From Charlottesville to DC: Trump’s March Toward Authoritarianism

Eight years ago today, we watched in horror as violent neo-Nazis and white supremacists marched through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting “Jews will not replace us.”

Donald Trump’s response signaled to right-wing antisemitic extremists that they had an ally in the White House. And today, as he deploys the National Guard and federalizes the police force in Washington, D.C., the threat Trump poses to our freedoms and safety is clearer than ever.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America was founded in the wake of the Charlottesville neo-Nazi rally. Eight years later, our work has never been more important in combating Donald Trump’s assault on our democracy and freedoms. Silence was not an option then, and it is not an option now. The only thing to do is speak out and stand up for our rights and values. We refuse to back down.

The parallels between 2017 and 2025 are striking. The extremists who fueled Charlottesville remain in the halls of state governments, in Congress, and in the White House.

Earlier today, Donald Trump announced his attempted takeover of Washington, D.C. He’s deploying the National Guard and putting the D.C. police under federal control. Just like authoritarians before him, Trump is taking a dangerous step toward deploying the military against citizens in order to distract from his failures, scandals, and tanking poll numbers.

In 2017, JDCA was just a few people in a room fighting for change. Concerned, thoughtful Jewish Americans like you turned JDCA into a national organization. Our collective work has evolved into a national movement capable of standing up to Trump in moments like this.

Today, there are tens of thousands of JDCA members taking action – more than 60,000 in 2025 alone. We have grown in our impact and scope, and our work matters.

JDCA’s donors, volunteers, and supporters have played a critical role in helping us elect Democrats who share our values and oppose Trump’s authoritarian takeover of our country. Charlottesville was a wake-up call eight years ago that we cannot forget today. Let’s keep fighting and winning together. 

In solidarity,

Sam Crystal
Chief of Staff, Jewish Democratic Council of America