Dear fellow MoveOn member,
The Justice Department is about to indict Donald Trump—again.
This time, Trump's potential criminal activity is tied to the January 6
insurrection and related efforts to undermine our democracy and overturn
the 2020 election.^1
On his Truth Social account on Tuesday, Trump announced that he had
received a "target letter," which is a legal document sent to suspects in
advance of their indictment. Trump called the news "HORRIFYING" and lashed
out against the federal prosecutor leading the case, calling him
"deranged."^2
Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene called it "absolute bull****."^3
John, I know you've heard this before, but it really is true:
This indictment could be what takes Trump out of the running, once and for
all.
I'll go into more detail below, but first I need to tell you that my
friends at MoveOn have been at the forefront of fighting against Trump's
corruption and criminality since before he set foot in the White House,
and they have shared with me a sneak peek at their plans to help ensure
that if he makes it onto the ballot in 2024, he will lose.
Their work is innovative, it is strategic, and it will be deeply
impactful, but they cannot do it without our sustained help. Will you join
me and make a $5 monthly gift to power MoveOn's work to stop
Donald Trump, once and for all?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
So why is the possibility of Trump being federally indicted over January 6
such a big deal?
First off, Trump incited the January 6 insurrection—which brought us
closer than ever before to the end of American democracy. He must be held
accountable for the deadly events of that day.
But also, if he is indicted, that means that prosecutors have enough
evidence that they believe they can prove in a court of law that Trump did
real, concrete work to attempt to overturn the 2020 election and overthrow
our government. And if convicted, the clause in the 14th Amendment that
bars any former elected official who participated in insurrection from
ever holding public office again would keep him off the ballot not just in
2024 but for the rest of his life.^4
News reports this week suggest that Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's closest
allies and an architect of the Big Lie, spoke to prosecutors and may have
flipped on Trump in order to avoid his own indictment—and if Rudy talked,
it could spell disaster for Trump.^5
Additionally, these charges would be brought by Jack Smith, the same
special counsel who charged Trump with 37 felonies for stealing and
mishandling classified documents, and given what we know about that
indictment, it seems unlikely that Smith would move to bring charges
against him unless he felt his evidence was airtight.^6
This really could be Trump's downfall, John, but we cannot
afford to let up on the gas and just hope for the best. No, this is the
moment to push even harder against Trump, and that is exactly what MoveOn
is doing. Will you join me and start a $5 monthly donation
right now to support their efforts?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
On the same day that Trump announced that he had received a target letter,
Michigan's attorney general announced that she had filed charges against
16 Republican operatives who falsely claimed to be the state's electors in
2020, in hopes of flipping the state's electoral votes from President
Biden to Trump.^7
And the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, is leading an
investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn that state's
results—including his call to the secretary of state, during which he
asked for the official to "find 11,780 votes" and help him steal the
election—and she has said that she will make a final decision about
charging Trump by next month.^8,9
It sure looks like the chickens are finally coming home to roost,
John. But if we've learned anything from the Mueller
investigation and the years since, we know we can't rely on someone else
to stop Trump. It's up to all of us.
This is a huge opportunity not only to hold Trump accountable for his
crimes but also protect our democracy from a wannabe dictator.
Will you join me in supporting MoveOn in their mission to keep Trump out
of the White House? If you're able, please start a $5
monthly donation now.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Thanks for all you do.
–Robert Reich
Sources:
1. "Trump lashes out after target letter from special counsel leading Jan.
6 probe," NBC News, July 18, 2023
[link removed]
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. "Activists want to disqualify Trump from ballot in key states under
14th Amendment," The Hill, July 7, 2023
[link removed]
5. "Donald Trump Indictment Claim Sparks Speculation Rudy Giuliani
Flipped," Newsweek, July 18, 2023
[link removed]
6. "These are the charges Trump was indicted on and what they mean," NPR,
June 9, 2023
[link removed]
7. "Michigan Charges 16 in False Elector Scheme to Overturn Trump’s 2020
Loss," The New York Times, July 18, 2023
[link removed]
8. "Trump’s legal team continues effort to disqualify Georgia DA as
possible state indictments loom," CNN, July 21, 2023
[link removed]
9. "Trump, in Taped Call, Pressured Georgia Official to ‘Find’ Votes to
Overturn Election," The New York Times, May 26, 2021
[link removed]
Want to support MoveOn's work? Book bans have skyrocketed thanks to
right-wing state laws which have forced teachers to remove books from
their classrooms. In response, MoveOn is launching a "Banned Bookmobile,"
filling it with books that the far right has banned, and driving it around
to hand out those books, for free, in highly trafficked areas that will
attract media attention. To keep the Banned Bookmobile up and running into
2024, MoveOn needs your help.
Will you start a monthly gift to power MoveOn's critical work?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
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