John, it’s not lost on any of us that Trump’s second inauguration takes place on the day we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This is a moment to honor our collective struggle for civil rights, including equal access to the ballot. Dr. King’s legacy reminds us that while the journey can be hard, We The People always achieve extraordinary things.

It also falls one day before the 15th anniversary of the disastrous Citizens United ruling. That decision – which gave the billionaire class free rein to buy political power and drown the rest of us out – planted the seeds of much of what’s gone wrong in our country since then.

So, on a day where many Americans feel justifiably angry or fearful, and as we prepare to face an administration seeking to dismantle our most sacred rights, we must remember: our values, and the urgency with which we must live up to them, do not change based on who is President.

John, during Donald Trump’s first presidency, we heard a lot about how we shouldn’t “normalize” him. And with your help, Common Cause fought back loudly and clearly when he crossed the line: exposing his illegal hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, shutting down his plans for nationwide voter suppression, blocking a Census citizenship question, and protecting Robert Mueller’s investigation.

But as we brace ourselves for Trump’s second presidency beginning today, what concerns me most isn’t the way he is different from other politicians – but how he represents what’s been broken about our government for years: how Donald Trump is as much of a “normal" politician as many in Washington.

After all, Trump is far from the only political figure to rely on billionaires like Elon Musk to buy elections – or try to rig voting rules to his advantage. Nor is he the first to make bigoted comments or demonize marginalized people and enact policies meant to harm them.

Make no mistake – Donald Trump does represent a troubling turn towards authoritarianism in our politics. But someone like him can only take power when people already feel – and rightly so – that we’re living under an oligarchy: the best government money can buy.

Demagogues are at their most dangerous when people have given up on engaging in democracy as a means of making their lives better. And the fact is, far too many Americans have done just that – because we’re tired of seeing billionaires and special interests get their way while the rest of us pay the price.

Of course, Donald Trump isn’t offering any solution to that. He’s packing his administration with the very same oligarchs who got us in this mess. And if left unchecked, his Project 2025 plan of privatizing public services, rolling back our rights, and purging qualified civil servants will only make more people give up and tune out.

That means Common Cause’s mission – a call to action for all – over these next 4 years must be pointing to a better path forward. We need to turn the disaffection that Americans from all walks of life are feeling into meaningful action for the better.

And you – yes, you specifically – are a critical part of making that happen. For over 50 years, we’ve worked for the democracy we all deserve, and while we don’t know exactly what’s to come, this fight is going to get a lot more difficult – but a lot more important as well.

Together, we can turn our uncertainty and anger into action – and we can’t let a minute go to waste.

So, if you’re ready to hit the ground running, please join our special members-only briefing next Wednesday, January 29th to hear about the threat & opportunity landscape for Trump’s presidency, and how Common Cause plans to respond. RSVP to reserve your spot today >>

The work of democracy is messy, and it is hard. But we can’t give up on it. Common Cause needs your ideas, your voice, and your activism at this critical moment in our history.

Thanks for all you do,

Virginia Kase Solomón, President & CEO
and the team at Common Cause

P.S. I spoke to Salon about what protecting democracy will look like during Trump’s second term, and how small acts of resistance and defiance can ignite and inspire others to act towards change: read Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview here.