BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: TRUMP HAS WEAPONIZED THE DOJ. WE’RE ENSURING HIS EFFORTS FAIL BY SUPPORTING HIS TARGETS.
The beating heart of DEFIANCE.org is our Weekly Mission Briefing. Every Wednesday at 5p ET, we take real action to counter Donald Trump’s abuses of power.
Presidential revenge is no longer a threat. It’s a program. Security clearances pulled by tweet. Criminal charges filed against critics. Career civil servants who never chose a side finding out their livelihoods are gone. The lawsuits are embarrassingly weak, and that’s the point. He’s betting his targets fold under the financial strain before a judge ever rules.
So here’s what we did about it this week…
FIRST, we went inside Trump’s revenge campaign with Mark Zaid, the Washington, D.C., national security attorney who has spent three decades challenging the federal government. We discussed Frank Kendall, the former Air Force Secretary whose clearance was recently revoked after he was accused of disclosing sensitive information about the Qatari-gifted Air Force One — and Frank’s own account of finding out he’d become a target. We also covered Mark’s lawsuit against the administration over the revocation of his own clearance, and his win. Then he took us past the famous names to the people nobody writes about: regular civil servants losing clearances, careers, and income for no stated reason at all.
SECOND, we sat down with Don Lemon, who knows firsthand what it means to end up in Donald Trump’s crosshairs. The administration had Don arrested over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest. This week, his attorneys moved to dismiss the charges. He told us what it feels like to have the full weight of the federal government come down on one person, and what his case says about where this is headed.
THIRD, we spoke with Abbe Lowell, one of the most prominent defense attorneys in the country, whose client list reads like a who’s-who of Trump targets: Hunter Biden, NY AG Letitia James, Fed Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, CA Governor Gavin Newsom, Don Lemon — and more. But not every Trump target is famous or fortunate. So we were proud to announce the launch of the real Anti-Weaponization Fund. It makes sure Americans targeted by this administration have the money and the moral support to fight and win. We regrant to the legal organizations doing the defense work, including Democracy Forward, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Abbe’s firm. And this fund is not built for the names you know. It’s built for average Americans who get targeted and have no way to pay for a defense.
YOU MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
YOUR MISSION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
As a DEFIANCE.org Member, you’re already refusing to let democracy die on our watch. But if you want to do even more this week, here’s what you can do…
1️⃣ Write letters to those targeted by Trump.
Their victories are our victories. Let them know America stands behind them.
👉 Write letters here
2️⃣ Share the campaign with friends and on social media.
Let’s make sure the public knows about the real anti-weaponization fund.
👉 Share our site
3️⃣ Donate to the defense fund (optional).
We’re ensuring that Trump’s next target has a war-chest waiting for them.
👉 Donate here
👇 Badge below
🖥️ IF YOU MISSED IT
You can watch the full Weekly Mission Briefing at the top!
One more thing: please help us welcome Drew and Melissa to the DEFIANCE team.
As always — stay loud, stay brave, and stay together.
Best,
The DEFIANCE.org Team
THIS WEEK ON THE ANT HILL
THURS, AUG 13 — SHOW US YOUR ANT-ITUDE! — We wanna see your swag, your original artwork, your unique ways of shouting out your defiance to the world in creative ways. Send your pics to our editor here.
FRI, AUG 14 — THE DEFIANCE BOOK CLUB — We are super psyched to launch the DEFIANCE Book Club this month! Our first selection: Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum. Visit your library or favorite bookstore and pick up a copy today. More details on Friday!
GROW THE DEFIANCE
DEFIANCE Members are absolutely crushing it, spreading the word about our club for the courageous to their friends. There is strength in numbers, and that’s exactly what defiance requires. Here’s how you can help build our numbers—and get a shoutout on the Daily with Miles and Xander:
Use the buttons provided to share your personal referral link on X, Facebook, or email. Or, copy the link (circled in the example below) to share it via text or other social platforms.
