I cannot stop thinking about this: It's now been one week since Donald Trump's lawyers told the Supreme Court that presidents should be able to murder political rivals or stage coups—and multiple Supreme Court justices acted like it was a serious argument.

John, this is how authoritarianism is normalized. I can't stop thinking about it—nor should any of us who are dedicated to democracy.

My head nearly exploded hearing this exchange in particular, with Trump's lawyer arguing that presidents are entitled to immunity for violating criminal laws for any "official act":

Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Trump's lawyer: "If the president decides that his rival is a corrupt person, and he orders the military or orders someone to assassinate him, is that within his official acts for which he can get immunity?"¹

Trump's lawyer responded: "It would depend on the hypothetical, but we concede that could be an official act."²

Justice Elena Kagan followed up, asking, "How about if the president orders the military to stage a coup?"³

Trump's lawyer responded: "It would depend on the circumstances whether it was an official act."⁴

This is how democracies die and dictatorships arise. It's truly terrifying, John.

We cannot minimize what's at stake. And we certainly cannot rely on the courts to save our democracy from Trump. No way. That is as clear as day.

Our only way forward is to defeat Trump decisively at the ballot box in November. And that's why I'm writing today.

My good friends at MoveOn are the best in the business at engaging and turning out voters at scale, and I'm impressed by their data-driven, innovative, and bold plan to defeat Trump and save our democracy this November. But MoveOn needs your financial support to make their plans a reality.

Will you join me and donate $5 a month to MoveOn from now through Election Day to defeat Trump, save our democracy, restore our freedoms, and build a future where everyone can thrive?

The Republican justices last week refused to even consider the facts of the Trump case in front of them and instead were focused on future hypotheticals. By blowing it up into something else, the Republican justices are blowing up Trump's trial—which is exactly their intention. Read for yourself:

Justice Samuel Alito: "I'm not discussing the particular facts of this case."⁵

Justice Neil Gorsuch: "I'm not concerned about this case so much as future ones too."⁶

Justice Brett Kavanaugh: "Like Justice Gorsuch, I'm not focused on the here and now of this case. I'm very concerned about the future."⁷

Trump attempted a coup, but the Republican justices can't be bothered. Not even with Trump poised to be president again.

I'm outraged. I'm disgusted. And I'm motivated to fight like hell to save our democracy. I hope you are, too, because time is short, and it's going to take each and every one of us.

MoveOn briefed me a few months ago on their plan for the 2024 election, which The New York Times called "ambitious."⁸ If there's anything we need in this moment, it's ambition.

And my friends at MoveOn just updated me on their progress, and, wow, I am impressed!

MoveOn is focusing on convincing "surge voters"—people who voted for the first time, or were more active, after Trump's win in 2016—that their vote matters. These people do not consistently vote.

The data are clear that winning this election won't come down to turning so-called "swing voters" into Biden voters. Instead, it will be turning out people who might otherwise not go to the polls at all.⁹

And that's exactly where MoveOn comes in. MoveOn has a tremendous track record when it comes to engaging and turning out voters, using data-driven and highly effective strategies.

Already, MoveOn is starting the organizing to reach out to surge voters and talk to them about the stakes of this election and the issues they care about and make the pragmatic and strategic case as to why their vote is critical.

Effective organizing is incredibly time and work intensive. And that work absolutely must happen right now.

Our nation's highest court is considering whether presidents can murder political opponents and order military coups. Our democracy is hanging by a thread. We have a lot of work ahead of us to fix it. But, first, we MUST defeat Trump decisively in November. It truly is up to us.

So, will you please join with me, reject defeatism, and channel your outrage into action by donating $5 a month to power MoveOn's game-changing election plan?

Want to support MoveOn's work? The MAGA movement's book bans have forced teachers and librarians across the country to remove books from their shelves and censor what young people can learn. MoveOn is fighting back, including by filling a "Banned Bookmobile" with books that the far right has banned and driving it to key cities and towns to raise the visibility of book bans, hand out banned books for free, and bring people together to stop censorship. To keep up the fight against book bans and the MAGA politicians who support them, we need your help.

Will you start a monthly gift to power and sustain MoveOn's critical work?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

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