Indivisibles,

Today we’re excited to announce the Truth Brigade -- a program to counter propaganda, false characterizations, misinformation, and outright lies. Every day we’re inundated with information that isn’t true, and it’s having a profound impact on our democracy and our lives. We’ve tested a pilot program for the last few months, and today we’re ready to build a wave of Indivisibles who are passionate about stopping disinformation and protecting our democracy. Now more than ever, with the spread of election disinformation ahead of Nov. 3, we need a body of Indivisibles dedicated to lifting up the truth and protecting the results of the election. If you’re on board to shut down the propaganda and the well-funded machines that drive these narratives, click here to sign up. Keep reading for more information on this program, how you can get involved, and why this work is critically important. 

About the program and how you can get involved

The Truth Brigade is modeled on best practices developed by our partners who are leading experts on this issue. The Trump administration and the GOP are well-funded and well-practiced at creating disinformation and chaos, but we’ve got the truth and the people on our side. People believe the sources they trust. When we share and amplify unified, factual messages to those who trust us, we shift the narrative. When we do this by the thousands as the Indivisible Truth Brigade, we can get our country back.

Here’s the plan:

1. We form an ever-growing group of grassroots truth-tellers. 
2. We identify a specific disinformation campaign to counter. 
3. We personalize, share, and amplify an effective counter-message.
4. We track our impact and learn.
5. We do it again. 

The Truth Brigade is nimble, responsive, and ready to address conspiracy theories and lies as they arise. Using the plan above, the Truth Brigade test group launched our newest campaign yesterday: countering west coast wildfire disinformation. Yes, it’s true -- we’re seeing false claims blaming antifa, protesters, and random arsonists for the fires. Others are blaming Democratic policies while some are saying that these fires are normal and part of a natural cycle. These disinformation campaigns were created to deny that climate change is the actual cause of these fires. All across social media, the lies are running rampant in an effort to give Trump a new hook to talk about law and order and to undermine the reality of climate change. 

If you’re ready to dive into this work, we’ve got a few to-dos for you.

• Sign up to be a part of the Indivisible Truth Brigade. 
• Join us at the Windivisible GOTV (virtual) Bootcamp on Saturday, October 3. We’ll be discussing important topics like talking across lines of difference, ways you can counter disinformation ahead of the election, and more. 
• Make a donation to fund this and all our critical work ahead of the election. The Indivisible Truth Brigade is working hard to train folks on effectively countering disinformation and propaganda, and that requires staff time, as well as the necessary tools to facilitate the program. 

Why this program is critically important

Just this week, Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer called on Mitch McConnell to create a bipartisan committee focused on election integrity. They requested hearings to reassure Americans that the election is legitimate while Donald Trump continues to sow doubt about mail-in voting, dismantle the USPS, and spread disinformation. In the last few months, Trump has amped up the lies -- he’s pushed conspiracy theories questioning election security, asked his supporters to monitor the polls, and suggested that if we don’t get a clear result on Election Night, then the election is rigged.

As we’ve seen in recent months, Trump and the GOP’s efforts to undermine this election are expansive, and Trump’s disregard for facts runs deep as he’s been claiming ‘fake news’ since 2016. On top of these factors, the 2016 election taught us that foreign actors will work hard to create doubt and discord in American democracy. And now, we’re witnessing the infusion of QAnon conspiracy theories into our everyday discourse. 

The strength of our democracy relies on free and fair elections, an independent press, and a public that is informed, engaged, and believes facts over conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, many Americans are feeling unmoored from the truth -- instead, they’re floating along in a sea of lies and propaganda. 

That’s why it’s up to everyday Americans to call out misinformation and lies when they happen, whether in our homes, our communities, or on a local level. It's for this reason that we’ve created the Truth Brigade -- we need to contain this body of lies from every side.

Join us as we work together to counter disinformation and lies -- and restore our collective faith in facts, science, and democracy.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team