Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/15
Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.
Good morning. Or afternoon, depending on where you’re reading this. I hope you were able to get some rest last night. I also hope you looked in the mirror when you awoke and were proud of who you saw. You certainly should be. You’re an American hero.
A couple of quick things for you:
First, Indivisible sent out an email saying that there are a few Democratic Senators who haven’t yet committed to opposing the SAVE Act. As I explained on my Live yesterday, we can only afford to to lose six Senators on this vote—if seven cross the aisle and vote with Republicans they will be able to overcome a filibuster and pass the SAVE Act. Obviously not a single Democrat should be voting for a voter suppression bill, and most won’t. But, according to Indivisible, the ones who are—amazingly—still on the fence are:
AZ: Mark Kelly
GA: Rafael WarnockNH: Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen (we have now confirmed they are voting NO—yay!)
NV: Catherine Cortez Masto, (she’s now a definite no) Jacky Rosen
MI: Gary Peters
If any of those Senators represent you please make sure you’re calling about the SAVE Act daily. Don’t relent until they’ve come out unequivocally against it. And if you hear from one of their staffers that Indivisible got their position wrong, great! Please let me know so I can pass that info on to Leah or Ezra.
Second, I want to urge you all to read a new piece from the New Yorker; I think it will be of great help to you. It’s called “So You Want to be a Dissident: A Practical guide to Courage in Trump’s Age of Fear.” It contains some great information, and also reminds us that we are far from alone in our fight. The world is filled with people opposing authoritarianism; history is absolutely suffused with them. We should be proud to be counted among them.
I found the ending of the piece to be deeply hopeful as well. It reminds us that our actions can feel futile, but if we keep taking them the impossible can become the possible—often when we least expect it.
Please check it out. There’s no option, alas, to provide a gift link, but you should be able to view it for free. If you hit a paywall for some reason try copying and pasting the link from your browser window into archive.ph, then hit save— that’s how I get around most paywalls. Or try https://www.removepaywall.com.
Better yet, sign up for a paid subscription if you can. The New Yorker does great work. We want to support independent journalism wherever possible.
Look, there’s no sugarcoating it—these are hard days. We will likely face many more of them. But I also suspect Trump is greatly overplaying his hand. The increasing numbers of disappearances and kidnappings, the arrogance with which he’s dismissed the Supreme Court’s ruling, the callousness with which he’s approaching tariffs—it will all drive people from his camp and/or out of their apathy quickly. It’s our job to invite them into our ranks—to encourage them to rise up instead of shrinking down—as soon as we can. Let’s do that!
Lastly, Saturday, April 19, is the next big protest day. I will likely attend the Tesla Takedown in Old Town, as I’m not seeing another Hands Off event planned here. I do think it’s important that we get out onto the streets again, and make sure our signs mention Kilmar Abrego Garcia or due process if possible. Trump is acting like a king. No one—and I mean virtually no one—wants that.
So let’s rouse ourselves for the fight one more time. Remember, we need only find enough courage for the day we face. As Marcus Aurelius said so wisely:
Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.
So let’s take this one day and do our best with it. Tomorrow we’ll deal with tomorrow. In this way we can get through even the most arduous of times, and we will.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) and Your House Rep (find yours here) about Kilmar Abrego Garcia📲
[See extra talking points at the end of the script!]
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______. I’m deeply alarmed that the Trump administration is ignoring the Supreme Court’s order to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home. Trump is in clear violation of the Constitution, which the Senator/Congressmember has taken an oath to protect and uphold. If the government can bypass courts for Abrego Garcia, they can potentially do it to any of us. We are in a Constitutional crisis. What is the Senator/Congressmember doing about it?
[If GOP add:] If the Senator/Congressmember won’t act to uphold our constitutional rights then they should resign. And shame on them.
[If Dem add:] I understand that Senator Chris Van Hollen has announced that if Kilmar is not home by midweek he plans to travel to El Salvador to check on his condition and discuss his release. EVERY DEMOCRAT should be saying the same.
If your lawmaker’s staffer says “but he is a criminal/gang member” you can say “first of all, that’s false and your office shouldn’t be spreading lies. He’s been neither accused nor convicted of any crimes in the U.S. or in El Salvador. Would you like me to send you the article debunking that misinformation? There are several. And even if he were a criminal, he’s still entitled to due process, which isn't optional in America—it's guaranteed.
If they say “he’s not a citizen” you can say: He was here legally. Let me read to you from the Supreme Court’s ruling: The United States has acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was therefore illegal," The Justice Department acknowledged the removal was the result of an “administrative error.” This is very cut and dried. He needs to be returned to the U.S.
