CHICAGO – You probably know Nadine Seiler.

The 59-year-old has a talent for showing up at key moments, making her presence known while protesting against former President Donald Trump and conservative initiatives like the Agenda 2025, which aims to reshape the federal government.

News photographers have documented her protests across the U.S. since at least 2019, from Chicago to Milwaukee, Miami, and even outside Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s home in Virginia.

After nearly 40 years since moving to the U.S. from Trinidad and Tobago, this is not how she envisioned spending her retirement funds. However, with her vibrant makeup and striking signs, protesting has become her mission. Currently, she’s staying in a friend’s van in Chicago to conserve her budget.

“I must be a little nuts,” Seiler quipped. “No sane person would do this.”

This past Sunday, she waved a banner as demonstrators marched down Michigan Avenue, and then reappeared on Tuesday wearing a “Stop Project 2025” headband at a pro-Palestinian rally. She has also gotten attention from national media for her efforts to protect the displays of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Along with her protests against Trump, she has also demonstrated against the conflict in Gaza and restrictions on abortion rights. Seiler takes great care to emphasize that she is neither a radical youth nor a well-funded operative, but rather an older woman wanting to express her views.

Seiler initially came to the U.S. on a tourist visa, which later lapsed, and secured her residency through a marriage that eventually ended. For years, she worked in domestic settings, primarily cleaning and organizing. This flexible job allowed her to put work aside and travel the country to protest.

Seiler expresses her disappointment and frustration with Trump supporters, who seem to support his authoritarian tendencies. She hopes that her activism will resonate through the media and influence voters individually.

“America preaches democracy worldwide, yet cannot be an authoritarian nation itself,” she stated amidst the pro-Palestinian marchers nearby.

Yanna Krupnikov, a communication and media professor at the University of Michigan, points out that individuals like Seiler feel a strong personal responsibility to voice their opinions. Unlike many who are satisfied discussing political views within their circles or volunteering, a smaller group is driven to public activism.

“They feel compelled to communicate and warn others,” Krupnikov explained. “For those deeply involved, political expression becomes immediate and significant. Because politics can feel abstract and distant, expressing their views may be the only impactful action they believe they can take.”

Seiler resonates with this sentiment. Throughout her journey, she has forged friendships with other activists, including 70-year-old Guy Young, whom she met during protests at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. When Young learned about Seiler’s plans to protest at the DNC, he generously offered her his van as a temporary home, parked outside his house.

During the DNC, Seiler protested daily and would return to Young’s neighborhood each night, where he treated her to breakfast, including pancake-wrapped sausage on a stick.

“She’s receiving better service than at the Hilton,” Young joked.

Seiler mentioned that careful budgeting stretches her savings, enabling her to support her protests. She mentioned overhearing a FOX News commentator question how she managed to continuously appear at protests, insinuating that she might be receiving liberal dark money.

Seiler chuckles at the notion.

“I’m genuinely worried that we are on the brink of an authoritarian regime, and I’ve decided to sacrifice my finances to spread this message,” she stated. “People keep suggesting I’m being funded with dark money. If only they would pay me a bit more!”