Dear John,

Later today, Donald Trump will surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, following his indictment for crimes related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

It will be a media circus, but we already know what will happen. He will play the victim, verbally attack District Attorney Fani Wilis, and his poll numbers in the Republican primary will go up even higher.

It’s all part of Donald Trump’s ongoing attempted coup against the United States, which began with his plot to overturn the 2020 election and continues today with his attacks on the criminal justice system.

The good news is that the 14th Amendment explicitly bars anyone who has engaged in insurrection against the Constitution from holding public office — and that means Donald Trump is disqualified from even appearing on the ballot.

We’ve been making the case for months that Trump is disqualified from running, and our campaign is now getting serious traction. Major news outlets, including CNN, Newsweek, and the New York Times, have finally begun covering it, and in just the last few days, three of the nation’s top Republican constitutional experts and one of Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination endorsed our position as well.

Now’s the time to ramp up our efforts. Will you make a donation to help educate the public and convince state election officials to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot?

The 14th Amendment was adopted after the Civil War and explicitly prohibits anyone who has served in public office and engaged in insurrection against the Constitution from ever serving in any public office again.

Sound like anyone you know?

While most Americans aren’t familiar with Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, it’s been applied before — and not just in the 1800s. In fact, just last year, a New Mexico judge removed a county commissioner who participated in the January 6 insurrection from his elected position and banned him from seeking public office in the future.

And let’s be clear: Trump’s coup attempts didn’t stop in January 2021. They’re still ongoing, right before our eyes.

By smearing prosecutors and judges and intimidating witnesses and potential jurors, Trump is trying to escape accountability for his attempted coup in 2021 while setting the stage for a second attempt in 2024. Terrifyingly, it’s all going according to Trump’s plan so far, as the entire Republican Party apparatus has gotten behind his scheme, and the party’s base has fully embraced his lies.

The purpose of the 14th Amendment is to protect our democracy from a violent demagogue like Trump, and it’s up to state officials to enforce it. The challenge now is that too much of the corporate media continues to ignore the 14th Amendment or dismiss it as unrealistic.

It’s up to us to make sure the American people understand the truth, that Trump is disqualified — and with filing deadlines for 2024 presidential candidates approaching in the next six months, we must act now.

Will you make a donation to educate the public and call on election officials to apply the 14th Amendment and keep Donald Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot?

Thanks for joining with us in the fight for democracy,

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action