Why May 1 is critical

Elon Musk thought that he could buy the U.S. presidency for $290 million and we would just sit back and let him steal from our government and our wallets for his own gain.

Dear MoveOn member, Elon Musk thought that he could buy the U.S. presidency for $290 million and we would just sit back and let him steal from our government and our wallets for his own gain.1 He couldn't be more wrong: Taking us on has cost Musk more than $135 billion. We've taken Musk to task for his disastrous DOGE cuts, and it's working. Thank in part to Hands Off! rallies across the country, Musk's approval rating has fallen into the single digits. Musk himself has also said he plans to take a step back from DOGE to focus on Tesla's failing profits.2 We are gaining momentum, and we need to continue fighting Donald Trump and the other billionaires and corporations who are exploiting working families for their own gain with help from the Trump administration. On May Day—this Thursday, May 1—MoveOn members are joining a national day of action organized by labor unions and working people to go against Trump's reactionary agenda that's threatening our communities, our rights, and our future. We're showing the oligarchs that workers are the U.S.'s real power base, and we need to ensure that we build off of the momentum of this historic day and show that our grassroots movement is growing stronger than ever. Will you chip in $5 a month to support this next phase of our organizing, including our efforts to support these May Day actions? 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. May Day is a storied day in the history of the labor movement. From the protest that won us the eight-hour workday to the day becoming International Workers' Day, May Day is when we remember how far we've come—and how far we can fall under the Trump administration. Not only did Musk and Trump fire tens of thousands of workers, but Trump has also signed several executive orders stripping workers' rights: Ending collective bargaining rights for federal workers3 Expanding the definition of "probationary employees," making people easier to fire4 Firing two-thirds of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health5 Undermining a rule protecting coal miners from contaminants6 Trump also plans to gut hundreds of regulations in the near future, including those guaranteeing sick leave, minimum wage, and other protections.7 Meanwhile, states are taking advantage of this new anti-worker stance of the administration. Florida Republicans are pushing through a bill loosening child labor laws, including allowing teenagers to take all-night shifts.8 In fact, 11 states are rolling back child labor laws.9 This is why May Day is so important—it's a reminder to all of us that real power comes from people. From fruit fields in California to classrooms in Chicago, from kitchens in Queens to loading docks in Atlanta, we're fighting alongside labor organizations because we all deserve a country that prioritizes our labor, our families, and our communities—not billionaire profits. No matter how we make a living, our livelihoods are at stake. Will you donate $5 a month to MoveOn and support our efforts to build this movement for the long haul? 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. History shows us that nonviolent protest is a powerful force for change. Recent research confirms that no government can maintain legitimacy when 3.5% of the population mobilizes in unified, peaceful dissent.10 We are getting closer to that number every day. And every time we take to the streets, we are sending a clear message that we are more powerful together than any corporation or billionaire. May Day is the next step—our next chance to make it clear that we will not be intimidated, that we will not be bullied, we're in solidarity with workers, and we're against Trump and Elon's authoritarian agenda. Please donate $5 a month to MoveOn to help organize the millions of people we need to protect workers and our communities against Trump's agenda! 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. –Nakia, Chris, Kenia, Britt, and the rest of the team Sources: 1. "Elon Musk spent more than $290 million on the 2024 election, year-end FEC filings show," CNN, February 1, 2025 https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/elon-musk-2024-election-spending-millions/index.html 2. "Elon Musk approval low, reflecting opposition to Trump cuts: POLL," ABC News, April 28, 2025 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/elon-musk-approval-low-reflecting-opposition-trump-cuts/story?id=121199149 3. "Judge halts Trump's order to end collective bargaining rights for many federal workers," CNN, April 25, 2025 https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/politics/union-bargaining-federal-workers-trump/index.html 4. "Trump executive order makes it easier for agencies to fire probationary employees," Government Executive, April 25, 2025 https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/04/trump-executive-order-makes-it-easier-agencies-fire-probationary-employees/404854/ 5. "100 days, 100 ways Trump has hurt workers," Economic Policy Institute, April 25, 2025 https://www.epi.org/publication/100-days-100-ways-trump-hurt-workers/ 6. Ibid. 7. "Inside Trump's Plan to Halt Hundreds of Regulations," The New York Times, April 16, 2025 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/us/politics/trump-doge-regulations.html 8. "All-night shifts for teen workers? Critics see looser child labor laws harming students," The Palm Beach Post, April 10, 2025 https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/education/2025/04/10/looser-child-labor-laws-in-florida-an-open-door-to-abuse-critics-say/82755262007/ 9. "Despite hazardous working conditions, many states are rolling back child labor laws," ABC News, February 21, 2025 https://abcnews.go.com/US/despite-hazardous-working-conditions-states-rolling-back-child/story?id=107209273 10. "Questions, Answers, and Some Cautionary Updates Regarding the 3.5% Rule," Harvard Kennedy School Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, April 2020 https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr/publications/questions-answers-and-some-cautionary-updates-regarding-35-rule 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. 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