to defend women’s right to choose and argue against the gutting of Medicare by Trump and his cronies.

New times require new solutions.

This shadow cabinet isn’t just about opposing extreme MAGA attacks on our government. It’s also about making clear what we stand for, which is something we didn’t do enough this election cycle.

It’s time to show — not just say — what we’re for: justice, accountability and democracy.

Wiley Nickel, a Democrat, represents North Carolina’s 13th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

If you agree we need to organize against Trump’s extreme agenda, please sign my petition calling for the formation of the first Democratic Shadow Cabinet.

I’m planning to communicate directly to you regularly when I’ve got important news and hope you’ll follow this Substack.

Sincerely,

Wiley Nickel