Indivisibles,

We’ll come out and say it: impeachment is a complicated and overwhelming process, and things change minute by minute. It can be hard to follow, even if you obsessively check C-SPAN and Twitter as much as we do. A lot happened last week and it’s not slowing down yet:

→ Last Tuesday, the impeachment trial officially began in the Senate, and the Democratic House managers laid out the facts of the case against Donald Trump. They’ve presented damning evidence that Trump abused his power when he tried to pressure Ukraine into interfering with the 2020 elections, and that he obstructed Congress when he tried to cover it up.

→ On Sunday, details from John Bolton’s new book leaked to the press, and Republicans are scrambling. His manuscript, which he submitted to the White House for review, contained further testimony that Donald Trump held up aid to Ukraine and covered it up. This is even more evidence that directly contradicts Trump’s narrative -- and from one of his former closest advisors. The revelation caused Senate Republicans to panic. Case in point, Mitt Romney said this morning "I think it's increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton." -- a good sign for those of us who want to hear from witnesses.

→ More votes on allowing witnesses and documents will happen this week! We need to keep up the pressure. As of now, the trial timeline is as follows: Trump’s lawyers will wrap up their arguments either today or tomorrow. That will be followed by questions from Senators. On Wednesday or Thursday, Schumer is expected to offer a motion to call witnesses, including Bolton, and admit newly found documents. That only gives us a few more days to keep calling. Grassroots pressure has forced Republicans to compromise on several aspects of this trial -- we can’t let them off the hook now. More information on calls are in your weekly to-dos.  

We’ll continue to monitor and report back on every turn of events during the remainder of this impeachment trial, all of which you can subscribe to on our Indivisible Youtube channel. 

And now, let’s get to those to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos  

1. Call your Senators to demand a fair and open impeachment trial. Even after the details from John Bolton’s unpublished manuscript leaked, Senate Republicans still haven’t agreed to a fair impeachment trial. The American people deserve to hear from first-hand witnesses like Bolton, and to see the incriminating documents that cover up Trump’s crimes. Call your Senators and demand they uphold their oath to defend the Constitution and hold a fair and open impeachment trial. Democrats will be offering motions as soon as Wednesday to request witnesses and documents, and all senators should support those motions.
2. Sign up to make some calls connecting voters to senators to demand a complete and fair impeachment trial. Back by popular demand, we’re reactivating our Hubdialer program. We're asking you to call voters in 13 key swing states and ask them to turn up the pressure on their Senators. It’s a simple four-part process:

• You call a progressive voter in a key state with one of these 13 Republicans. These folks are your friends—they attended the Women’s March and/or fight for progressive causes.
• You explain how they have power now. You’ll remind them why the continued fight for impeachment is so important—and why they have particular power in this moment.
• You ask them to use their power. Then, you’ll ask them to call their senator and make their voices heard on why we’re demanding courage in this moment.
• You push a button and connect them to their senator’s office. The call tool will allow you to automatically patch them through to the senator’s DC office.

 2020 Update 

The Iowa Caucus is one week from today! The results of the first-in-the-nation caucus will have a big impact on the race in the coming weeks. Read below to get caught up on recent endorsements, expectations, and how to get involved:

• The Des Moines Register endorses Elizabeth Warren! This is a big one -- Iowa’s largest newspaper just endorsed Senator Warren for president, saying that she’s the candidate most equipped to “push an unequal America in the right direction.” Last week, Warren also earned the endorsement of the New York Times Editorial Board alongside Senator Klobuchar.

• What can we expect out of Iowa? It’s going to be a close race to win the Iowa Caucus. Four candidates have been clustered at the top of the pack for weeks: Senator Sanders, Vice President Biden, Mayor Buttigieg, and Senator Warren. Polling has shown some solidifying around Sanders, but Iowa results are always difficult to predict because caucus behavior (and caucus math) isn’t about a simple majority!

• It’s going to be close, so get involved! A strong showing in Iowa can give a candidate the momentum they need to pick up delegates in other early states and go into Super Tuesday with a strong case for the nomination. Check out our 2020 candidate scorecard, read up on the issues, and get involved by phonebanking, texting, or (best of all) canvassing for the candidates most likely to fight for progressive change. 

Find an IndivisiEvent near you

 Newsletter Survey Results 

Last week, we asked you to give us some feedback on this newsletter, and we’ve begun to review the results of that survey. Overall, it seems like you’re pretty happy with the newsletter: just over 50% of you said you read the newsletter every week.

One of our biggest questions was about the length -- we know this is a long email! But for the most part, you seem happy with it: 85% of respondents said it’s about the right length. To the 14% of you who said it was too long, we did hear you, and we’re thinking about ways to make it a little easier to digest. 

Here’s our favorite part of the results: 52.5% of you said you take one of the actions in the newsletter at least once a month, and three quarters said you’ve taken action at least a few times in the past year. That’s exactly the kind of advocacy we’re hoping that this message will inspire!

As always, we’re eager to hear your feedback. Feel free to reply to this email if you’d like to share more with us!

 Support the Payback Project 

We’ve seen throughout the impeachment process just how willing Republican senators are to throw our democracy under the bus to protect their president. But they’ve done a lot more damage than that. They’ve voted time after time to consolidate power in the hands of a few and to make our society less democratic, all so they can keep their jobs.

We’re tired of it. And we’ve spent the last three years building the kind of movement that can beat these senators -- and the money machines behind them. So we’re announcing the Payback Project -- our comprehensive plan to take back the Senate and pay Republican senators back for years of destroying democratic norms. 

We need your help to get it off the ground. Can you donate $10 today to launch our Payback Project and support all our work in 2020?

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

Indivisibles from across Colorado came together this weekend. They strategized, learned and networked through the lens of racial equity.

Indivisibles, with the Senate impeachment trial heating up, we need to increase our pressure on this Congress to treat this process fairly and with respect. We need the voices of each and every constituent raised, and in contact with their elected officials. 

Republicans cannot disguise the will of Trump by calling it the will of their constituents. Join us as bring this fight to every senator's doorstep.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team