[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

Last night, Donald Trump set out a dark and divisive vision for the future
of our country.

Between the scapegoating of migrants and trans people, the disingenuous
embrace of “law and order,” boasting of DOGE’s dismantling of the federal
government, and the absurdity of seeking to acquire foreign territory like
Greenland, it became painfully clear that in the White House, all brakes
are off.

Trump’s enablers are firmly in the driver’s seat. There are few restraints
on his anti-democratic and imperial impulses – and his dangerously
unhinged view of the world and our place in it.

This is a fraught moment where the damage this administration is doing –
and its violations of our values – feel unstoppable. But here are three
things we can be sure of:

The first is painful but true: Things will get worse before they get
better. We know by now that Trump means much of what he says and is
committed to seeing his most reckless policies through.

We must stand ready to protest and push back, to protect vulnerable
communities, and to call out dangerous actions however possible.

But the second is equally important: A backlash is coming. Trump’s agenda
is a brazen overreach. It’s growing more unpopular by the day and will
soon make every problem our nation faces much, much worse.

The government-wide gutting of federal programs and agencies that began
with his assault on foreign aid and USAID will soon have a very real
impact on essential services millions of Americans rely on. Dangerously
unqualified appointees in roles critical to our well-being will reveal
themselves to be as incompetent as they are embarrassing.

On the world stage, abandoning international institutions and selling out
our democratic allies is popular only with the most die-hard MAGA
extremists. And allowing the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza to
collapse – and Netanyahu to withhold humanitarian assistance from millions
of civilians – will win over neither pro-Israel nor pro-peace Americans.

As the damage of Trump’s actions becomes clearer, we must ensure the blame
is laid where it belongs – at the feet of this administration and those
who enabled it. He must pay a political price. We must raise righteous
hell on behalf of the hostage families, on behalf of families suffering in
Gaza, and on behalf of all those suffering in the wake of the damage to
our country.

We cannot be cowed into silence or resigned to failure.

The third thing I know is that the future is in our hands: We must ensure
that this coming backlash translates into political power.

In the short term, we must push back with whatever levers possible. To
minimize the damage, maximize the political cost and press the
administration to reverse course. We’ve seen that resistance works, so the
more heat we can generate, the less wreckage this administration will
create.

In the longer term, we must work to translate this backlash into electoral
victories in the midterms so that Congress has the power to slam the
brakes on an administration that continues to drive this country off the
rails.

With barely a mention of the Middle East last night, it seems Trump knows
his bluster about “taking over” Gaza is too ridiculous and unpopular to
highlight to the American people, though he doesn’t appear to be backing
down – as the US and Israel just rejected the Arab League’s proposal for
the reconstruction of Gaza

It’s further proof that we must do everything we can to mitigate the
damage. The alternative is unthinkable.

As we navigate this dire moment together, J Street will remain focused and
determined – standing up for our values, pushing back, standing in
solidarity with communities, and laying the groundwork for the future once
the storm passes.

Through all this, thank you sincerely for your support.

Yours,

Hannah Morris 
Director of Government Affairs, J Street

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J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the
Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we
advocate policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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