We Won’t Be Cowed into Silence

Editor’s Note

As we write this, Trump has announced the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran. We certainly hope that any retaliation by the Iranians will be measured and that the nation, the region and the world are spared further destabilization and the accompanying human misery that would follow. Regardless of whether this proves to have been a prudent development, it was done without Congressional approval which many believe was required. In that regard, it is another illustration of this Administration’s governance without the guardrails of the Constitution or statute, which happens to be the subject of this email.

We Won’t Be Cowed Into Silence

Millions March Nationwide – But the Work Isn’t Over

The remarkable display of opposition by 5 million of us across the country at the No Kings demonstrations last weekend sent a strong message to Trump and his Republican sycophants in Congress. But we have more work to do.

Trump Escalates Use of Force Against Protesters

In true dictatorial form, Trump is attempting to silence his critics—including those engaging in peaceful protest–through force and intimidation. He threatened to use “very big force” against anyone who protested his recent military parade. He ordered 4,100 California National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles against the wishes of California’s governor, the city’s mayor, and its police chief. And he sent 700 Marines to train for intervening there as well. There are more U.S. troops deployed to Los Angeles than to Iraq and Syria combined.

Senator Padilla Detained Without Cause

Equally chilling is the forceable arrest and detention of Democratic elected officials on dubious grounds. The case of Senator Alex Padilla is particularly troubling because what actually occurred and what they say occurred bear no relationship to one another. Padilla was in a federal building in Los Angeles waiting for a scheduled briefing with U.S. Army officials. But his meeting was delayed because these officials were attending an impromptu press conference being held down the hall by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla asked to attend and was escorted there by National Guard and FBI officials.

During the press conference, Padilla identified himself and said he had questions for Noem. But federal agents dragged him out of the room, forced him to his knees, pushed him face-first to the ground, and handcuffed him. The agents released him shortly thereafter with no explanation for his forcible detention.

Noem later claimed that “this man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and … did not identify himself ….” However, video footage clearly shows that Padilla identified himself, did not elevate his voice, and did not lunge toward the podium.

We Must Keep Organizing

After his ordeal, Padilla wrote in the New York Times:

“If the Trump administration was this scared of one Senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.”

Exactly! It is massive and repeated mobilization that will save our democracy. The recent No Kings demonstrations in over 2000 locations nationwide were among the biggest single-day protests in U.S. history. The demonstrations were politically significant not only for their numbers but for their dispersion through every state of the Nation, including Red states. And there were American flags aplenty. We are not ceding patriotism – a generous and decent patriotism that reflects America’s foundational beliefs – to the hard Right.

What You Can Do

We need to build on this momentum. Here are some actions you can take:

Continue to show up at peaceful demonstrations. The next mass nationwide event will be on July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s death. And it will appropriately themed “Good Trouble Lives On” – Lewis’ formula for peaceful protest, challenging injustice and creating meaningful change. Join an informational call on July 3 or July 10. Click HERE to learn where there are weekly demonstrations in your area.

Contribute now to organizing so that Democrats gain control of the House – and even the Senate – in November 2026. Control of at least one house of Congress will enable us to stop bad legislation, possibly negotiate bi-partisan legislation, and investigate and publicize, and potentially deter, Trump administration overreach, illegality, and bad public policy.

But we must be working NOW to have a successful election day 17 months from now. P4D is dedicated to helping grassroots groups in target Congressional districts to identify our voters, get them registered and ensure they vote on election day. We continue to believe that young voters can make the difference as they did in 2020 and 2022.

That is why we are supporting two groups focused on young voters—NextGen and TurnUp. We have met with both groups about what they learned in 2024 and what changes they are making for 2026. The organizing and get-out-the-vote programs of both these organizations entail multiple communications with voters, in-person and in media, designed to establish them as trustworthy messengers. Early money is important for the 2026 campaign.

Click HERE to contribute to NextGen’s nonpartisan c3 activities, and HERE to contribute to its partisan c4 activities. Click HERE to contribute to TurnUp’s nonpartisan c3 efforts.

Support efforts to fight the Administration in court when it acts illegally, as it has done many times to date. The following organizations have brought multiple lawsuits against the Administration, and P4D believes these groups merit your financial support. Click HERE to support their important efforts.

Learn the skills to lead at this crucial time. Join Mobilize in ONE MILLION RISING…a national effort to train one million people to lead in this moment and gain the skills to lead others. This will take place on Wednesday, July 16 at 8 pm EST (other dates available online). Find out more HERE.

