📌 Tools of Resistance: Refusal, rescindment, and renunciation
Refusing something of value to express dissent
Welcome to How to Resist, a newsletter that shares acts of nonviolent resistance, mutual aid, and community building for ordinary folks.
I hope this inspires new ideas and helps you discover ways to engage that are right for you. If you like this content, act on it! Find something today that speaks to you and make it happen! In the words of Margaret Mead “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
What are refusals, rescindments, and renunciations?
Refusal, rescindment, and renunciation in political contexts refer to the rejection of something of value in order to show disapproval or dissent of political ideology, policies, or values.
Refusal: saying "no" to something offered.
Rescindment: officially canceling something that was previously decided.
Renunciation: formally giving up a right, claim, or belief.
The following are a variety of examples of refusals, rescindments, and renunciations carried out in recent years by ordinary people, elected officials, and institutions.
Refusal of medals and honors
Bill Belichick, coach for the New England Patriots, turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021 in response to the attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2020.1
Refusing a presidential pardon
Pamela Hemphill and Jason Riddle both declined presidential pardon for their participation in the attack on the Capitol on Jan 6th. Ms. Hemphill stated, “Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol Police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation. [… ] We were wrong that day. We broke the law. There should be no pardons.”2 Mr. Riddle stated, “It's almost like he was trying to say it didn't happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren't pardonable. I don't want the pardon. And I also learned that I can reject the pardon.”3
Refusal of attendance
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg refused to attend the State of the Union in 2018.4
Withdrawing participation
Issa Rae, Low Cut Connie, Guster, Rhiannon Giddens, Eureka Day, Fellow Travelers, Hamilton all canceled their shows at the Kennedy Center after President Trump fired the board and installed himself as chairman.5 6
Turning One’s Back
Students at Middlebury College in Vermont turned their backs on Charles Murray, author of The Bell Curve (1994) which linked lower socio-economic status with race and intelligence.7
Resigning in protest - 2024 edition
David Lebryk retired as the top-ranking Treasury Department official after resisting DOGE’s efforts to access government payment systems.8
Jim Jones resigned as FDA food division director on Feb. 17, citing indiscriminate cuts and the Trump Administration's disdain for food safety reforms, which he felt made his continued efforts “fruitless to continue.”9
Michelle King stepped down as acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration after refusing to hand over sensitive records to DOGE staffers.10
Steven Reilly resigned as lead engineer at the Technology Transformation Services after DOGE requested access to sensitive data, including personally identifiable information, without justification.11
More than 20 DOGE employees resigned, refusing to use their technical expertise to dismantle critical public services, as stated in a joint resignation letter, “We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.”12
Renunciation of endorsement
Mike Pence, former Vice President under Trump, refused to endorse Trump as the GOP candidate in 2024, stating, “It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year.”13
Mark Esper, former US Secretary of Defense under Trump, refused to endorse him, stating that Trump is not “fit for office because he puts himself first, and I think anybody running for office should put the country first."14
James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, retired four-star general and former US Secretary of Defense under Trump, refused to endorse Trump, stating, “His use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice.”15
John Kelly, former White House Chief of Staff under Trump, refused to endorse Trump, stating, “A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”16
John Bolton, former US National Security Advisor under Trump, refused to endorse Trump, stating there would be "celebrations in the Kremlin" if Trump is elected, adding: "Putin thinks that he is an easy mark."17
Renunciation of one’s political party
Representative Justin Amash from Michigan’s 3rd district left the Republican party in 2019 to become an independent.18
Attorney George Conway left the Republican party in 2018, calling Trump, “the most unfit and incompetent president in American history."19
MSNBC host and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough left the Republican party in 2017, saying, “You have to ask yourself, what exactly is the Republican Party willing to do? […] How far are they willing to go? How much of this country and our values are they willing to sell out?”20
Renunciation of citizenship
Daniel Villarreal of Newsweek reported on the dramatic increase in the number of people renouncing their US citizenship in 2019 and early 2020. Alistair Bambridge, a partner at Bambridge Accountants, a firm that specializes in U.S. expatriates, reported, "What we've seen is people are over everything happening with President Donald Trump, how the coronavirus pandemic is being handled, and the political policies in the US at the moment."21
Rescinding of honorary degrees
Three of the four universities to award Donald Trump honorary degrees have rescinded those degrees: Lehigh University and Wagner College rescinded their degrees after the Jan 6th attack on the US Capitol.22 Robert Gordon University in Scotland revoked their degree in 2015 after Trump, then-presidential candidate, announced his plan to bar all Muslims from the United States.23
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Correction: An earlier version of this post stated Bill Belichick turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017. It was 2021.
