Annie Comes Home: Trump is rallying troops for his “war from within”

Monday, October 6, 2025

Trump is rallying troops for his “war from within”

Pamela: In an alarming speech to top commanders last week, Trump told them they have a "major part" to play in a "war from within" to control cities around the country.[1]

These are the moves of a dictator. But there are 'No Kings' in the United States — and that's why we're doubling down on our efforts to subvert Trump's authoritarian tactics and keep our communities safe.

Today, that looks like expanding our Know-Your-Rights billboard campaign to ensure servicemembers have access to resources when confronted with unethical or illegal orders. We've got to act fast: From DC, to Memphis, Portland, and Chicago, Trump is issuing deployment orders for armed National Guard troops across the country. With your help, we'll remind them, and people across the country, that we won't let Trump trample on our rights without a HUGE fight.

Our billboards outside Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina

Trump's bringing "war" to our cities, and we urgently need resources to respond with solutions rooted in human rights, justice, and peace. Please, donate $12 to help us get more billboards up, letting servicemembers know about their rights if faced with unethical or illegal orders.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

When Trump deployed the National Guard to DC, Win Without War jumped into action. We launched mobile and highway billboards in the capital and outside Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, urging servicemembers to reflect on whether playing a role in Trump's violent brand of authoritarianism and deportation machine is what they signed up for.

Our past mobile billboard from Washington, DC

Our billboards have received national attention in the press and more than 13,000 people have already visited the site for information and resources. They're even making waves in Trump's MAGA circles.

Our simple questions struck a nerve with the Pentagon's Press Secretary and got the attention of right-wing media like the Daily Caller along with military outlets like Task & Purpose. But, Pamela, the goal of this campaign was never clicks or clapbacks.

Our mission was, and remains, to defend our democracy and our communities — your community. Slowly but surely, it's working. Even after a 24/7, 255-day attempt to dismantle it at every level, Trump still hasn't changed the fact that we live in a democracy.

With the stakes so high, we can't afford to give up one inch. That's why we're joining movement partners and activists on October 18 to once again proclaim that we have "NO KINGS" in this country. That's why we're working to stop Trump's dangerous, unauthorized strikes in the Caribbean. And that's why we're expanding our Know-Your-Rights billboard campaign to reach as many service members as possible when Trump tries to turn our communities into "training grounds for [the] military".[1]

Getting new billboards live and preparing for whatever's next won't come cheap or without incredible risk. Luckily, we don't work alone. Our work depends on grassroots donations from people like you, Pamela, activists across the country donating what they can afford to strengthen a movement strong enough to push back. So we have to ask:

Will you rush a donation to help us expand our campaign in response to Trump's continued attacks on our communities? The more money we can raise today, the more places we can put billboards up to keep this campaign going, defend our democracy, and build a safer future.

Trump's domestic troop deployments are part of an expansive, likely illegal abuse of power that includes profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants, unleashing the Department of Justice against foundations that support democracy and human rights, and leveraging the Federal Communications Commission to silence criticism.

But folks like us aren't giving in to Trump's relentless march toward authoritarianism. Whether it's signing petitions, making donations, or preparing to join the nonviolent mobilizations happening across the country, you are refusing to give in to complacency or despair. Thank you.

Our vision for a world where people live and thrive free from violence is still possible when people like us — people like you, Pamela — do all we can, in ways big and small, to make it happen.

Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team

P.S. On October 18, Win Without War is joining movement partners to rise up once again and make clear to Trump that in this country, we don't have kings or wannabe dictators. More than 2,000 nonviolent protests have been planned across the country in what's shaping up to be one largest demonstrations in modern-day history. Click here to find an event near you.

1. The Hill, "Trump suggests using 'dangerous' US cities as 'training grounds' for military"