1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am asking you to use your influence to pressure House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to take a more aggressive stance against Donald Trump and the alarming rise of fascist politics in our country. Recent reports indicate that Jeffries is growing frustrated with liberal groups pushing Democratic leadership to act more decisively—but frustration is not enough. We need action now. Jeffries’ attempts to find “common ground” with the Republican Party are not only futile, they risk cementing his legacy as another Neville Chamberlain—an appeaser in the face of an existential threat to democracy. Trump and his enablers are not interested in compromise. They are openly working to dismantle democratic institutions, suppress voting rights, and entrench minority rule. Meeting them halfway only accelerates our nation’s descent into authoritarianism. Democrats must stop treating this as politics as usual. It is not. The time for civility in the face of extremism has long passed. Michelle Obama’s well-intentioned mantra—“when they go low, we go high”—does not work in realpolitik. Instead of clinging to a broken system, we need leaders who will obstruct fascism at every turn, fight to overhaul our political structures, and rebuild a government that reflects the will of the people rather than billionaires and corporate interests. We need bold leadership willing to take on the fight—not compromise with those who seek to destroy democracy. That means reforming our institutions from the local to the federal level, expanding voting rights, eliminating the filibuster, curbing corporate influence, and holding accountable those who attempt to subvert democracy. If Jeffries and others in leadership won’t step up, we need new leaders who will. I urge you to make it clear to Jeffries that the Democratic Party must stand firm, fight with conviction, and stop negotiating with those who would see democracy undone. Anything less is complicity. It’s time to grow a backbone.