Dear John,

There's no sugarcoating it – the first eight months of the Trump administration have dealt massive blows to American democracy and the rule of law. 

But I also know from experience globally that we can turn the tide on rising corruption and autocracy.

As we move into the fall, RepresentUs is implementing a new strategy of educating people nationally across party lines and activating them locally to demand more from Congress, as part of a lasting movement for a government that works for the people, not just the powerful. Our strategy meets the moment, plugging gaps in the landscape and complementing existing work being done by others on litigation and protests. 

We're focusing on: 

1. Building awareness nationally. We're leveraging our nonpartisan credibility and best-in-class social media reach to inform national audiences across partisan divides about what is happening, and to inspire all Americans to stand up for our shared ideals. In August, we had more than 3.5 million people watch just one of our videos about ordinary Americans speaking out, and collaborated with Michael Douglas on another about current threats and the way forward. 
2. Turning passion into action. Moving just a handful of legislators to stand up to rising corruption and authoritarianism would have a dramatic impact, given Congress's crucial role in oversight, appropriations, and nominee confirmations. So RepresentUs is launching innovative, targeted advocacy campaigns – bringing constituent pressure to bear – in key congressional districts, to help those legislators most willing to listen find the courage to stand up to the executive's worst power grabs. Already, we've had success working with coalition partners in getting harmful provisions around AI and accountability for the courts stripped out of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. By leaning into organizing and mobilization in targeted districts, we aim to multiply that success and ultimately make it harder for Congress to rubberstamp everything the executive does. We're starting in a couple of promising districts, with the goal of scaling up in success.
3. Building a lasting movement. We can't just go back to the status quo before Trump, with money buying power and ordinary people getting shut out. As we have long argued, we need a vision for a democracy that is accountable to all of us, not just the powerful. That's why we continue to support efforts like renewal of the Seattle Democracy Voucher program, which won a decisive victory in August, and the HONEST Act and Restore Trust in Congress Act, bipartisan bills banning Congressional stock trading that have been introduced in the Senate and House.

The good news is that Americans are now awake to these issues in a way they haven't been in generations. By harnessing that energy in a cross-partisan way, we aim both to tackle the challenges of today, and to create momentum for a better system going forward. 

Building a democracy that lives up to our country's ideals requires many hands, and your partnership is invaluable in moving our work forward. To kickstart implementation of our strategy, and ensure long-term success, we're looking to raise $5 million before the end of the year. 

I have seen over and over how, even in the most desperate circumstances, ordinary people with courage and commitment can make an enormous difference. I know we can do it here.

Thank you for standing with us at this critical time.

With appreciation,

Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno

CEO, RepresentUs