Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest – your interests – in the halls of power.

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 21, 2024 at 9:56 PM

if only this were fake, too

Donald Trump wants to put Linda McMahon — the billionaire former chief executive of the W.W.E. professional wrestling empire — in charge of the United States Department of Education. And Trump has repeatedly said the Department of Education should be eliminated altogether. So maybe he picked McM…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 20, 2024 at 8:27 PM

if Congress gives its power away

You hear things like “Donald Trump is playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers.” Um, no. But Trump does have a demonstrated knack for getting some people — assorted feckless, craven, insecure, stupid, gullible, and willfully ill-informed members of Congress, for example — to do w…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 19, 2024 at 6:42 PM

do not agree to make yourself irrelevant

You hear things like “Donald Trump is playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers.” Um, no. But Trump does have a demonstrated knack for getting some people — assorted feckless, craven, insecure, stupid, gullible, and willfully ill-informed members of Congress, for example — to do w…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 18, 2024 at 10:37 PM

while Joe Biden is still president

Donald Trump is not president yet. Until noon on January 20, 2025, Joe Biden is still president. Public Citizen — along with allies like ACLU, Center for American Progress, and MoveOn — is urging President Biden to take aggressive action in defense of the American people, our institutions, and …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 17, 2024 at 7:32 PM

send Matt Gaetz packing

Donald Trump is rushing out cabinet picks, each more absurd and disastrous than the last. All of them are categorically unqualified. All of them are MAGA adherents from whom Trump expects — and has reason to expect — absolute fealty. If confirmed by the Senate, all of them will be a significan…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 16, 2024 at 8:09 PM

do not put this conspiracy theorist in charge of public health

Donald Trump wants to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services. Aside from his ancestry, RFK Jr. is famous — or, more accurately, infamous — for being an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist despite overwhelming scientific evidence that his “skepticism” is a…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 15, 2024 at 8:20 PM

tell Senate to reject RFK Jr. as head of HHS

Another day, another outlandish and potentially catastrophic pick for a critical role in Donald Trump’s administration. Wednesday it was Matt Gaetz for Attorney General (among others). Yesterday it was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Aside from his an…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 14, 2024 at 9:25 PM

Trump's absurd pick for Attorney General

Donald Trump is rushing out cabinet picks, each more absurd and disastrous than the last. All of them are categorically unqualified. All of them are MAGA adherents from whom Trump expects — and has reason to expect — absolute fealty. If confirmed by the Senate, all of them will be a significan…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 12, 2024 at 10:17 PM

what Biden must do now

Donald Trump is not president yet. Until noon on January 20, 2025, Joe Biden is still president. Public Citizen — along with allies like ACLU, Center for American Progress, and MoveOn — is urging President Biden to take aggressive action in defense of the American people, our institutions, and …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 11, 2024 at 6:27 PM

fighting Trump relentlessly

Thousands and thousands of people have responded to our recent emails about how Public Citizen intends to confront a second Trump presidency. If you haven’t had a chance to read our earlier message yet — or if you want to review it again — we’ve copied it below. Thank you for giving it a look, …
  Robert & Lisa · [email protected]
November 10, 2024 at 9:27 PM

how to weaken Trump

We’ve never seen anything like the response we’re getting to our plan for confronting a second Trump term. Our earlier message is copied below in case you missed it. Please give it a look. - Robert Weissman & Lisa Gilbert, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen ****** Donald Trump is a habitual, …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 10, 2024 at 4:07 PM

surviving this together

Donald Trump is a habitual, unrepentant liar. But when Trump says he wants to be a dictator for a day, weaponize the Department of Justice, turn on the spigots for Big Oil, roll back the achievements of the Inflation Reduction Act, fire federal workers who choose to honor their agency’s mission …
  Lisa · [email protected]
November 9, 2024 at 10:37 PM

here's the plan

In case you missed it earlier, take a quick look at our plan — copied below — for confronting a second Trump term. - Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen ****** Donald Trump is a habitual, unrepentant liar. But when Trump says he wants to be a dictator for a day, weaponize the Departm…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 9, 2024 at 3:12 PM

our playbook for dealing with Trump

We wanted to make sure you saw our earlier note — copied below in case you missed it — about Public Citizen’s plans to confront Donald Trump. Please give it a look if you can. Thanks. - Lisa & Robert ****** Donald Trump is a habitual, unrepentant liar. But when Trump says he wants to be a…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 8, 2024 at 6:59 PM

the fight of our lives starts right now

Donald Trump is a habitual, unrepentant liar. But when Trump says he wants to be a dictator for a day, weaponize the Department of Justice, turn on the spigots for Big Oil, roll back the achievements of the Inflation Reduction Act, fire federal workers who choose to honor their agency’s mission …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 7, 2024 at 6:54 PM

what we're feeling right now

There’s no sugarcoating what happened Tuesday night. We take very seriously what Donald Trump has said he will do and who he has shown us he is. But you already know that and we don’t need to repeat it. At this moment, here’s the most important thing we want to say: Each of us individually — …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 6, 2024 at 7:14 PM

determination, not despair

There’s no sugarcoating what happened last night. We take very seriously what Donald Trump has said he will do and who he has shown us he is. But you already know that and we don’t need to repeat it. At this moment, here’s the most important thing we want to say: Each of us individually — and…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 4, 2024 at 6:13 PM

