Quick Thought Experiment

Imagine if every Democrat had attended last night’s joint address to Congress wearing the same shirt that President Zelensky wore to the Oval Office last Friday: a black, long-sleeve top with the Ukrainian trident, the tryzub, in grey. It was available—on Amazon, funnily enough. (That Jeff Bezos—he giveth and he taketh away.) 

Anyway: Good idea? Bad idea? Why? 

I think a quiet*, unified display—more powerful than those silly paddles and more enduring than Congressman Green’s cane waving—might have 1) stolen some headlines from Trump and 2) rattled any Republicans still harboring a conscience. 

That said, is it even conceivable that Democrats could unite behind one bold statement for at least one night…or are they in fact as splintered as they seem? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Kate

*Note added in response to several emails: I put “quiet” here not because I think Democrats should be quiet in general. Quite the contrary: read this. However, in the context of a joint address to Congress, where the Seargent at Arms is empowered to remove anyone who is not quiet, an effective protest is one that: 1) wins the attention of the media; 2) rattles the President, those who support him, and those who are trying to fly under the radar; 3) gives comfort to our allies; and 4) cannot be shut down for the duration of the event.

Note: originally published on Substack, March 6, 2025