John, there are so many different things going on in our country right now that sometimes it’s just easier to tune them out and pray for the best than to take the time to understand them. Now more than ever, however, it’s important that each one us be engaged members of our democracy, even if it makes our head—and heart—hurt a little bit.
 
Think of it: rising inflation, sky-high gas prices, rising housing costs, horrific gun violence, divisive court rulings, and a depressing but critically important investigation into the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol.

It’s exhausting to think that all of it is happening right now in America. It’s understandable why so many Americans are tuning it out as best as they can, but that’s very, very dangerous to do right now.

When reasonable people sit on the sidelines, then the extremists at both ends win. In fact, they’re hoping the normal people check out so they can take over in both political parties and more easily pursue their radical agendas.

Take for example what happened at the Texas Republican Party's Convention on Saturday. Watch my comments about how crazy this event was. You can also read more here.

There is no doubt that former President Trump still has strong support in the extremist wings of the Republican Party, but his influence is fading among mainstream conservatives. It’s encouraging to see happen. Watch my recent comments on how some in the party are looking for new leaders, especially as Trump's actions on January 6th are revealed in the Congressional hearings.

It was interesting to me that after Friday's hearing, some were suggesting that former Vice President Mike Pence should be celebrated as a hero for his actions on January 6th.

I agree he did the right thing on that day, but what about everything else he did every other day before that? Finally waking up and doing your constitutional duty is a pretty low bar to clear. It doesn’t atone for enabling Trump's divisive and dishonest behavior for more than five years. Watch my remarks about this in a recent interview.

I was encouraged by the recent news that there was a bipartisan compromise in the U.S. Senate to pass some sensible reforms to reduce gun violence. These are sound policies and similar to ones I proposed as governor of Ohio. It's too early to know if it will pass, but this is a positive step.

In case you missed it, you can find a link on my social media accounts to my recent interview with gun safety activist Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was murdered in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Check it out.

John, I'm out there every day working to heal the divisions in our country that prevent us from having real, meaningful conversations about how to face our greatest challenges.

One of the realities is that we need to raise the funds to continue rallying support for this agenda. Will you consider chipping in with a donation before our June fundraising deadline?

I'm so appreciative of your ongoing support. Thank you!

-John

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