| Friend, For the first time in our nation’s history, a former president is the defendant in a criminal trial.(1) The trouble is, most Americans don’t know what Donald Trump is actually on trial for. Absurd, right?! Most voters know that this trial involves a sexual affair with Stormy Daniels, but they don’t know that Trump has been charged with election interference.(1) And we know why. It’s because the major media outlets -- from Fox “News” to The New York Times to ABC -- aren’t calling it an “election interference” trial. They’re calling it a “hush money trial.” The current New York court case isn’t about an illicit affair. It's about the leading candidate for president of United States paying to hide information that would hurt him in an election. And the media needs to make that abundantly clear.
Characterizing the trial as a “sex scandal” plays right into Trump’s hands. He downplays what has really happened. But Trump isn’t on trial for a sex scandal. He’s on trial because he paid to cover up information that may have changed voters’ minds. And the $13,000 payment to Stormy Daniels was made from a company that was helping the Trump campaign -- breaking campaign finance laws.(2) Calling the trial a “hush money” case certainly boosts ratings, but it also minimizes the significance of what Trump really did. And with our democracy at stake, the media needs to be doing its job -- informing the public. Trump has several more trials coming up, and it’s essential that the media gives voters the information they need to understand just what Trump has done to the our government and our democracy. Will you help us tell ABC, Fox, and the other major media outlets to start calling Trump’s crimes what they are -- election interference? Yours in the fight for our democracy, –Irene, Annie, Angela, Isidra, Mario, Marvin, Alyssa, Jen, and Lindsay (the Courage team)
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