Hello John,

As we embark on another year, I keep coming back to asking myself the same question: how did we get here?

The world feels upside down, the most evil people are the ones that yield all the power. As Democrats, we have to ask, how did more than half the country vote for this?

The truth is, they did not. They were lied to, manipulated, deceived, and abused. I have the regrettable misfortune of subscribing to some of Trump's emails and texts. It's my job to know what the other side is doing and so I have to endure the constant reminder of the ongoing corruption that is unfolding in the Trump White House.

Last week he sent a text saying: "Before Trump signs your check, is your name Hassan?"

What does that even mean, what check are they referring to?

Are they trying to bribe people into donating to a political campaign so they can then use government funds to send out a fraudulent stimulus check?

You and I know there is no check coming, but do his supporters? These are a lot of questions, I know, but as a country, there is a lot to reflect on.

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - MALCOLM X

Authoritarianism does not happen overnight. If you read some of the political jargon that has come out since the illegal Venezuela military operation, certain media outlets are using this moment to rewrite history in front of our own eyes.

They fail to acknowledge that Congress has not authorized war in Venezuela, ignore the fact that the executive branch lacks the power to wage war without congressional approval, and omit that no framework of international law grants the United States authority to govern a sovereign nation.

Look, two things can be true at the same time: Maduro is a dictator who has abused people, and at the same time, we have no right to do what we did.

Going back to my opening thought, the world feels upside down—because, well, it is.

Trump rang in the new year with his BFF, the butcher of Gaza, the terrorist Benjamin Netanyahu. That is who is being celebrated by the majority of our government. I have not forgotten that image of all those Democrats standing and applauding him, and history will not be kind to any of them.

Yet here we are, and now the question is, where do we go from here?

I will share with you what we are doing at No Dem Left Behind. Much talk has been spent on the Democrats and our large tent. As far as I'm concerned, no organization is more intertwined with that large tent than we are.

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the candidates we are supporting this cycle.

We have traditional powerhouse names like Senator John Ossoff of Georgia, as well as progressive rising stars like Kat Abugazeleh of Illinois.

We support Democrats running in rural areas, inner cities, and everywhere in between, including the suburbs. We are the ones who embrace everyone and the ones fighting to bring change to a government that desperately needs a facelift.

I do not want to age-discriminate our leaders, but many of them are out of touch—and those are the ones that need to be sent into retirement.

That is what we are working on. Sure, we’re going to ruffle some feathers along the way, but I did not get into this work to make friends and sing kumbaya. I did it for the hope of change.

I hope that you will join us in 2026. We have a lot of work to do, and without you, we can’t do it.

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