Here’s what gives me hope

We are witnessing what was once unthinkable: authoritarianism taking root on American soil.

Dear MoveOn member, We are witnessing what was once unthinkable: authoritarianism taking root on American soil. Here's what Trump's tyrannical rampage has brought us: He attempted to strip citizenship from children born in America.1 He is throwing the country into a constitutional crisis by ignoring lawful court orders.2 He abducted, detained, and deported immigrants without due process, shipping hundreds to a notorious prison in El Salvador. And he is considering expelling U.S. citizens and sending them to the same prison.3 He defunded American universities, and his vice president said that professors "are the enemy."4 I've been working in politics my entire adult life. This isn't normal. Not by a long shot. It is authoritarianism, plain and simple. Trump and his billionaire allies like Elon Musk want us to feel helpless, powerless, and alone. They want us to believe resistance is futile. They want us to give up. But here's what gives me hope: America isn't going down without a fight. On April 5, millions of Americans took to the streets in more than 1,300 peaceful actions in cities and towns large and small across all 50 states.5 Federal courts have blocked some of Trump's most egregious actions.67 Trump's polling numbers are falling.8 And constituents are confronting their representatives at town halls, taking Republicans in Congress to task for being complicit in Trump's authoritarian takeover.9 History shows that no authoritarian regime in world history has withstood organized opposition from just 3.5% of the population—a number we can absolutely reach.10 But to build a movement of that scale, we need organizations with the capacity, expertise, and reach to coordinate nationwide action. That's exactly what MoveOn provides. For 26 years, MoveOn's millions of members—who live in every state, every congressional district, and every corner of the country—have been using cutting-edge technology and grassroots people power to organize against right-wing extremism. This targeted, strategic organizing requires consistent, ongoing resources. And we don't just need to keep organizing, we need to ratchet up our efforts to another level. Which is why I am asking you: Will you donate $5 a month to help MoveOn build the movement we need to defeat Trump's authoritarianism? Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. We've already seen what's possible when we organize. When he attempted to end birthright citizenship, the courts blocked him.11 When Harvard refused to bow down to the White House's demand to eliminate DEI programs, Trump backed down and claimed the demands were a "mistake."12 And remember, during his first term, MoveOn helped lead the movement that saved the Affordable Care Act and forced Trump to end family separation at the border. Authoritarians throughout history have understood that their greatest enemy is an organized citizenry. That's why they work so hard to make us feel isolated and powerless. But we are not powerless when we stand together. The path forward won't be easy. But I've seen the power of organized resistance before. More than 55 years ago, I participated in the movement against the Vietnam War—a movement that ultimately ended the war and caused a once-powerful president to resign. Today, we will prevail because we are relearning that same basic truth: We are the leaders we've been waiting for. Please, can you start a $5 monthly donation today to help MoveOn build the movement we need to protect our democracy from Trump's authoritarian assault? Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. Thanks for all you do. –Robert Reich P.S. The research is clear: No government has withstood a challenge of 3.5% of their population mobilizing against it. We don't need a majority to defeat tyranny. We just need enough people with courage and clarity to say: No more, this ends here. Please start a $5 monthly donation now to help MoveOn's efforts to mobilize 3.5% or more of the population. Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. Sources: 1. "Supreme Court keeps hold on Trump's restrictions on birthright citizenship but sets May arguments," AP News, April 17, 2025 https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump-6f0cb929c4604ec1d9bf9fea99765b61 2. "Constitutional Crisis: As Trump Ignores Judges' Orders, Will the Courts Capitulate?" Democracy Now!, April 17, 2025 https://www.democracynow.org/2025/4/17/trump_constitutional_crisis 3. "Trump Explores Expelling U.S. Citizens to El Salvador," U.S. News & World Report, April 15, 2025 https://www.usnews.com/news/u-s-news-decision-points/articles/2025-04-15/trump-explores-sending-u-s-citizens-to-prison-in-el-salvador 4. "The 'Professors' Are Not the Enemy," Psychology Today, March 18, 2025 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/202503/the-professors-are-not-the-enemy Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Donate: $5 monthly Donate: $15 monthly Donate: $50 monthly Donate another amount monthly Or make a one-time gift Contributions to MoveOn Civic Action are not tax-deductible for income tax purposes. MoveOn.org Civic Action - PO Box 96141, Washington, D.C. 20090-6141. ActBlue Civics Inc. is the merchant of record for all transactions made to MoveOn Civic Action using the ActBlue platform. ActBlue Civics Inc. receives and processes these donations before disbursing them to MoveOn Civic Action within 30 days of receipt. This email was sent to Andra Patterson on April 27, 2025. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, click here. To remove yourself from this list, unsubscribe. Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from MoveOn, please click here.