By Michael Kelman Portney

I've seen some friends post on Facebook that their heart is full today, January 20, 2025: Inauguration Day—to which I can only assume they mean full of hate and Ivermectin. Donald Trump is back in office. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t gutted. But here’s the thing: I can’t let this motherfucker own me. Not again. Not this time. I can’t live in a constant state of anxiety, scrolling through every unhinged tweet, raging over every violation of democracy, or spiraling into despair every time cable news reminds me how far America has fallen. Not anymore.

I’m done giving him the satisfaction of knowing he’s controlling my mental health. I won’t fight every single battle he throws at us like chum to sharks. I won’t play into his game of chaos. Instead, I’m choosing to resist in ways that preserve my sanity while still fighting for the values I believe in.

Resisting Smart, Not Exhausted

Let’s be clear: resistance is important. It’s vital. But so is survival. The truth is, not every battle is worth fighting, especially the ones you’ve already lost. Birthright citizenship is about to be gutted. That’s unconstitutional, undemocratic, and flat-out racist. And yet, here we are. Can I do anything to stop it personally? No. I can call it out for what it is, but I refuse to destroy myself over something I can’t control.

The efficiency of resistance is about knowing where to put your energy. If I let Trump dominate my mind with every outrageous move, I’m only playing his game. He feeds off our outrage like it’s his lifeblood. Well, not this time, Donald. You’re not getting my outrage on a platter. I’m going to channel it into something that cuts deeper than a tweet or a cable news segment that nobody will remember tomorrow.

Resisting Through Satire and Art

My weapons in this fight are satire and art. Both have long histories of exposing lies, toppling tyrants, and sparking revolutions. Think of The Daily Show in the Bush years, or Soviet underground art during the Cold War. That’s where my energy will go—not into chasing Trump’s every move, but into creating something that outlasts him.

Art holds the power to cut through noise and bullshit in ways pundits can’t. It can expose hypocrisy, rally people together, and provoke thought. And satire? Well, it’s the ultimate weapon against people who take themselves too seriously. Trump’s ego is his Achilles’ heel, and the sharper our collective wit, the more we chip away at his facade of invincibility.

The Big Battles Ahead

There will be battles worth fighting, make no mistake. The erosion of democracy, civil rights, and truth itself demands resistance. But fighting effectively means conserving strength for the fights that matter most. Not every tweet deserves a rebuttal. Not every news cycle deserves a breakdown. I can’t afford to waste energy on the small stuff when the big stuff—the future of this country—demands focus.

This second term isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about being strategic. It’s about recognizing that outrage alone isn’t activism, and doomscrolling isn’t resistance. It’s about finding ways to fight that keep us sane, strong, and ready for the next battle.

Refusing to Be Reactive

Trump’s strategy has always been to create chaos, to exhaust us into submission. If he can keep us distracted, divided, and despairing, he wins. So, the best resistance isn’t just calling him out—it’s refusing to play his game. I’ll fight, but I’ll fight on my terms.

He won’t control my every thought. He won’t rob me of my creativity or my joy. My resistance will be smart, strategic, and sustainable. I’ll wield art, satire, and truth like weapons, and I’ll focus on what really matters: building something stronger, brighter, and better than the America he’s trying to destroy.

This isn’t surrender. This is survival. And in the long run, survival is resistance.

Michael Kelman Portney is a satirist, philosopher, and professional pain in the ass to tyrants. For more of his writing, visit misinformationsucks.com.