Keeping you connected to what’s happening at The Union and sharing news about our ongoing work to oppose anti-democratic forces in American elections.

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We have resolved to join forces to help preserve our Union,
our Republic, and our democracy.

September 21, 2022
THE SOAPBOX will keep you connected to what’s happening at The Union and share news about our work to oppose anti-democratic forces in America.

State of The Union: Election Day is in 48 days. Primaries are over and the sprint to November 8 is underway. Voters in 27 states will find election deniers on their ballot for critical state offices that oversee elections and, if they win, will bring Trump-styled chaos to state governments and the 2024 presidential election.

27 states have election deniers on the ballot ([link removed])

Please be on the lookout for Trump-extremist candidates trying to hide from their anti-choice and stolen-election beliefs. Trump-extremist and New Hampshire U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc is the latest. He won the Republican primary on the stolen-election lie only to reverse himself a short time later to say Biden won. He joins a growing list of Trump hypocrites. It is nothing more than a calculated effort to deceive voters.

The Playbook: A couple of weeks ago we reported on midterm campaign spending reports. At the time, about $3.5 billion had already been spent, with a staggering $6.5 billion in added spending by Election Day. There will be countless well-funded attempts to distract voters from the dangers Trump and his cult of candidates pose to America. But we know we are on the right path. Let’s continue the fight to preserve and protect our democracy. Here are some key messages to carry forward this week:
* Plan and protect your vote. Vote411 ([link removed]) is a good resource to check your registration, voter registration deadlines, and when absentee / early voting starts in your state.
* With primaries over, 27 states will have election deniers on the November ballot. Voter turnout is going to be critical to defeat these Trump extremists.
* Trump’s terrifying Ohio rally last weekend is being compared to the Nazi fascist rallies of the 1930s.
* Trump is promising violence if he is indicted. It’s a replay of his Proud Boys ‘stand back and stand by’ order during the 2020 campaign that preceded the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
* A Trump lawyer falsely claimed that the dozens of boxes at Mar-a-Lago contained “news clippings” in an attempt by Trump to obstruct efforts to track down missing documents, including hundreds of highly sensitive government secrets.

The Pulse: Pundits are assessing the influence of Biden’s improving approval rating for the midterm elections. Legislative wins, falling gas prices, the Dobbs decision, and Trump’s re-emergence pushing stolen-election claims are all contributing to the rise. But his numbers are still below 50%, with a majority expressing concerns about the economy.

Biden approval rating is making the midterms more competitive ([link removed])
Persuadable voters remain elusive, hard to pin down ([link removed])

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Biden’s improving approval rating boosts Democrats
When the people rise in masses in behalf of the Union and the liberties of their country,
truly may it be said, ‘The gates of hell shall not prevail against them.’

President Abraham Lincoln – February 11, 1861
The Abe-Team gets to work with an intensive grassroots push: We assembled our Abe-Team on Monday for a new series of daily grassroots actions until the polls close Nov. 8. Abe-Team members represent our most engaged volunteers. We’re calling on them to push forward even more in our work to protect American democracy. If you’d like to make this commitment and join this team, please reply to this message.

With primaries over, election deniers in 27 states advance to Nov. 8: The last of the 2022 primaries were held on Sept. 20. Voters in 27 states will now find at least one election denier — a Trump extremist candidate for governor, attorney general, and/or secretary of state — on the ballot. The threat to democracy could not be any higher as these state offices will have critical roles in protecting the vote and certifying the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Election deniers on 2022 ballot and threaten 2024 vote ([link removed])

Trump’s terrifying Ohio campaign rally compared to fascist rallies of the 1930s: The tenor of Trump’s so-called “Save America” rallies gets more dangerous each time he takes the stage. Caught in a web of lies and illegal acts, the former president’s autocratic tirades are getting more and more ominous. Thank you to all The Union volunteers who filled an Ohio arena with empty seats this weekend.

