Common Defense PAC

Campaigns

• Secretary Mattis: Denounce Trump's Attack on Transgender Troops

  I am one of thousands of transgender troops and veterans who, unlike Trump, have willingly volunteered to defend this nation. Trump has no right to dishonor our service. This is particularly shameful because Trump seems to have made these statements without consulting the Pentagon or other military leadership. His tweets are already creating chaos and uncertainty among the ranks, and for people seeking to join the military. Secretary Mattis can reassure our troops - and our country - by denouncing these statements, and sending a clear message that hate is not a military value.

  2,916 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Sophia-Helene Mees de Tricht
• VP Pence: you owe us $1 million for that NFL stunt

  Mike Pence flew 3,300 miles in Air Force Two on a Trump-promoted stunt—spending millions in the process—just so he could insult NFL players taking a knee for racial justice. After some players knelt during the national anthem at a recent Indianapolis Colts game, Pence walked out of the stadium, later saying in a statement "I stand with President Trump, I stand with our soldiers, and I will always stand for our Flag and our National Anthem."2 It was an obvious media stunt, designed to continue the administration's racist attacks on athletes peacefully demonstrating against police brutality and systematic racism. Unlike our vice president and Donald Trump, I actually served in the military, and I am 100% in support of the athletes calling attention to our broken, unjust system. I don't appreciate it when Trump and Pence talk about veterans and the flag to hide their own racist agenda, and I don't appreciate a expensive, taxpayer-funded publicity stunt to advance their politics of hate. Join me in telling Pence to pay us back for his stunt.

  22,539 of 25,000 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
• Tell GOP leaders to disavow Trump and his attacks on veterans

  Over the weekend, Donald Trump publicly insulted the Khan family, making comments—rooted in Islamophobia—about a family grieving the loss of their son, Humayun Khan, a U.S. solider who died in Iraq. This is one in a long line of painful examples which make it clear that Trump cannot be trusted to honor the women and men serving this nation in the armed services. My organization, Common Defense, was started out of a shared belief that Donald Trump is unfit to be our next commander-in-chief. As an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, I’m appalled at Trump's disrespect for military families and his use of veterans as political props. In the army, I swore to protect the rights of every American. But Donald Trump wants to divide us, and his actions will put us in danger. Sen. McConnell and Speaker Ryan have both released statements that failed to mention Donald Trump by name or outright condemn his attacks. If Republican leaders do not outright disavow Trump's dangerous rhetoric, they are not only endorsing Donald Trump's candidacy, but also his attacks on veterans. We cannot allow these comments to go unchallenged. Tell the leaders of the Republican Party to disavow Trump's attacks on veterans now.

  122,276 of 200,000 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
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  Tell President Biden: Evacuate Afghan interpreters in a safe and timely manner

  Afghan interpreters who put their lives and families at risk deserve protection by the U.S. The U.S. has a moral obligation to act — from speeding up the visa application process and increasing the number of visas available to directly evacuating interpreters. And as veterans, active duty servicemembers, military family members, and civilian supporters, it's our duty to speak up and demand action from the Biden Administration. Will you add your name and tell President Biden not to leave Afghan interpreters behind? >>

  175 of 200 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
• Boy Scouts: Take Away Trump's Honorary Presidency

  I served six years as a Marine, but the first uniform I put on was as a member of Boy Scouts of America. In the Boy Scouts, I lived by the Boy Scout Law, learning their code of values. At the Boy Scouts National Jamboree on Monday, Donald Trump showed he shares none of these values, and disrespected tens of thousands of young Scouts and their families by turning a nonpartisan event into a bizarre, offensive campaign rally, leading chants booing his political enemies, praising himself, and bragging about his election. It has long been a tradition for the President of the United States to serve as honorary president of Boy Scouts of America, but it is clear that Donald Trump cannot serve as a role model for Boy Scouts and other young people, and is against the values Scouts live by and the oath Boy Scouts like me swear. Therefore, we demand that Boy Scouts of America take away Donald Trump’s honorary title of president of the organization.

