Former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich urged readers this week not to let celebration over Donald Trump's defeat turn into complacency, arguing that the contest between democracy and authoritarianism is far from over.

In an essay published on his Substack newsletter, Reich said he was “moved to tears” by the result, which he described as more than a repudiation of Trump. “It was a reaffirmation of our democracy, our diversity, our ideals. A confirmation of America,” he wrote.

Reich expressed gratitude to the many people whose efforts, he said, helped produce the outcome — those who wrote postcards, organized friends and colleagues, went door-to-door to get out the vote, and supported candidates, as well as those who protested and marched to “demand an end to the madness” and worked to protect the most vulnerable.

He also thanked readers of his “small but mighty” Substack community for joining him day after day, sharing and commenting on his posts, recommending the newsletter to others, and supporting it financially through paid subscriptions.

But Reich cautioned that the work ahead remains substantial. He argued that the billionaire oligarchs who put Trump and Vice President JD Vance into power and financed their Republican enablers still hold extraordinary wealth, power, and motivation to destroy democracy. He added that giant corporations and private equity firms that rigged the economy for themselves, against most Americans, remain intent on increasing their monopoly profits at the expense of average citizens.

Reich also took aim at corporate Democrats — self-described “centrists” and “moderates” who, he wrote, “drink from the same financial troughs as the Republicans” — saying they remain determined to protect the status quo and preserve the current allocation of power in the country.

Trump himself, Reich noted, remains in the White House, now buttressed by what he called the most bigoted and belligerent chief of staff ever. In his view, the regressive forces are as dangerous as they were before; what has changed is that the American people have loudly and clearly voiced their repugnance toward them and voted into government people who might constrain them.

“The contest between democracy and authoritarianism is hardly over,” Reich wrote. “We have won this battle, but we have not won this war.”

He encouraged readers to celebrate the victory, feel the joy, appreciate the beauty of America, and relish its diversity and decency — but to resume the fight tomorrow.

Reich, who served as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997, is a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. His writings, published on the subscription newsletter platform Substack, can be found at Robert Reich's Substack.