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1/I remember the early 00s and Iraq 2: The Sequel when the FBI spied on craftspeople, librarians, Quakers, and any other group that couldn't be "dirtied up". It's easy to make ppl fear the Black Panthers, not so when it's 60 year olds knitting antigovernment slogans. The playbook hasn't changed.

2/Imho, this is one of the most effective forms of resistance: quietly powerful, hugely influential. Pat Buchanan (of all fscking ppl) coined a phrase when he was Nixon's speechwriter: "the silent majority". The 90% who aren't rabidly pro-government or anti-government, who don't post on socials.

3/They don't protest, but they also don't go to Trump rallies. They've always been there, back to the Revolutionary War. They're the underwater part of the iceberg. Nixon's point? He felt he had their support, and he probably did for a while. Ditto Trump, as is clear from his actions.