Donald Trump must be defeated

Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy, to the future of our planet and civilization itself, to a just society, and to human decency. He must be defeated. Public Citizen is a nonpartisan organization. We very rarely weigh in on elections. But we can’t — and no one should — r…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 3, 2024 at 8:40 PM

regressive policies and fascistic tendencies

Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy, to the future of our planet and civilization itself, to a just society, and to human decency. He must be defeated. Public Citizen is a nonpartisan organization. We very rarely weigh in on elections. But we can’t — and no one should — r…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 2, 2024 at 6:27 PM

a clear and present danger to our democracy

Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy, to the future of our planet and civilization itself, to a just society, and to human decency. He must be defeated. Public Citizen is a nonpartisan organization. We very rarely weigh in on elections. But we can’t — and no one should — r…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
November 1, 2024 at 6:42 PM

this man must not be president again

Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy, to the future of our planet and civilization itself, to a just society, and to human decency. He must be defeated. Public Citizen is a nonpartisan organization. We very rarely weigh in on elections. But we can’t — and no one should — r…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 31, 2024 at 5:54 PM

hoping you can help

A short but important update today. The most consequential election in our lifetimes is just five days away. This is the 14th presidential election since Public Citizen was founded back in 1971. Over the years, we’ve learned to expect a drop-off in donations in the months leading up to a presi…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 30, 2024 at 6:07 PM

steeper than we expected

A short but important update today. The most consequential election in our lifetimes is just six days away. This is the 14th presidential election since Public Citizen was founded back in 1971. Over the years, we’ve learned to expect a drop-off in donations in the months leading up to a presid…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 29, 2024 at 5:26 PM

short but important update

A short but important update today. The most consequential election in our lifetimes is just one week away. This is the 14th presidential election since Public Citizen was founded back in 1971. Over the years, we’ve learned to expect a drop-off in donations in the months leading up to a presid…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 28, 2024 at 5:24 PM

sweeping power to break the law

On July 1, the Supreme Court issued a profoundly misguided ruling that gives U.S. presidents sweeping power to break the law — even knowingly and intentionally — with no criminal repercussions. Because the court’s decision in Donald Trump’s immunity case is based on the U.S. Constitution, a cons…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 27, 2024 at 5:28 PM

what the Supreme Court did

On July 1, the Supreme Court issued a profoundly misguided ruling that gives U.S. presidents sweeping power to break the law — even knowingly and intentionally — with no criminal repercussions. Because the court’s decision in Donald Trump’s immunity case is based on the U.S. Constitution, a cons…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 24, 2024 at 7:32 PM

buying voters

You could win a million dollars! All you have to do is to have signed a “petition” by October 21 from the pro-Trump super PAC bankrolled by tech billionaire Elon Musk saying you “support the Constitution.” And live in either Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wis…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 23, 2024 at 7:01 PM

Elon Musk's almost certainly illegal stunt

You could win a million dollars! All you have to do is to have signed a “petition” by October 21 from the pro-Trump super PAC bankrolled by tech billionaire Elon Musk saying you “support the Constitution.” And live in either Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wis…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 22, 2024 at 6:21 PM

a profoundly misguided ruling

On July 1, the Supreme Court issued a profoundly misguided ruling that gives U.S. presidents sweeping power to break the law — even knowingly and intentionally — with no criminal repercussions. Because the court’s decision in Donald Trump’s immunity case is based on the U.S. Constitution, a cons…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 21, 2024 at 6:35 PM

we have to amend the constitution

On July 1, the Supreme Court issued a profoundly misguided ruling that gives U.S. presidents sweeping power to break the law — even knowingly and intentionally — with no criminal repercussions. Because the court’s decision in Donald Trump’s immunity case is based on the U.S. Constitution, a cons…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 17, 2024 at 6:57 PM

this should not be legal

Should the federal government allow widespread gambling on elections? Of course not. Along with the risks gambling poses to individuals — risks that are becoming even greater with the explosion of online betting — gambling on elections could threaten our democracy itself: Gamblers could commit …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 16, 2024 at 5:07 PM

what could possibly go wrong?

Should the federal government allow widespread gambling on elections? Of course not. Along with the risks gambling poses to individuals — risks that are becoming even greater with the explosion of online betting — gambling on elections could threaten our democracy itself: Gamblers could commit …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 15, 2024 at 7:22 PM

profound risks to humanity

Last week, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists — John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton — for research on computers that led to current AI technology like ChatGPT. Hinton is often referred to as the “godfather” of artificial intelligence. He is also outspoken about the ser…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 13, 2024 at 9:28 PM

evidence of numerous apparent crimes

“It doesn’t matter if you won or lost. You still have to fight like hell.” That’s what Donald Trump reportedly said — to his wife, his daughter Ivanka, and his son-in-law — sometime after the 2020 election. Let that sink in. Trump was admitting that he would attempt to remain in power even if …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 11, 2024 at 7:32 PM

‘weaken our shared understanding of reality’

Earlier this week, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists — John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton — for research on computers that led to current AI technology like ChatGPT. Hinton is often referred to as the “godfather” of artificial intelligence. He is also outspoken about…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 10, 2024 at 7:51 PM

what do you want to happen?