Trump and his cult mimic fascism at Ohio rally ([link removed])
1930s American Nazism ([link removed])

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Trump previews another call to incite violence: Echoing his ‘stand back and stand-by’ order to his Proud Boys mob, Trump predicted “problems like we’ve never seen before” if he is indicted for a growing list of crimes. Let’s never forget that he’s already:
* Incited a mob to overturn the 2020 election
* Obstructed (and continues to) Department of Justice (DOJ) and congressional investigations
* Schemed to have fake electors sent to Congress
* Misled and defrauded donors
* Stole and then lied about the secret government documents

More violent than January 6? It’s yet another dangerous threat from a deranged man who cares nothing for law and order.

Trump predicts violence worse than Jan 6 ([link removed])

Fallout continues over Sen. Graham’s national abortion ban stunt: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s stunt last week promoting a national abortion ban only served to distract and complicate GOP efforts to take control of Congress. GOP leaders struggled all week to distance themselves from Graham. And with 60% of voters disapproving of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it has further energized pro-democracy advocates working to block Trump-extremist candidates from winning elections.

GOP tries to hide from Graham’s abortion ban legislation ([link removed])

Protect the U.S. House from a Trump-extremist takeover: While election prospects for pro-democracy candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives have improved, the odds still favor Republicans. We must continue doing the work to stop Trump extremists from gaining control. The good news is that several races that had been considered safe for Republicans have become competitive. Voters are beginning to realize the damage Trump-cult members of Congress could do to American democracy if Republicans gain a majority.

Threat of Trump extremist takeover in the U.S. House remains likely ([link removed])

The Trump-cult’s “Contract with America” is really a contract on America: Remember Newt Gingrich's Contract with America back in the mid-1990s? Well the Trump-cult in Congress is trying another one, but this time they are going further. This time it is a contract on America and American democracy. Let’s do the work to stop them by keeping Trump extremists out of Congress and away from the levers of power they crave.

TV ad to stop Trump extremists from wrecking America ([link removed])

Jan. 6 committee lays groundwork for upcoming hearing: A video released by the congressional committee investigating Trump’s January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol brought back chilling details of the former president’s vast and multipronged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. From a rogue's gallery of conspirators, to the millions raised by duping donors, to harassment of state election officials, and a fake electors scheme, it’s all there in sickening detail.

Jan. 6 committee refreshes detail attempts to overturn the 2020 election ([link removed])

FRONTLINE investigates threats to democracy: PBS FRONTLINE takes an in-depth look at how various political leaders have undermined and threatened American democracy in this two-hour episode. It reminds all of us how fragile our democracy is and how Trump zealots are using autocratic rhetoric to fuel political violence.

Lies, politics, and democracy ([link removed])

Nothing but news clippings: The rapidly unfolding saga of Donald Trump stealing secret government documents and hiding them in the basement of his Mar-a-Lago resort continues to ensnare various members of the former president’s team. This time, former deputy White House counsel Pat Philbin seems caught up in Trump’s attempts to escape accountability. Philbin assured government lawyers in a September 2021 phone call (nine months after Trump left office) that the only papers in those boxes in Florida were news clippings.

Stolen secrets were “news clippings” according to Trump lawyer ([link removed])

Voting-machine data breaches raise concerns for Election Day: We’ve known for a while that Trump allies illegally gained access to voting machines in several states following the 2020 election. Now we face the possibility that rogue election workers, using this stolen information, might attack voting systems from within.

Voting machine data breaches pose risks for Nov. 8 ([link removed])

Turn PA Blue aims to flip down ballot seats: Congratulations to our partner, Turn PA Blue, for its mission and focus on flipping down ballot seats on November 8. Defeating members of Trump’s extremist cult who currently hold positions of responsibility in local and state government is essential to protecting our democracy.

Learn more about Turn PA Blue ([link removed])

Invite a friend: Remember to invite a friend to Join the Union today ([link removed]) .

Thank you for helping to defend democracy.

Together,

The Union

P.S. Do you have news or feedback to share? Please reply to this email.
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The Union is a single issue, pro-democracy coalition. While the Union is supported in its launch by The Lincoln Project and the reach of their 7 million followers, we are an independent, volunteer-driven, self-organizing force of people, partners, and actions aligned in defense of our democracy.

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