John,

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is horrific. Defend Our Courts condemns political violence in the strongest terms. Violence has no place in a democracy.

But before a suspect was even in custody and the facts were known, Donald Trump jumped online—not to calm the nation, but to launch a vengeful rant blaming Democrats for Kirk’s death:

This isn’t leadership—it’s incitement. His reckless statement didn’t just pour more fuel on America’s epidemic of political violence—it also signaled that his administration is preparing to use this tragedy for an authoritarian crackdown on Democrats.

Throughout history, aspiring dictators have often used tragic and violent events to dismantle their political opposition and consolidate their power. We cannot allow Donald Trump to use this tragedy to do the same.

But that’s exactly what Trump is plotting in Pennsylvania. He’s trying to seize control of the state’s Supreme Court in November’s retention election by replacing three Democratic justices with MAGA loyalists.

If he succeeds, Trump will erase Pennsylvania blue seats through redistricting, rig future elections, and pave the way for a third-term run—and stack the court against abortion rights, voting rights, and democracy itself.

We have less than 60 days until this election, and MAGA is outspending us ten to one. If the election were held today, we could lose everything. This is our line in the sand. Can you rush $25, $50, or whatever you can right now to help Defend Our Courts stop Trump’s authoritarian takeover?

In solidarity,

Team Defend Our Courts