Some days, it feels like the bad news overshadows the good. The very foundations of our society are at risk as authoritarian forces push blatantly anti-democratic measures and threaten outright political violence in the naked pursuit of power. Greed, profiteering, and myopic mismanagement on the …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 9, 2024 at 5:54 PM

just one of the damning details

“It doesn’t matter if you won or lost. You still have to fight like hell.” That’s what Donald Trump reportedly said — to his wife, his daughter Ivanka, and his son-in-law — sometime after the 2020 election. Let that sink in. Trump was admitting that he would attempt to remain in power even if …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
October 8, 2024 at 7:34 PM

letting Trump get away with it

“It doesn’t matter if you won or lost. You still have to fight like hell.” That’s what Donald Trump reportedly said — to his wife, his daughter Ivanka, and his son-in-law — sometime after the 2020 election. Let that sink in. Trump was admitting that he would attempt to remain in power even if …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 30, 2024 at 11:22 PM

somebody stole our time machine

This is gonna be close. We need another 174 donations before midnight. That’s just a few hours from now. And donations have dropped off precipitously. Also, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stole our time machine. We’re pretty sure it was her. Of course, without a time machine, we can’t go back a…
  Lisa · [email protected]
September 30, 2024 at 8:28 PM

update

Hey there, just wanted to share a quick update. The numbers don’t look great so far, actually. On this day last year, we had 771 donations come through in response to our emails about Public Citizen’s critical September 30 fundraising deadline. So far today we’re at 214. And tonight’s midnigh…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 30, 2024 at 5:47 PM

'you all deserve a bullet'

We get a lot of hate mail at Public Citizen. Here are just a few examples: “I will kill you without remorse.” “We will eradicate scum like Public Citizen.” “I would rip you apart limb from limb if given the chance.” “You should die slowly, in horrible pain.” “We hope and pray you die.” “You all …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 30, 2024 at 3:05 PM

taking another kind of action

You’ve signed petitions and sent messages to President Biden and other administration officials, the United States Senate and House of Representatives, individual members of Congress, governors (of both red and blue states), and various multinational corporations and their CEOs. Now we’re asking…
  Office of the President of Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 29, 2024 at 11:40 PM

this campaign

We are just one day from the make-or-break deadline in this critical fundraising campaign. How things go between now and midnight tomorrow will directly impact how aggressive Public Citizen can be over the next twelve months. That includes all our work to confront authoritarianism, protect voti…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 29, 2024 at 8:30 PM

'rip you apart limb from limb'

My thanks to everyone who donated in response to my earlier note — copied below in case you missed it — about the hate mail that pours into Public Citizen headquarters. Of course we wish we didn’t have to face comments like these and the threats implicit in them. But we do. And we’re not going…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 29, 2024 at 4:10 PM

so much hate mail

We get a lot of hate mail at Public Citizen. Here are just a few examples: “I will kill you without remorse.” “We will eradicate scum like Public Citizen.” “I would rip you apart limb from limb if given the chance.” “You should die slowly, in horrible pain.” “We hope and pray you die.” “You all …
  Robert · [email protected]
September 28, 2024 at 9:22 PM

only if it’s right for you right now

One year ago today, we got 389 donations in response to our emails about this make-or-break September fundraising deadline. So far today we’re at 88. I know not everyone can donate. And I know there are many groups and causes worthy of support. But if a contribution is right for you right now,…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 28, 2024 at 5:35 PM

confront authoritarianism, protect voting rights, ensure election integrity, and defend democracy

Please take a minute to read through this update. We are just days from a make-or-break deadline. How things go over the next few days will directly impact how aggressive Public Citizen can be over the next twelve months. That includes all our work to confront authoritarianism, protect voting …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 26, 2024 at 5:53 PM

this is not supposed to be easy

The U.S. Senate held a hearing Tuesday on the Supreme Court’s profoundly misguided ruling in Donald Trump’s immunity case. Here’s how Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee, summed up the ruling: “Most of the conduct at the heart of [the] Watergate scandal — the obstruction of ju…
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 25, 2024 at 6:03 PM

a forgotten footnote in American history

The U.S. Senate held a hearing yesterday on the Supreme Court’s profoundly misguided ruling in Donald Trump’s immunity case. Here’s how Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee, summed up the ruling: “Most of the conduct at the heart of [the] Watergate scandal — the obstruction of …
  Public Citizen · [email protected]
September 24, 2024 at 10:29 PM

Richard Nixon would be immune today

The U.S. Senate held a hearing today on the Supreme Court’s profoundly misguided ruling in Donald Trump’s immunity case. Here’s how Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee, summed up the ruling: “Most of the conduct at the heart of [the] Watergate scandal — the obstruction of just…