Friends, Congress is back from our August district work period. Kids are back in school. Pumpkin spice lattes are back in coffee shops (not my fave, to be honest, but I’m happy for the PSL lovers in my life).

All of that to say: summer is over (except for San Diego where local’s summer has just started). And if last year was labeled “brat summer,” I think this year’s theme was more like… authoritarian summer?

Let’s do a quick rundown of what’s happened recently:

Trump illegally deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles to police civilians exercising their First Amendment rights.
ICE severely ramped up its immigration enforcement tactics, with masked agents conducting unannounced raids and snatching people off the streets.
The administration has targeted the scientific community, stripped universities of research funding, and cut CDC and NIH funding.
Trump stated he wants to unilaterally ban mail-in voting — a method of voting used by more than 46 million people during the 2024 elections, and that made up 30% of all the votes cast!
And of course, Trump has seized control of the D.C. police force and deployed thousands of National Guard troops around the city.

That’s just a sample — but we all get the picture: this is what authoritarianism looks like.

Meanwhile, a lot of people I work with (and I’m sure a lot of people in your life too) are still trying to justify Trump’s actions: there’s a perspective, they say, where these actions make some sense. And surely the courts will do their part and stop him if he gets really bad. (In reality: the courts are helping curb some of the worst stuff, but it’s not enough — and we really can’t rely on this Supreme Court to quell Trump’s ego and delusion.)

That instinct to rationalize is part of the problem. When we start cherry-picking snippets of our current events to find a sliver of logic or legality or common sense in Trump’s actions, we become the frogs in the pot of water that’s slowly heating to a boil.

Maybe you already agree with what I’m saying, and want me to get to the point of what to DO about all of it.

Well, talking about all of this is a big, big part of what we need to do.

We need to have real conversations with real people — even and especially with people who may not agree with us on much! — about the lines being crossed. I’m not asking you to try to convince your neighbor to suddenly become a Democratic activist or go toe-to-toe with your uncle over the Thanksgiving table.

I’m asking you to connect with them on a human level and see if there’s anywhere at all you do agree. Like maybe, just maybe, on the idea that the Constitution and our democracy are important things to keep intact? That hard-working and respectable members of our community shouldn’t be violently arrested at work and disappeared into federal detention centers? That throwing flash-bangs into the middle of a peaceful neighborhood on a Friday night is irrational, dangerous, and unacceptable?

Try that. I know a lot of people are sick of talking about politics, so start slow. Connect around how nice their garden is or your adorable dog. Use real human stories to make your point. Start with listening, with empathy (as hard as that is). See where you end up!

OK, so you’re on board with that, but it doesn’t quite feel like enough, right? What else can we do?

I’ll tell you one of my top priorities right now: winning some elections for Democrats and kicking the GOP out of the House majority!

Next year’s elections are closer than we might think — and the truth is, most elections are won or lost way before votes are tallied. Campaigns that have resources and support are able to reach tons of voters, spread their message, respond to attacks, and turn people out. Campaigns that don’t, aren’t. And we know that people are (rightfully!) sick of only hearing from candidates and campaigns during an election year — as if voters are non-existent and their needs are unimportant unless their vote is on the line.

So, as sick as we all are of being asked (I’m even sick of doing the asking), donating when you can is an incredibly meaningful way to impact the outcomes of elections.

If you can, consider contributing to support my work — my team and I are laser-focused on flipping the House next year. In addition to my own re-election, we’re supporting vulnerable incumbent Democrats who we need to hold onto, and challengers looking to flip key seats blue.