Trump targets officials who opposed his election lies

Monday, April 21

In case you missed it: we just announced our latest live event! On Thursday, May 1, Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias will lead a panel on the four crises threatening American democracy. It’s free, virtual and not to be missed. Register today.

President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top officials to investigate two of his former first-term officials — Chris Krebs, who directed Trump’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Miles Taylor, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official — who publicly refuted his baseless claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent and criticized his chaotic administration from within.
Marc and Paige Moskowitz explain the latest.

To protect Democracy, we must expand the map

Marc explains why voting rights advocates must "expand the map" in order to protect democracy. Litigation and advocacy shouldn't only focus on swing states — we must challenge bad laws no matter where we see them.

The SAVE Act extends the GOP’s war on women to the voter rolls

Republicans, including Trump, claim the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is necessary to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. But the bill could also make it much harder for the 69 million women who’ve changed their last names to vote.
The GOP’s motives underscore how attacks on Americans based on characteristics like gender and race can overlap with attacks on democracy itself. Susan Rinkanus breaks it down.

Is ‘institutional strength’ strong enough to defeat the authoritarians?

Nonprofits, traditionally seen by most Americans as service-oriented entities, are now caught in a storm that threatens not just their missions, but their very ability to function, to secure revenue, to retain staff and to help people. The Trump administration has made its disdain well known for organizations that empower marginalized communities, value equity or hold the government accountable.
Is the “strength” of civil society institutions — which we once took for granted — enough to withstand the organized, well-funded and increasingly aggressive forces arrayed against them? Democracy Docket guest author Tom Watson explores the answer.