In what might be an unprecedented show of force, a powerful contingent of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) met with African American journalists inside the Democratic Whip’s Conference Room at the U.S. Capitol, laying out their battle plan against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the far-right’s dystopian blueprint known as Project 2025. CBC Chair Yvette Clarke, First Vice Chair Troy Carter, Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove, former Chair Steven Horsford, Rep. Jahana Hayes, Rep. Summer Lee, and the ever-outspoken Rep. Jasmine Crockett made it clear—while they lack the votes to halt Trump’s cruel and life-threatening policies, they are on the offensive with one goal in mind: retaking the House next year to neutralize his agenda.
As Trump prepared to address a joint session of Congress, most CBC members had vowed they would attend—not to validate him, but to “look him in the eye” as he and Musk continue to ravage the country. “Many of us are expecting lies to be told,” Kamlager-Dove stated. “We’ll be curious to see all of the gaslighting that has happened on the other side too. We want to facilitate ways in which we can work with [The Black Press].” Rep. Marilyn Strickland was blunt about why she won’t be bullied out of attending. “I’m going to this address because this is the People’s House, and people elected me to represent them. He’s not running me out of my own House,” she said. Maryland Rep. Glen Ivey refused to sugarcoat Trump’s economic disaster. “The things he’s done are terrible. The tariffs he put in place are terrible. They’re taking money out of people’s pockets,” Ivey stated, highlighting how federal employees in his district are being sacrificed for what he called a “big grift” benefiting the billionaire class, including Musk. “Trump is pulling money together for a multi-trillion-dollar tax cut for people like Musk.”
Horsford didn’t hold back, slamming Trump’s budget-slashing schemes. “That [stuff] is real. We understand. The tax cuts, his ultimate goal, so he can screw America, and Black America is at the top of his list,” he said.
Many members argued that their presence at Trump’s address was itself an act of resistance. “If we don’t show up, they will have people filling those seats and a room full of sycophants cheering for his ass as he continues to gaslight us,” Kamlager-Dove said. “So one oppositional thing to do is to show up and make him look us in the face and lie to our constituents. He’s done nothing about the $15 eggs or a damn thing to keep the planes in the air. An act of resistance is showing up and telling him to his face that he is lying—just like an act of resistance is not showing up and telling him f___ you!” Then came Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the CBC’s fiercest fighter, ready to take the war to Trump and the far-right machine. She zeroed in on the Black Press and digital media as crucial allies in breaking through the noise.
“The [Black Press] is part of that strategy. To make sure you have a message from us to get out,” Crockett said. “Everyone wants to pretend things are normal, but they’re not. For everyone trying to be prim and proper, God bless them. Some of us, such as I, are a little rough around the edges, but people respond. Trump is all idiot talk, but it resonated. But Black America has always been the trendsetters, and we have that in the Black Caucus. We have to make sure we are hitting all parts of our Black demographics. We will talk to them differently. We will engage in the podcast, we will do the platforms. I’m on every single thing.” The CBC told Black journalists they’re also launching a bus tour—not just in their districts, but deep into Republican strongholds, bringing the Black Press along to document their fight. They insisted that this is no ordinary resistance. It’s a declaration of war.