  73,111 of 75,000 Signatures

  Created by Alexander McCoy
• Senator Portman: Disavow Donald Trump

  After being asked if he would trust Donald Trump with the codes to our nuclear arsenal, Senator Portman recently issued a statement saying that he believes Trump will “keep America safe.” As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician serving in Iraq, I saw what happens when devastating weapons are left in the wrong hands, and I know Senator Portman is wrong. Throughout this campaign, Trump has shown again and again that he is irrational, impulsive, and utterly unqualified to be President. On the use of nuclear weapons he has said “we need unpredictability,” and that he sees no problem in letting more countries develop nuclear weapons. Speaking with a foreign policy expert about the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Trump reportedly asked “if we have them, why can’t we use them?” These are just a few of the reasons that 50 Republican national security experts wrote a letter warning that Trump, if elected, "would be the most reckless President in American history.” By saying he trusts Donald Trump with the nuclear codes, Senator Portman is putting the safety of our country -- and the world -- into the hands of a man who is clearly unfit to assume the responsibility. It is unacceptable for Senator Portman to choose party loyalty over his duty to keep our country safe. Join me in telling Senator Portman that if he wants to show Ohio that he takes our national security seriously, he must join Governor Kasich and over a hundred fellow Republican leaders in stating that he does not support Donald Trump.

  903 of 1,000 Signatures

  Created by Vincent Hayden
• Tell Congress to censure Trump for his cruel attacks on Gold Star families

  Trump has a long and disgraceful history of disrespecting veterans and military families, but his callous treatment of Myeshia Johnson - whose husband was killed in Niger earlier this month - proves once and for all that he is unfit to be Commander in Chief. When Trump called Ms. Johnson, not only did he tell the grieving widow that her husband, Sgt. La David T. Johnson "knew what he signed up for," he even struggled to remember the fallen soldier's name! As an Afghanistan veteran, I want to know when Congress will finally stand up for our military community. Trump must be held accountable for his attacks on troops, veterans and their families. Tell Congress to censure Trump now.

  28 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
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  No War With Iran - Ask Congress to stand up and stop Trump's march to war

  Donald Trump and his administration made this reckless, history-altering decision with NO Congressional approval. His actions have put our entire country, including every American and allied troop in the region, at risk. If we enter into a war with Iran it could take the lives of thousands, even millions of people. As veterans, we have seen the destruction of a senseless war. There is no strategy, no reasoning, and no point to a war with Iran. That’s why we cannot allow Donald Trump to sign off this unnecessary bloodshed — Congress must take action and block this war.

  3,313 of 4,000 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
• Tell Gen. Mattis: stop blocking immigrants from joining the Army

  Through our country’s history, military service has been a path to citizenship for new Americans arriving on our shores. But Trump hates immigrants so much, he wants to slam even that door shut. And Secretary Mattis is standing by, doing nothing to defend these recruits. Enough is enough. United we stand, and divided we fall. We’ll do whatever it takes to defend the rights of everyone who calls our country home. And we’ll vote out everyone who’s been complicit in Trump’s horrific policies of hate. We’ve seen these policies halted before. We know that our people power can win. In the military we believe that you NEVER leave our comrades behind. And that rings just as true today as it did when I served. That’s why I know you’ll join us in fighting for a more just system for all of us.

  1,908 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Perry O'Brien
• Tell Congress: Don't let Trump start World War III

  I served our nation at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where I specialized in Iran, and I can tell you that Donald Trump’s reckless saber-rattling is putting American lives and global stability at risk. Donald Trump requested $54 billion in additional funds for things like fighter jets, air craft carriers, and nuclear weapons--even as his budget proposes deep cuts into the U.S. State Department and foreign aid. The message is clear: instead of putting diplomacy first, Trump is stripping away our ability to negotiate with other countries and increasing the risk of all-out war. To make matters worse, Trump has taken to Twitter, seemingly seeking to goad or shame China, even while he continues to antagonize the North Korean leadership. Even Republican Senator Bob Corker recently said that Trump is putting the US “on the path to World War III.” The stakes couldn’t be higher, and we can’t remain silent. Trump's reckless Pentagon spending and bellicose rhetoric should prompt all congressional lawmakers to state right now that they will not support the Trump launching a war of choice. MoveOn members championed strategic and lasting diplomacy with Iran and were the backbone of the resistance to the Iraq war. Let's make it clear to Members of Congress that we're prepared to once again flood the streets in cities and towns across the country to stop Trump’s war making.

  383 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Nate Terani