Together we can make a difference.

Editor’s Note

As we write this, Trump has announced the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran. We certainly hope that any retaliation by the Iranians will be measured and that the nation, the region and the world are spared further destabilization and the accompanying human misery that would follow. Regardless of whether this proves to have been a prudent development, it was done without Congressional approval which many believe was required. In that regard, it is another illustration of this Administration’s governance without the guardrails of the Constitution or statute, which happens to be the subject of this email.

We Won’t Be Cowed Into Silence

Millions March Nationwide – But the Work Isn’t Over

The remarkable display of opposition by 5 million of us across the country at the No Kings demonstrations last weekend sent a strong message to Trump and his Republican sycophants in Congress. But we have more work to do.

Trump Escalates Use of Force Against Protesters

In true dictatorial form, Trump is attempting to silence his critics—including those engaging in peaceful protest–through force and intimidation. He threatened to use “very big force” against anyone who protested his recent military parade. He ordered 4,100 California National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles against the wishes of California’s governor, the city’s mayor, and its police chief. And he sent 700 Marines to train for intervening there as well. There are more U.S. troops deployed to Los Angeles than to Iraq and Syria combined.

Senator Padilla Detained Without Cause

Equally chilling is the forceable arrest and detention of Democratic elected officials on dubious grounds. The case of Senator Alex Padilla is particularly troubling because what actually occurred and what they say occurred bear no relationship to one another. Padilla was in a federal building in Los Angeles waiting for a scheduled briefing with U.S. Army officials. But his meeting was delayed because these officials were attending an impromptu press conference being held down the hall by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla asked to attend and was escorted there by National Guard and FBI officials.

During the press conference, Padilla identified himself and said he had questions for Noem. But federal agents dragged him out of the room, forced him to his knees, pushed him face-first to the ground, and handcuffed him. The agents released him shortly thereafter with no explanation for his forcible detention.

Noem later claimed that “this man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and … did not identify himself ….” However, video footage clearly shows that Padilla identified himself, did not elevate his voice, and did not lunge toward the podium.

We Must Keep Organizing

After his ordeal, Padilla wrote in the New York Times:

“If the Trump administration was this scared of one Senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.”

Exactly! It is massive and repeated mobilization that will save our democracy. The recent No Kings demonstrations in over 2000 locations nationwide were among the biggest single-day protests in U.S. history. The demonstrations were politically significant not only for their numbers but for their dispersion through every state of the Nation, including Red states. And there were American flags aplenty. We are not ceding patriotism – a generous and decent patriotism that reflects America’s foundational beliefs – to the hard Right.

What You Can Do

We need to build on this momentum. Here are some actions you can take:

Continue to show up at peaceful demonstrations. The next mass nationwide event will be on July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s death. And it will appropriately themed “Good Trouble Lives On” – Lewis’ formula for peaceful protest, challenging injustice and creating meaningful change. Join an informational call on July 3 or July 10. Click HERE to learn where there are weekly demonstrations in your area.

Contribute now to organizing so that Democrats gain control of the House – and even the Senate – in November 2026. Control of at least one house of Congress will enable us to stop bad legislation, possibly negotiate bi-partisan legislation, and investigate and publicize, and potentially deter, Trump administration overreach, illegality, and bad public policy.

But we must be working NOW to have a successful election day 17 months from now. P4D is dedicated to helping grassroots groups in target Congressional districts to identify our voters, get them registered and ensure they vote on election day. We continue to believe that young voters can make the difference as they did in 2020 and 2022.

That is why we are supporting two groups focused on young voters—NextGen and TurnUp. We have met with both groups about what they learned in 2024 and what changes they are making for 2026. The organizing and get-out-the-vote programs of both these organizations entail multiple communications with voters, in-person and in media, designed to establish them as trustworthy messengers. Early money is important for the 2026 campaign.

Click HERE to contribute to NextGen’s nonpartisan c3 activities, and HERE to contribute to its partisan c4 activities. Click HERE to contribute to TurnUp’s nonpartisan c3 efforts.

Support efforts to fight the Administration in court when it acts illegally, as it has done many times to date. The following organizations have brought multiple lawsuits against the Administration, and P4D believes these groups merit your financial support. Click HERE to support their important efforts.

Learn the skills to lead at this crucial time. Join Mobilize in ONE MILLION RISING…a national effort to train one million people to lead in this moment and gain the skills to lead others. This will take place on Wednesday, July 16 at 8 pm EST (other dates available online). Find out more HERE.

Together we can make a difference.