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Beaton, A., & Radnofsky, L. (2021, January 12). Bill Belichick Says He Won’t Accept Medal of Freedom From Trump After Capitol Riot. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-belichick-trump-reject-presidential-medal-of-freedom-11610408258
Fortinsky, S. (2025, January 22). Jan. 6 rioter declines Trump pardon: ‘We were wrong that day.’ The Hill. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5100927-jan-6-rioter-declines-trump-pardon-we-were-wrong-that-day/
Harris, J., & Ganley, R. (2025, January 24). Keene man arrested for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 rejects Trump’s pardon. NHPR. https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025-01-24/keene-man-arrested-for-storming-the-capitol-on-jan-6-rejects-trumps-pardon
Gajanan, M. (2018, January 29). Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is Skipping President Trump’s State of the Union Address. Time. https://time.com/5123056/ruth-bader-ginsburg-trump-state-of-the-union-2018/
Andrews, T. M. (2025, March 30). Guster on joyfully protesting the Kennedy Center takeover from its stage. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/03/30/guster-kennedy-center-trump-protest/
Gularte, A. (2025, February 13). Every Show Canceled at the Kennedy Center to Protest Trump. Vulture. http://www.vulture.com/article/kennedy-center-canceled-events.html
Seelye, K. Q. (2017, March 4). Protesters Disrupt Speech by ‘Bell Curve’ Author at Vermont College. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/us/middlebury-college-charles-murray-bell-curve-protest.html
Popli, N. (2025, February 20). Everyone Who’s Resigned From the Trump Administration in Protest. Time. https://time.com/7259962/trump-administration-officials-resign/
ibid.
Hussein, F. (2025, February 18). Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information, AP sources say. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/social-security-elon-musk-doge-164c91f8477d5e7833af7f6de4bbde57
Davies, E., & Siddiqui, F. (2025, February 18). GSA engineering lead resigns over DOGE ally’s request for access. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/18/gsa-staffer-resigns-doge/
Slodysko, B., & Tau, B. (2025, February 25). Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/doge-elon-musk-federal-government-resignations-usds-6b7e9b7022e6d89d69305e9510f2a43c
Slisco, A. (2024, March 15). Mike Pence’s Refusal to Endorse Trump Ignites MAGA Rage. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/mike-pence-not-endorsing-donald-trump-1879863
ibid.
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Amash, J. (2019, July 4). Justin Amash: Our politics is in a partisan death spiral. That’s why I’m leaving the GOP. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/justin-amash-our-politics-is-in-a-partisan-death-spiral-thats-why-im-leaving-the-gop/2019/07/04/afbe0480-9e3d-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html
Hutzler, A. (2019, July 5). Republicans Abandoning GOP Under Trump: Justin Amash Joins Growing List of High-Profile Exits From the Party. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-who-left-gop-because-trump-1447767
ibid.
Villarreal, D. (2020, August 10). Citizenship Renunciations Have Doubled from 2019 to 2020 Under Trump. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/citizenship-renunciations-have-doubled-2019-2020-under-trump-1524162
Whitford, E. (2021, January 10). Lehigh, Wagner Revoke Trump’s Honorary Degrees. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2021/01/11/lehigh-wagner-revoke-trump%E2%80%99s-honorary-degrees
Logue, J. (2015, December 9). University in Scotland Revokes Degree for Trump. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/12/10/university-scotland-revokes-degree-trump
Useful distinctions and examples. Thank you 🙏🏻☮️
Typo:
New England Coach turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021, not 2017 .