Our democracy is in danger

You've seen America through hard times — but this moment is different.

Hi Pamela, You've lived through moments in American history that tested every one of us — wars, recessions, bitter elections, times when the country felt deeply divided. But we've never seen a moment like this. In recent weeks, President Trump has accused six sitting members of Congress of "seditious behavior" that is "punishable by death." [1] Violent threats like that — the language of authoritarian governments — have no place in a healthy democracy.   But in Donald Trump's America, it's becoming routine. Institutions that are meant to safeguard our elections are being forced to close their doors or scale back their programs. This administration has shut down the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force, retreated from its role in protecting our voting systems from foreign cyberattacks, [2] and cut over 50 positions at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. [3] These are not simple policy disagreements. They're deliberate, politically motivated choices that make our elections weaker, our institutions more vulnerable, and our democracy less stable. And while those protections fall away, the President's allies are being positioned inside government agencies with no oversight, no accountability, and no concern for the public. Even the free press — the cornerstone of every transparent democracy — is under attack. Pentagon officials have barred key news outlets that wouldn't agree to reporting limitations that go against the ethics of journalism, replacing them with media organizations publishing the administration's preferred narrative. [4] And rather than protecting our rights against injustice, the Department of Justice is being wielded as a weapon of political retaliation. [5]  Pamela, you've seen America weather turmoil before. But more than ever before, the threats come from within the very institutions we should be able to rely on to defend our rights. Moments like this are exactly why Common Cause was created. For more than 50 years, we've been the watchdog that sticks around after Election Day, outlasts any presidency, and rises above the political fray. And right now, our work is more urgent than at any moment in our organization's history. But we can only keep doing this work because people like you — people who understand how hard we've fought for every bit of progress, and how easily it can be lost — choose to stay engaged.   Here's the unfortunate news — after November's elections, where we emptied our reserves, we've seen our grassroots fundraising slow down.  So, if you're looking for a way to help protect our democracy in this moment of real danger, you can rest assured your support will make an immediate impact on our work. Will you consider making a donation to Common Cause to help strengthen the guardrails that protect our democracy? If you've saved your info with ActBlue, we'll process your contribution instantly: CHIP IN $5 CHIP IN $10 CHIP IN $20 CHIP IN $35 CHIP IN $50 CHIP IN $100 CHIP IN OTHER AMOUNT Thank you for everything you've done — over decades — to defend our democracy, and for standing with us now, when it matters most. With deep gratitude, The team at Common Cause [1] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-democrats-death-penalty-sedition-military-orders-rcna245003 [2] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/bondi-ends-fbi-effort-combat-foreign-influence-us-politics-rcna191012 [3] https://www.nextgov.com/people/2025/11/dhs-says-shutdown-layoffs-cisa-will-proceed-despite-court-injunction/409332/ [4] https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-hegseth-trump-restrictions-5d9c2a63e4e03b91fc1546bb09ffbf12 [5] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/04/trump-department-of-justice-weaponization-enemies Common Cause is a leader in fights that matter at the local, state, and national level. Your support helps us fight special interests, hold elected officials accountable, and build a better democracy for all Americans. DONATE Interested in volunteering with our Action Team? Sign up here. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 202.833.1200 https://commoncause.org Common Cause's work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you. You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.

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