Dear John,

The indictment of Donald Trump is a victory for the rule of law and democracy. It shows that no person is above the law and that our justice system will not be bullied by threats of violence.

But make no mistake: This indictment also makes Donald Trump more dangerous than ever.

You see, for the tens of millions of people who still believe the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, this indictment simply confirms Trump’s narrative that the system is rigged against them. They believe that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was a patriotic act of resistance, and Trump will use this indictment to further galvanize his supporters, laying the groundwork for another, possibly even more violent, coup attempt in 2024.

That’s Trump’s plan, clear as day, and we ignore the threat at our own peril.

The team here at Inequality Media Civic Action saw this potential threat coming long ago, and we have developed a plan to fight back (more on that below) by engaging directly with the audiences Trump is targeting and others to inoculate them against his lies. But to begin rolling out this plan, we need to raise at least $100,000 over the next two weeks — and we’re counting on your help.

Will you make a donation to help defend our democracy and counter Donald Trump’s lies and disinformation?

Let me explain in detail what we have in mind.

In the wake of the January 6 attack, we launched one of the most innovative and strategically impactful projects in our history. Our goal was to significantly expand our social media following, including among the people being targeted by Trump’s Big Lie, and then use the most effective, scientifically tested messages to inoculate them against his disinformation and conspiracy theories.

The results were more effective than we could have possibly imagined, with our posts generating engagement rates better than Sean Hannity's or Ben Shapiro's. In many instances, our videos were watched to completion nearly nine times more often than the benchmark rates typically achieved on these platforms.

The results paid off in 2022, when candidates who supported Trump’s Big Lie lost up and down the ballot, defying pundit predictions of a “Red Wave” midterm election, thanks in part to the innovative, viral work that your donations made possible.

Our democracy is now facing another major stress test, with Trump’s rhetoric more apocalyptic and dangerous than ever, and no one in the Republican Party seemingly able or willing to stop him.

We cannot sit and wait until the election year to begin fighting back, so we’re starting now. With your help, we'll aim to expand on our successful efforts after January 6, continue building our audiences on platforms like YouTube, where Trump's lies spread fastest, break through the information bubbles, and use scientific A/B testing to deliver the most effective messages to the full range of audiences: young people, moderate Republicans, undecided voters, and others who aren’t hearing progressive messages in their news feeds.

The bottom line is this: Donald Trump’s next coup attempt is already underway, and we must start now fighting back to defend our democracy.

But the only way this can work is with the support of small donors like you. As a people-powered nonprofit, we rely on donations from people like you to support everything we do.

Please make a donation today to help us defend our democracy in this perilous time. Every dollar counts, and no donation is too small.

In solidarity and with deep gratitude,

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action