How the US right are silencing opposition – and could it happen here?

Like a classroom bully whose mere presence silences the room in fear of reprisal, Donald Trump is stifling those who should be vocally opposing him, muzzling dissent and deterring meaningful challenge.

A startling article in the New York Times last week exposed the scale of such silence. It noted how fired federal workers, fearing to lose their homes, request anonymity; how university presidents, worried about losing millions in federal funding, are holding back; and how CEOs, alarmed by tariffs threatening their businesses, stay mute.

“Even longtime Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, stunned by President Trump’s revisionist history that Ukraine is to blame for its invasion by Russia, and his Oval Office blowup at President Volodymyr Zelensky, have either muzzled themselves, tiptoed up to criticism without naming Mr. Trump or completely reversed their positions,” the article continues.

Former presidents remain eerily silent

As the President forges a destructive path to get his own way, like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum to avoid consequences, the muteness of former presidents has been deafening.

Just seven weeks into Trump’s second term and world order as we knew it has been pretty much upended. The damage he’s already inflicted is painful. The pardoning of the January 6 insurrectionists, the siding with Russia over Ukraine, and the imposing of tariffs has left millions of Americans reeling. Yet former presidents, from Joe Biden, who Trump called the “worst president in American history” during his divisive speech to Congress, to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, all remain eerily silent.

“Let’s look only at Clinton and Obama: it’s almost as though they’ve washed their hands of it,” said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

“I’ve been calling them Pontius and Pilate,” he said, referring to the Roman governor who allowed Jesus to be crucified. “You can understand why because when you challenge Trump, he goes after you and never lets up. It’s hell every single day, multiple times a day.”

Sabato believes the silence is partly driven by the fear of retaliation.

“Bill Clinton is close to 80 and he’s been attacked a lot in his lifetime. I’m not sure he wants any more of it and then there’s Hillary – he has to realise that Trump would go after her, too. With Obama, the more I think about it, the more I believe that little friendly chat at Jimmy Carter’s funeral either was part of Obama’s plan or, once it happened, he decided to capitalise on it and keep his mouth shut so that he wouldn’t be the target again.”

“It’s unpleasant,” Sabato continued, “but they have an obligation to do more.”

Of the former presidents, Kurt Bardella, a Democratic strategist, is less forgiving: “If I were them, I would get behind someone right now and say this is the guy or girl that I believe in,” he said. “Stop playing the: ‘I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or prematurely step out of line.’ We don’t have time for that crap. Get in the game or don’t ever talk again. If you don’t have anything to say now, while this is going before our very eyes, I don’t want to hear from you ever again.”

This deafening silence among former US presidents and those who should be actively and proudly opposing Trump, raises a pressing question: Could we see a similar scenario unfold in Britain, where the far-right is gaining ground and the country’s ‘centre-left’ prime minister has been accused of ‘sucking up’ to Trump?

Starmer in the lion’s den

Starmer’s first visit to the lion’s den was marked by ostentatious flattery. He delivered a letter from King Charles inviting Trump for a second state visit and praised the special relationship between the two countries. Pleased, Trump responded with warm words of his own.

This week, news broke that, despite Starmer’s efforts, Trump has dragged the UK into his global trade war after slapping a 25 percent tariffs on worldwide steel and aluminium imports. 

Downing Street officials said the UK will take a “cool-headed” approach to a potential trade dispute. “You won’t get immediate counter-tariffs,” a source said.

While this approach might be seen as diplomatic, it could be argued that by refraining from an immediate, forceful response, Starmer fails to present himself as a strong leader who prioritises the UK’s economic interests and stands firm against international bullies.

Nobody envies Starmer right now, given the challenges of handling a vengeful and temperamental second term of Trump, and the fear of tariff wars impacting the UK. Yet, many are calling for Starmer to show more resolve, not just with Trump, but also in confronting the rise of the far-right at home.

William Keegan, senior economics editor at the Observer, argues that Starmer’s rapid announcement of a long-delayed defence budget increase seemed designed to ingratiate himself with Trump. Similarly, the decision to fund it by slashing the UK’s foreign aid budget appeared to be an effort to impress Trump who is also cutting US aid.

But Keegan fears there’s another motive too, aimed more at the UK electorate.

“This disappointing government, which came in expecting to enjoy two terms, is running scared of the Reform party, so many of whose supporters do not like foreign aid or immigration,” he writes.

State of Hate 2025

The State of Hate 2025 report from Hope not Hate paints a chilling picture of the growing influence and power of the far-right in Britain, whose reach is no longer confined to the fringes but is spreading through the ballot box, the streets, and online, posing a grave threat to the future of British democracy.

The report arrives at a time when the far-right is not only more visible but also more emboldened, as demonstrated by last summer’s unprecedented levels of racist rioting. Migrants and Muslims were violently targeted in a wave of xenophobic riots, marking a dark chapter in the nation’s history. The surge in violence was paralleled by the rise of Reform UK and the largest far-right demonstration in central London. Online, the far-right ecosystem continues to flourish, as podcasts, Substacks, and social media videos amplify extremist views, spreading hate and division.

Hope not Hate argues that simply analysing this growing threat is not enough. There must be an active, organised response – a fightback. The report urges progressives not to succumb to a sense of powerlessness, despite the far-right’s rising confidence.

“While the far right’s actions and confidence can feel intimidating, we must remember that there are more of us than them,” it notes pointing to its own polling that shows the majority of British people want to live in a multicultural society, and three quarters want the government to improve community cohesion.

Now’s not the time to turn a blind eye – Lord Heseltine

Former Tory MP Lord Michael Heseltine delivered a similar retaliatory message this week. Writing for the Independent, he argues that if you don’t speak out against Trump, you are complicit.

“You cannot be on both sides of a debate about right and wrong,” he writes. “Now is not the time to turn a blind eye.

Heseltine commends former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau for making a courageous stand and urges others “to follow suit.”

In an email from the European Movement UK, an organisation of which Heseltine is a patron, he called for a united Europe that upholds its moral values.

“With liberal democracy under threat in the USA, we must now choose between the complicity of silence or engage in an open debate in support of our own values. 

“I have no doubt that silence would be the wrong choice,” he stated.

Heseltine’s calls for decisive and brave action, echoes broader concerns about the rise of populism in Britain and, specifically, Starmer’s response to it.

Writing for the New Statesman this week, Oliver Eagleton, associate editor of New Left Review and author of the Starmer Project, criticises how Labour’s reaction to the rise of the populist right in Britain has been to accelerate attacks on migrants in the “hope of seducing would-be Faragists.” Eagleton also sees Labour’s planned welfare cuts as further evidence of a government running scared from two political foes – the City and Nigel Farage.

Delivering a similar message, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke out this week, saying leaders should “not give in to bullies.” The comment came after Turnbull was lashed by Trump in a social media post for calling his leadership “chaotic.”

But standing up to a bully requires more than just words; it demands collective action, and the courage to challenge.

We should see Trump’s presidency as an opportunity as well as a threat – an opportunity to rebuild our relationship with Europe and the Commonwealth countries which have been under so much strain in recent years. Trump will eventually be history, and the Americans will return to their senses. In the meantime, it beholdens an alliance of liberal countries to sustain and nurture progressive values. Of course, that take politicians with vision, courage and political nous.

Are they out there?

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is author of Right-Wing Watch

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