A coalition of prominent actors, musicians, and authors released a dramatic reading of Timothy Snyder's 2017 guide to resisting authoritarianism on Saturday, directly challenging the celebratory tone of President Trump's America 250th anniversary events.
Narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, the video features Mark Ruffalo, Joan Baez, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Margaret Atwood, Leslie Odom Jr., and Ted Danson, among others. The group recites the 20 lessons from Snyder's book On Tyranny, which offers practical advice for defending democratic institutions, including warnings against obeying in advance, paramilitary groups, and the need for physical political engagement.
The release comes as Trump prepared to deliver a primetime address from the National Mall in Washington, D.C., part of a broader White House push to frame the nation's 250th anniversary around his administration's achievements. The video's organizers explicitly positioned it as a rejoinder to that narrative.
“As I look ahead to this coming November, I see a turning point for our republic, a time where things could turn very well or they could turn very ill indeed,” Snyder says in the footage. “The point of this book and its 20 lessons is to give us a chance to draw the best of what we have from our history so that we have the best chance for our future.”
In a statement accompanying the video, Parker elaborated on the message. “The lesson of America is not that freedom was given,” she said. “It is that freedom was defended. Again and again. By people who refused to give up on one another.” She added, “The next 250 years begin now. What happens next is not inevitable. It depends on us.”
The reading deliberately invokes the Founding Fathers' own study of tyranny, with Parker noting in the video that the founders drew on historical examples when drafting the nation's founding documents. “Today, when our republic marks its 250th anniversary, we can look back at the founders, at our own history and draw our own conclusion,” she said.
The counterprogramming underscores the deep political divide marking the semiquincentennial. While Trump's speech focused on national pride and his administration's record, the On Tyranny reading warns of democratic erosion. Four former presidents have offered more measured reflections on the anniversary, describing it as an unfinished experiment.
The video's release also comes amid heightened security on the National Mall for Trump's address, and as the president promotes new initiatives like baby investment accounts tied to the 250th. Security measures in the capital have been tightened for the event, which organizers expect to draw large crowds.
Critics of the Trump administration have pointed to the anniversary as a moment to focus on the nation's broken institutions and persistent inequalities. A recent analysis highlights how institutional failures have fueled national despair, a theme that resonates with Snyder's call for citizens to remain vigilant.
The On Tyranny reading is the latest in a series of celebrity-led political interventions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, reflecting ongoing anxiety about the health of American democracy.
