Dear Friends,
The events unfolding right now aren’t just headlines; they are the gears of a machine designed to demoralize the pro-democracy movement before the midterms. Next week is shaping up to be a defining moment for the pro-democracy movement. As we look toward the 2026 midterms, the focus is shifting from reactive outrage to a deliberate strategy of restoring our democracy.
We are at a critical inflection point, and you must stay connected. What’s happening this week will dictate exactly how we must mobilize and strategize to protect our Republic.
Here’s what we’re watching:
The Fulton County Election Raid: A Precedent for Seizure: This past Wednesday, the FBI executed a sweeping search warrant on the Fulton County Election Hub, seizing over 700 boxes of 2020 ballots and tabulator images. This wasn't a standard inquiry; it was a high-profile seizure led by federal agents under a warrant that local commissioners initially challenged as legally flawed. With National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard reportedly present on-site, the pro-democracy movement must recognize this as a "trial run" for federalizing local election control. Next week, our strategy must center on demanding state-level protections for chain-of-custody, ensuring that federal "investigations" aren't used as a pretext to physically remove ballots and "discover" discrepancies that could delegitimize future results. Plus, messaging to voters that emphasizes that this raid wasn’t about 2020. It’s about controlling elections in 2026.
The Epstein Files: The 3-Million-Page Drop on Friday: The DOJ’s sudden release of over 3 million pages of Epstein files is a classic “zone flooding” tactic designed to bury the news of the Fulton County raid and the Minneapolis shootings. While the public digests a mountain of unvetted tips and sensationalist claims, the administration is withholding critical tranches of documents under “executive privilege.” The strategy for next week is to resist the bait of unverified leaks and instead demand the release of the redacted files involving current administration allies. We must educate our voters to see this “transparency” for what it is: a weaponized distraction meant to paralyze our attention while the regime consolidates power.
The DHS Funding Battle: A Shutdown Over Accountability: This Monday, February 2, the Senate reconvenes for a high-stakes showdown over DHS funding. Democrats have successfully stripped DHS funding from the larger budget package, setting a two-week clock to negotiate restrictions on an “out-of-control” agency. Following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the movement is rallying behind the “Sanders Amendment” to rescind ICE funding and redirect it toward community services. This is a “put up or shut up” moment. Our strategy next week is to force swing-state Republicans to choose between bankrolling a “reign of terror” or supporting the basic accountability measures—like body cameras and warrant rules—that the American people demand.
The SAVE Act & The First Primary “Early Warning” Next week, House Republicans will intensify rhetoric around the SAVE Act, pushing for “Show Your Papers” requirements and a ban on vote-by-mail ahead of the 2026 midterms. Simultaneously, the DLCC is finalizing its “Target Map,” with Minnesota officially becoming the “front line” of the pro-democracy firewall. As we enter the “candidate lock-in” period for battleground states, the strategy must shift toward “Pre-emptive Protection.” This tells us whether or not we’ll have to frame the entire 2026 cycle as a literal “Vote for Your Right to Vote,” a message that is already driving historic engagement among youth and minority voters who refuse to be silenced.
The Don Lemon Arrest: Criminalizing the First Amendment The arrest of journalist Don Lemon in Los Angeles by federal agents marks a chilling escalation in the regime’s war on independent media. This arrest, occurring after a magistrate judge initially rejected the charges, is a blatant attempt to put truth-tellers on “domestic terrorist” lists for documenting federal misconduct. Next week, we will have shift the strategy from simple protest to “Witness Protection.” We must frame this arrest as a direct assault on the right to observe, ensuring that the public sees this as an attempt to hide the “reign of terror” being carried out by ICE and DHS.
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In Solidarity,
Lincoln Square