Winter in America: Navigating the Chilling Effects of Trump's Second Term

Winter’s here, and you can feel it. Short days. Cold nights. Holiday music is trying to warm a world where many still feel iced out. ’Cause like my favorite wordsmith, Gil Scott-Heron, once reminded us — It’s “Winter in America.”

By DJTen | RadioActive1 WBOB | November 16, 2025

Winter’s here, and you can feel it. Short days. Cold nights. Holiday music is trying to warm a world where many still feel iced out. ’Cause like my favorite wordsmith, Gil Scott-Heron, once reminded us — It’s “Winter in America.” Eleven months into Donald Trump’s second term,

The headlines keep spinning… spinning… spinning — like a storm that won't sit still.

Can you believe what's happening in the USA right now? Things have gotten really intense.

Donald Trump has so far sought to deploy National Guard and active-duty soldiers to five major Democratic-led cities across the country.: Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Chicago; Portland, Oregon, and Memphis, Tennessee. And he’s threatened future military interventions in several other cities, including Baltimore, New York, New Orleans, Oakland, San Francisco, and St. Louis.

Without due process, he’s detained and/or “disappeared” American citizens and undocumented immigrants. And to date, he’s ordered twenty military strikes on boats alleged to be carrying illicit drugs across international waters, bringing the confirmed death toll to 60. Again, without due process or proof that these boats were smuggling drugs.

And on October 20th, just 48 hours after more than 7 million people, in over 2,700 events all over the country and other cities worldwide, had participated in what will go down in history as the largest non-violent protest in this nation’s history, (No Kings Day) - Trump took a wrecking ball to the White House so he could build a 90,000 square foot ballroom!

We’re less than a year into Trump's second term, and I wish I could say we’re gonna to wake up from this horrific nightmare, and all will be right with the world, but I’m not so sure that’s going to be the case, at least any time soon.

As we find ourselves in this long, cold “Winter in America,” I want to be clear: I won’t get lost in the weeds with this post, but you don’t need me to tell you—every day, the headlines grow heavier, and our democracy feels ever more brittle, like ice straining under too much weight. Each morning brings new storms: actions that challenge the very foundations of our republic and test the warmth of our collective spirit.

Consider the recent waves—from Trump’s unpredictable and often retaliatory tariff decisions that disrupted global markets (remember the trade wars with China and the EU, which economists warned would hurt American farmers and consumers alike) to his public pressure on the Justice Department to investigate or indict political opponents. These moves echo not just political rivalry, but a disregard for the rule of law and the constitutional boundaries meant to keep executive power in check. The president’s demands for retribution have been reported by major outlets, including The New York Times and Reuters, which documented how he repeatedly called on his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to pursue cases against critics and adversaries.

The shadow cast by these actions grows longer when you recall the Emoluments Clause—the constitutional safeguard designed to prevent federal officials from leveraging their office for personal gain. Yet, Trump’s presidency, as tracked by the Center for American Progress, has become a pipeline for enrichment. Their “Trump’s Take” project details how Trump, his wife, Melania, and his two eldest sons have accumulated over $1.8 billion in payments and gifts since the 2024 reelection, much of it tied to business dealings with foreign and domestic interests. Recent reporting from Forbes and ProPublica backs up these figures, noting that Trump’s businesses continued to receive payments from lobbyists, foreign governments, and political allies throughout his second term.

And as the federal government ground to a halt during the shutdown, the contrast was stark—while 1.4 million federal employees went without pay and 42 million Americans faced the loss of SNAP (food stamp) benefits, Trump reportedly made over $2 million from cryptocurrency ventures, as documented in financial disclosures analyzed by OpenSecrets and The Washington Post. These numbers aren’t just statistics—they’re reminders that, for many, this winter is not just metaphorical, but a lived reality of scarcity and uncertainty.

Again, following the historic No Kings Day protest, where over 7 million people participated in more than 2,700 events nationwide and beyond to peacefully demand accountability and the restoration of democratic norms, the chill intensified. Despite this unprecedented display of unity, just 48 hours later, Trump, undeterred, ordered the demolition of a section of the White House to construct a $300 million, 90,000 square foot ballroom—a golden monument to power amid national hardship. Multiple reputable news agencies, including ABC News and Politico, confirmed both the scale and cost of this project. The symbolism was as clear as an icy dawn: while Americans called for humble leadership, the response was opulence and defiance.

These events aren’t isolated blizzards—they’re part of a larger freeze. The Trump administration’s approach to governance, marked by personal vendettas and the pursuit of retribution over principle, has left many Americans feeling like we’re trapped in a political polar vortex. The consolidation of power among loyalists and corporate allies—the very “swamp” Trump promised to drain—has instead solidified, with watchdogs like the Project on Government Oversight and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington chronicling the surge in lobbyist influence and policy decisions favoring large donors over ordinary citizens. The punchline is bitter: reform rhetoric has given way to a reality where wealth and access trump accountability.

Yet, as Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson wrote in "Winter in America," “nobody’s fighting, because nobody knows what to save.” The song’s haunting melody and imagery—of frozen streets and communities yearning for change—mirror our own season of discontent. But the story doesn’t end in the cold. Just as the music carried a message of resilience, the recent groundswell of civic engagement—the millions who marched, the record voter turnout in the 2025 elections—signals that the thaw has already begun. American citizens are refusing to be silenced; the “No Kings Day” movement has become a chorus echoing through the halls of power, demanding a spring of reform and renewal.

The challenges we face today are not unlike those Scott-Heron chronicled decades ago: economic hardship, political disillusionment, and the struggle for justice. But if history and social consciousness-raising music like Scott-Heron teach us anything, it’s that winter is never the final verse. The rhythm of activism and hope persists, even when the nights are longest. As Barack Obama once reminded us, “The strength of a democracy lies in the ability of its citizens to question, engage, and actively participate in shaping its future.” So, as we bundle up against the chill, let’s remember: spring always follows winter, and together, our voices can bring the thaw.