Hey folks,

Last week I argued that the regime is clearly weakened but that Trump’s response has been to double down on his illegal and unconstitutional behavior. Well, we got some alarming news late last week that unfortunately supports this take. As some of the leading organizers of peaceful opposition this year, we’re paying attention.

The Department of Justice announced a new escalation in its war on free speech and civil society. I haven’t seen this widely reported yet, but late Thursday night, news broke (here) that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a memo to every federal prosecutor in the country directing them to go on offense against all organizations connected to “ANTIFA” -- a loose ideology rather than an actual organization or group. Initial reporting did not link the memo, but you can read it here.

Bondi’s memo raises the specter of left-wing political violence, with none to point to, as an excuse to crack down on political opposition. The memo is vague in its definition of what organizations should be targeted, and it suggests that the DOJ will prioritize based on opposition to the regime rather than actual crimes. As one journalist summarizes the point of the memo: 

“Bondi’s memo could be the starting point for charges against a number of left-leaning advocacy groups and nonprofits the Trump administration has accused without evidence of having ties to extremists.”

I believe this is indeed the point of the memo. This regime’s greatest enemy is powerful, peaceful, people-powered protest. It makes sense that they would try to undermine those rights by attacking those who exercise them. 

This follows a long line of attacks on the peaceful opposition. A year ago, we were organizing (successfully) to defeat a bill that would have allowed Trump to unilaterally designate domestic political opponents as terrorist organizations. We’ve seen escalating investigations and legal attacks on racial justice groups, immigrant rights groups, and pro-Palestine organizers, among others. Reporting in the lead up to No Kings hinted that a crackdown on Indivisible and other organizations would be coming soon. 

So while I didn’t know this particular memo was coming, this kind of escalation is not a surprise.

Indivisible is not backing down -- we defend our rights by exercising them. I don’t know what precisely is coming next from the DOJ, including whether Indivisible will be among those targeted. What I can say is this: We will not be backing down. Speaking personally, our organizing this year has been the proudest work of my life. Indivisible will not be altering our strategy or tactics by one iota. We are going to continue to organize and exercise our free speech against this regime’s lawlessness. And we are going to continue to support those who do the same.  

Let me brag on that point for a paragraph. Just last week, Indivisible raised over $140,000 for United We Dream’s effort to protect immigrants under threat by this regime. Last month, we raised about $150,000 for Rep. LaMonica McIver, who is being targeted by the regime for daring to attempt oversight of an ICE facility in her own damn district. As we prepare for 2026, Indivisible will continue to organize with and come to the support of our fellow pro-democracy leaders and organizers. “In solidarity” is not just an email sign-off for these newsletters -- it’s a core part of our pro-democracy, anti-regime, organizing philosophy.

So while the fascists rattle their sabers, we’re going to keep calm and carry on. I stand by what I wrote last week: This regime is weakened. It’s at its lowest point of popularity. It’s seen defeat after defeat electorally. And some of its staunchest supporters are fleeing the ship. Not only is it beatable, but we’re beating it. While elites in business and media and the courts have fallen over themselves to obey in advance, we organized. And it’s turning the tide. 

If that wasn’t enough to make you want to read on to this week’s action items, here’s a sweetener: New research finds that organizing against the fascist takeover also helps you live longer. How about that? 

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

Your weekly to-dos

1. Email your Members of Congress to demand investigations into Hegseth’s murderous strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. Despite increased scrutiny, Pete Hegseth and the Trump regime continue to carry out lethal strikes on small vessels without any legal rationale. More background on these extrajudicial killings of over 80 people can be found below. 
2. Pledge to get involved in our largest primary campaign ever. We aren’t going to defeat fascism with a politics-as-usual approach. So we’re gearing up for a massive primary program to put forward a new wave of candidates who can win at the ballot box and in the battle to defend democracy. We need door knockers, phonebankers, and savvy online communicators on our side. Sign up, and we’ll be in touch when our program officially launches. Until then, you can learn more about our plans here. 
3. Answer our one-question survey to help track the impact of the Cancel Spotify campaign. Indivisible and allies have been calling for a boycott of Spotify until they stop running ads recruiting for ICE. We can’t very well count on the platform to tell us how many people have canceled their accounts in protest of its participation in Trump’s brutal deportation machine, so we really need feedback from our movement. You can learn more about the campaign here and help spread the message using this Spotify Wrapped-themed toolkit. 
4. We’re stronger when we organize together. Join a local Indivisible group today. It’s resolution season, and if one of your goals for the new year is becoming more engaged in your community and doing more to save democracy, it might be time to connect with an Indivisible group near you.

P.S. It’s end-of-year fundraising season, and while we try to keep our fundraising asks to a minimum, we do have about $615,000 to raise before the end of the year to prepare for midterms and support Indivisible groups on the front lines of the fight to save our democracy. Chip in here, if you can, to help fuel our fight against authoritarianism.

Bonus: When you donate to our end of year campaign, we’ll remove your email from fundraising messages for the rest of the year (we always strive to keep our fundraising emails interesting and informative, but we know there are a lot of orgs reaching out in December, and we like to do what we can to keep your inbox a little less cluttered). 

Hegseth’s war crimes without a war

Since early September, Pete Hegseth’s “Department of War” has killed at least 87 people in strikes on boats in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean. The regime has claimed that these boats were carrying drugs destined for the US -- a claim that has been refuted by evidence in several cases, and wouldn’t justify the strikes, even if true.

Last week, we learned that the strikes began with an order by Pete Hegseth to leave no survivors. Consequently, shipwrecked survivors clinging to a burning craft were hit with a second strike. The incident would normally be considered a war crime, but this isn’t a war. Instead, the “double tap” strike likely qualifies as murder.

A world in which this regime can kill anyone it chooses, with no legal justification of any kind, is a world in which none of us are safe. And as Hegseth himself once said in a recently unearthed recording, “If you’re doing something that is just completely unlawful and ruthless, then there is a consequence for that.” 

Amidst the lies and lawless actions by this regime, it’s vital that Congress launch immediate investigations into these operations and bring an end to these ruthless strikes. These investigations must be public -- Hegseth must testify under oath.

Click here to email your Members of Congress to demand investigations into Hegseth’s extrajudicial killings. 

Then, during business hours, please use our scripts and call tools to place a call to your senators and representative.

We can’t let the Trump regime get away with bluster and excuses as it plans yet more strikes; we have to do everything we can to stop them.

IndivisiWIN of the week

Yesterday, at a rally organized by Western Queens Indivisible, that was covered by The New York Times, hundreds of New Yorkers gathered to protest the Trump regime's arrest and forced separation of a six-year-old immigrant, Yuanxin Zheng, from his father. As Indivisible Devora Fein said, "We understand that Yuanxin is safe, but he is being held somewhere where nobody who knows him or cares about him can see him or give him a hug and make him feel safe. He is not the only one."

Across the country, Indivisible groups are organizing in solidarity with immigrant communities and against ICE, Border Patrol, and the regime's brutal deportation policies, in many cases hitting the ground running within hours or even minutes of reports of ICE activity or court proceedings. The best way to tap into this work is by joining your local Indivisible group!

Upcoming events for you

The national calendar is a bit bare as we head into the holidays, but there might be more going on in your area, so be sure to check our calendar and get in touch with Indivisible groups near you!

Follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to our text messaging program, where we send rapid response actions a few times a month.