If they say “the President no longer has jurisdiction over this. El Salvador needs to do it,” say: “So Donald Trump is admitting that he’s weaker than the President of El Salvador? That’s pathetic. It’s also not true. If we could extract Kristi Noem from that prison we can extract an innocent man. We need to do so now.”
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s thank Harvard for being willing to stand up to the Trump administration. You can call 617-495-1000 (press 4), or send a physical card to Harvard University, Massachusetts Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138. Email is President Alan M. Garber, president@harvard.edu.
I did speak to a woman when I called—she said she was happy to convey my message.
I simply said:
I’m calling to thank Harvard’s leadership for refusing to comply with the Trump administration. We desperately need examples of courage right now, and Harvard just provided one. Please thank the President for me and tell him that he has bolstered the University’s image significantly in my eyes. He has also stood up for democracy; we won’t soon forget it.
But say what you want!
Get Smart! 📚
Come to Indivisible’s “What’s the Plan?” gathering this Thursday at noon PT / 3PM ET. It’s so encouraging.
Every Thursday afternoon, we take a step back to absorb the news, draw inspiration from the work Indivisibles and our allies are doing, and talk about how we fight back. This week, Leah and Ezra will break down what we know about Trump’s billionaire-backed, Medicaid-slashing reconciliation plan, with actionable steps to fight it during this April recess.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging #1! 📣
The folks at Americans For Tax Fairness have put together a GREAT social media toolkit about the Republicans’ tax scam. A few of you have asked me for charts—ooh does it have charts! And so much more. Check it out—and use it!—here.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! #2 📣📣
Here are talking points on the administration’s refusal to return Kilmar Abrego García to his family in Maryland, despite a unanimous Supreme Court ruling. Important and helpful.
Share Your Story!
Since January 20, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Republicans' actions — many of them unconstitutional and in violation of federal law — have led to the firing of essential civil servants with responsibility for public safety and health, caused severe disruptions for small businesses and nonprofits and had serious impacts on individuals who count on government services in their day-to-day lives.
House Democrats are asking for folks who have been affected by any of this to share their stories with them. Have you lost your job in the federal workforce? Had trouble accessing your Social Security benefits? Seen your small business hurt by Trump’s tariffs? Let them know!
Get in the Streets! 🪧
Join the Hands Off! “What’s Next…” call this Wednesday, April 16, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. The historic nationwide protests we saw on April 5 weren’t just a one-off thing; they were the start of something even bigger! This Wednesday, Hands Off! leaders will share plans for our next steps -- including upcoming nationwide actions on May 1 -- to continue demonstrating the scale of our movement.
Win Races! 🗳
Activate America just launched a new Medicaid accountability postcard campaign in Ohio. There, freshly appointed Senator Jon Husted is rubberstamping everything Donald Trump wants, including voting against amendments that would have protected Medicaid from the deep cuts pushed by Congressional Republicans.
While Husted previously served as the state’s Lieutenant Governor, Ohio voters never chose him as their Senator. He was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to the seat previously held by now-Vice President JD Vance. By elevating his destructive voting record early, we are raising awareness among voters that Senator Husted is not looking out for them or their state.
Sign up HERE to request postcard lists.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: the Supreme Court] [H/T subscriber Coleman R.] [Text SIGN PKZEOK to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
The actions of President Trump and his administration in defying the Supreme Court's clear order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador to the United States are an unprecedented threat to the rule of law and the balance of powers. By willfully mischaracterizing the Court's ruling and refusing to provide basic information or take any steps to comply, the Executive Branch has placed itself in open defiance of the Judicial Branch. This blatant disregard for the authority of the federal courts strikes at the very foundation of our constitutional system of checks and balances. If allowed to stand, the President's position that the courts lack any power to compel action related to foreign affairs would effectively nullify judicial review over a vast swath of Executive actions. This radical view of unbounded presidential authority is antithetical to our nation's principles and cannot be accepted. The Court must decisively rebuke this constitutionally dangerous path by promptly exercising its considerable authority to enforce its ruling and reassert the preeminence of the law. Failure to do so would represent an irreversible abdication of the Court's vital role as a co-equal branch of government. Given the gravity of the situation, holding administration officials in contempt for non-compliance appears a necessary and justified initial response. More stringent measures may unfortunately become warranted should defiance persist. The integrity of the American system of constitutional democracy is at stake. Firm action to uphold the Court's legitimacy, affirm the separation of powers, and compel the President's compliance is imperative to avoid a catastrophic institutional crisis.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
OK we got a line on a Harvard email address! President Alan M. Garber, president@harvard.edu --hopefully it works!
Today I spoke to a person in my rep's office, and asked when I could expect him to make a statement condemning Trump ignoring the Supreme Court decision. Stunned silence. I asked again. He stammered he didn't know. I asked if he could see why I might be concerned about the President ignoring the supreme court, he admitted he did. This felt like a victory to me.