Hello John,
They say never send an email when you're angry or upset—that’s especially true when you run a national organization and your message reaches hundreds of thousands of people. Last week, we were all angry—justifiably so.
Democratic leadership betrayed us. They betrayed the values they claim to fight for and believe in.
Look, I’m not naïve. I know this was an impossible position. A government shutdown would have had catastrophic consequences—not just for federal workers but for our entire economy. So I understand why Chuck Schumer and company voted the way they did.
What I don’t understand is why they didn’t even attempt to demand any kind of oversight in exchange for their votes. They just rolled over to appease Trump and Fox & Friends. MAGA lined up to sing praises for Fetterman and Schumer—some MAGA senators even calling Fetterman a “reliable Republican vote.” That is disgraceful. And the audacity of Fetterman to hold a press conference mocking his Democratic colleagues—then refusing to attend the Democratic Senate lunch to discuss strategy because, as he put it, "there's nothing to discuss.”
I feel betrayed. And I am not alone.
But getting angry isn’t enough. We have to turn our anger into action. I know some of these folks aren’t up for reelection in 2026, but eventually, they will be. And when that time comes, we will be primarying them.
That’s why today, I’m asking for your help to launch our first-ever Establishment Primary Fund. We are going after those who have lied to us, betrayed us, and no longer deserve to be called Democrats. I know the uphill battle we face on paper—but the people have spoken. We are done letting the consultant class tell us who we can vote for and what freedoms we can and cannot have.
As Senator Bernie Sanders put it:
"The Democratic Party needs a major transformation. It can no longer be a top-down, billionaire-funded, consultant-driven party. It must be a multi-generational, multi-racial, working-class party."
I 100% agree—and I will spend every minute of my time working toward that transformation. But we can only do it with your support.
Right now, we need to send a message to the establishment: Enough is enough. And the way we do that is by making our demands public.
Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries must step down from their leadership positions. The focus is on Schumer, but let’s be clear—Jeffries has cozied up to big-money donors in D.C. for far too long. He has not shown that he can lead.
This is not going to be easy. It’s going to get ugly. But our country demands that we do what’s right.
Protests are sparking up across the country—from veterans furious about losing their jobs because the world’s richest man decided they don’t deserve to work, to women who are fed up with a government dictating what they can and cannot do with their own bodies.
Students have not let up on the genocide and are demanding that our government stop supporting a white supremacist foreign state that continues to indiscriminately kill women and children.
Everyday Americans are rising up, demanding a government that represents them and works for them. This energy must be harnessed for real change. We must support candidates who are ready to challenge the status quo.
John, are you in?
In Solidarity,
Hassan Martini
