Democracy Defenders Action

08/14/2026

Trump is asking the Supreme Court for an emergency stay to keep bulldozing ahead with his White House ballroom after an appeals court ruled construction cannot proceed without congressional approval.

The court was clear: this is “for Congress to decide,” not a matter of “Executive self-help.”

President Donald Trump's administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the White House to resume construction on its $400 million ballroom project while it appeals a lower court's order to halt the work.

08/14/2026

A federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center.

Yesterday, Trump’s handpicked board voted to put it back.

As our partner at Washington Litigation Group, Nathaniel Zelinsky, put it: “This is very much an act of defiance” and “an effort to evade the court’s justice.”

08/13/2026

Trump made an estimated $2.2B in 2025 while president.

Now his company is selling wealthy investors early access to his posts for $100K a month.

As DDA’s Virginia Canter put it, this is “a significant escalation” toward normalizing insider trading and public corruption.

Ethics experts and Democrats express alarm as Trump uses office to grow his personal fortune to ‘unprecedented’ level

08/13/2026

“American citizenship is not for sale,” Marco Rubio says.

Meanwhile, the Trump Gold Card offers wealthy foreigners an expedited path to permanent residency for a $1 million contribution.

The Secretary of State, a birthright citizen, announced a crackdown on birth tourism, revoking more than 600 visas worldwide.

08/13/2026

BREAKING: Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board just voted to put his name back on the building—despite a federal judge ordering it removed.

The board is once again flouting the law, in a transparent effort to circumvent the court and satisfy Trump.

The Kennedy Center's board of trustees flouted a court order preventing the institution from being unlawfully renamed after President Trump, and once again voted to shut down the Kennedy Center — only months after a federal court blocked the board's earlier efforts to do the same things.

08/13/2026

BREAKING: Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board just voted to close the Center for renovations—again.

A federal judge already blocked the board’s first attempt.

Now they’re doing it again, with a rushed vote they'll have to defend to a judge.

The decision will be reviewed by a federal judge who previously said the board had not thoroughly evaluated the president’s plan.

08/11/2026

Today is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day!

Our elections need people who are willing to show up and do the work: opening polling places, helping voters, and making sure every ballot is handled properly.

If you want to help protect free and fair elections, sign up:

Poll workers power democracy. We help recruit them! Sign up now to make sure we have safe, fair, efficient elections for all!

08/11/2026

A $25k ring for Trump. A tariff exemption for Belgium’s diamond industry four weeks later.

The WH says the exemption was part of its EU trade deal.

Now senators are demanding answers about the gift, the exemption, & the communications between the diamond industry & Trump officials.

Weeks after Belgium’s diamond industry gave Trump a ring with 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies, it was exempted from paying a U.S. tariff.

08/11/2026

Tennessee lawmakers split up the state’s only majority-Black congressional district.

The response? Democratic primary turnout in majority-Black Shelby County more than doubled from 2024, reaching its highest level in a decade.

You can redraw the map. You can’t erase the voters.

High Democratic turnout for House primaries in Shelby County, which includes Memphis, is the latest sign that redistricting may be energizing Black Southern voters.

08/10/2026

Trump wanted a vandalism case. The facts said otherwise.

John Oliver is right to call it an “absolute fiasco.”

The DOJ dismissed the case against Davey Hearn, confirming the damage was caused by a botched installation—not vandalism.

Trump would make a great sitcom character, says the HBO host. Unfortunately, he’s president.