Dear MoveOn member,
As Hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged the Southeast over the past month,
Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans spread rampant disinformation about the
federal government's response—which slowed disaster relief and led to
death threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff and
even meteorologists.^1
As unconscionable as it is, politicizing disaster relief, including when
lives hang in the balance, is not new for Trump. As president, he cut $155
million from FEMA.^2 $155 million! And multiple high-level officials who
served in his administration say he also deliberately denied disaster
relief funds to states that did not vote for him.^3
As early voting gets underway and the Southeast states recover from the
devastating hurricanes, MoveOn is putting up billboards in Florida,
Georgia, and North Carolina—critical battleground states—spotlighting
Trump's decision to cut $155 million from disaster relief funds during his
presidency. The billboards serve as a stark reminder of Trump's priorities
and the way his policies harm communities. We're putting them up in places
with the highest concentration of left-leaning "surge voters"—largely
young people and people in other marginalized groups who do not
consistently vote. These are the very same voters we're focused on turning
out through our data-driven, large-scale get-out-the-vote program.
The billboards launched this week in Raleigh, Charlotte, Savannah, and
West Palm Beach and will run through Election Day. But if we raise the
money, we can put the billboard up in other highly strategic locations in
the battleground states. Will you start a weekly donation through Election
Day to help us get the truth to more voters as millions cast their votes?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your
donation will go through immediately:
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $5 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $10 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $15 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $24 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Donate another amount weekly
[ [link removed] ]Or make a one-time gift
Former Trump administration officials have come forward to share that,
when he was in the White House, Trump severely restricted emergency relief
to Puerto Rico in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017,
initially refused to release federal disaster aid for wildfires in
California in 2018, and withheld wildfire assistance for Washington state
in 2020, because voters in those places didn't vote for him in sufficient
numbers.^4
Kevin Carroll, former senior counselor to Homeland Security Secretary John
Kelly during Trump's term, told The Guardian, "It was clear that Trump was
entirely self-interested and vengeful towards those he perceived didn't
vote for him. He even wanted to pull the navy out of Hawaii because they
didn't vote for him. We were appalled – these are American civilians the
government is meant to provide for. The idea of withholding aid is
antithetical to everything you want from a leader."^5
Trump approved disaster aid to California in the wake of the devastating
wildfires in 2018 only after his aides provided him data showing that
Orange County, which was hard hit by the wildfires, has large numbers of
Republican voters, according to Olivia Troye, a former Homeland Security
adviser during the Trump administration.^6
John, left-leaning infrequent voters in Florida, Georgia, and
North Carolina deserve to know the truth about Trump's record slashing
FEMA funds and denying disaster relief to communities in dire need. Will
you start a weekly donation through Election Day to help us put up more of
these billboards in areas with high concentrations of these surge voters?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your
donation will go through immediately:
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $5 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $10 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $15 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $24 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Donate another amount weekly
[ [link removed] ]Or make a one-time gift
We're down to the wire in the closest presidential race in modern history.
Everything we do in the next 10 days matters. MoveOn is reaching out to
left-leaning infrequent voters in battleground states personally through
their friends and family as well as via text, phone, ads, social media
influencers, and now billboards.
We're in this together through Election Day—and after, regardless of the
outcome. But right now, please join us in doing everything we can through
Election Day to elect Vice President Harris, send Trump to the dustbin of
history, and deal a major blow to MAGA.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your
donation will go through immediately:
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $5 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $10 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $15 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Express Donate: $24 weekly
[ [link removed] ]Donate another amount weekly
[ [link removed] ]Or make a one-time gift
Thanks for all you do.
–Toni, Cheryl, Chris, Aliya, and the rest of the team
P.S.
Don't miss out on the fun! MoveOn members are connecting with voters in
battleground states daily, asking them to remind their friends and family
to vote, which is proven to increase turnout by 8.3%! [ [link removed] ]RSVP for a few
election phone banks now so we can celebrate together after November 5
when we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!
P.P.S. Here's the billboard:
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Sources:
1. "'Vengeful' Trump withheld disaster aid and will do so again,
ex-officials warn," The Guardian, October 13, 2024
[link removed]
2. "Trump falsely claims Biden used FEMA funds for migrants -- something
Trump did himself," ABC News, October 7, 2024
[link removed]
3. "'Vengeful' Trump withheld disaster aid and will do so again,
ex-officials warn," The Guardian, October 13, 2024
[link removed]
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
Want to support MoveOn? The MAGA right is declaring war, and Project 2025
is their battle plan. Project 2025 threatens our rights, attacks
communities of color, hurts middle- and working-class families, and
undermines our democracy. But we will not back down or let Trump steamroll
our nation.
Will you donate to power MoveOn's election plan, stop Trump, and ensure
Project 2025 is never enacted?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAID FOR BY MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, [ [link removed] ][link removed]?.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. MoveOn Political
Action - PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142.
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
