Article

View from a Democracy War Zone

July 2, 2026

In two days, we will celebrate two-and-a-half centuries of American democracy, freedom, and independence on the Fourth of July. Even for the most patriotic among us, it’s hard to celebrate America’s independence from tyranny when there’s a tyrant in the White House attempting to make our nation’s 250th birthday all about himself.

Here in our nation’s capital, celebrations have commenced with an embarrassingly empty 16-day “Great American State Fair” featuring a plywood model of Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch, a partially demolished White House to make way for his ballroom, a dusty South Lawn in the aftermath of his cage fight, an algae-ridden reflecting pool in the aftermath of his renovation project, and Trump’s 30-foot face adorning the facades of federal buildings, North Korea style. Washington, D.C. feels less like a celebration and more like a democracy war zone.

Last week, I navigated past the many fences surrounding the National Mall on a walk back to my office from Capitol Hill. What were previously vast open spaces on the Mall, filled with people, have been transformed into a maze of metal and cement barriers. From there, my walk took me past the Department of Labor, which is now draped with a three-story banner of the president’s ominous scowl. Once on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the road was shut down to vehicles, Trump himself drove by me in his massive motorcade. As if on cue, just as my city was already giving strong dictatorship vibes, our “dictator on day one” careened by, close enough to see his hair glowing through the heavily tinted windows.

So how did we get here? In January 2025, Donald Trump created a commission, Freedom 250, to take over all semiquincentennial events to be held in our nation’s capital. This, despite the fact that a bipartisan congressional commission, America 250, had been planning celebrations since 2016. The result of this Trump takeover has not just been the disaster that is the Great American State Fair, but also aesthetic changes across D.C. and events, including a nine-hour Christian prayer service on the National Mall. Freedom 250 has centered its activities around Trump and his Christian nationalist vision of America as opposed to paying homage to our nation’s rich history and diversity as a strength of the American people.

In 1776, our Founding Fathers declared independence from a king and built a country on the principles that “all men are created equal.” The Declaration of Independence, adopted exactly 250 years ago Saturday, declares that the government derives its powers from the people, and that individuals are endowed with unalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It’s quite clear that Trump either hasn’t read the Declaration of Independence or believes those unalienable rights are just for him, his family, loyalists, and his closest business partners.

The best way to celebrate America’s 250th is by focusing on defending American democracy from the threats emanating from this White House. Republicans in Congress, when faced with this challenge, have acquiesced, capitulated, and quite literally – and repeatedly – left town. When faced this week with another Trump demand to pass the SAVE Act, a massive disenfranchisement effort that will make it harder for millions to vote, Speaker Johnson caved. Some Republicans revolted, and then they all left town. No one really wants to stick around this democracy war zone, especially not long enough to have to endure Trump’s “really long” speech he’s vowed to give in 107-degree heat on July 4th.

Republicans should be held accountable for enabling Trump’s authoritarian agenda. Just as he ignored and bypassed the congressional commission established to honor our country’s 250th year, he has ignored and bypassed every meaningful check on his power established by the Constitution and Congress, and Republicans have enabled it. This is why it’s so important to not just vote in the midterms, but to vote for change and ensure Democrats win back control of Congress. Democrats winning at least one chamber of Congress – ideally both – will provide an essential check on the president, transparency on his rampant corruption and chaos, and restore necessary guardrails on our democracy in advance of the 2028 elections.

Some, including in the Jewish community, concerned about DSA’s rise, may believe that this difficult moment means holding back support of Democrats or involvement in general in the midterms. To voters questioning their political home in the wake of an ascendant far-left, JDCA offers a clear response – we don’t have to support all Democrats, including DSA, to help ensure Democrats who share our values win in November. To the contrary, the more Democrats we elect who do reflect our views on democracy, antisemitism, Israel, and other issues of importance to Jewish voters, the weaker the extreme voices become on both sides of the aisle.

Ceding the movement we care about to candidates who don’t share our views would be a dereliction, especially at this critical inflection point in our nation’s history. Staying in this fight and supporting the many candidates who reflect the values of Jewish Americans is how we can effectively respond to this war on democracy led by Donald Trump. JDCA has endorsed more than 140 Democratic candidates, and those Democrats can make a critical difference in defending democracy in November.

Donald Trump and his minions want us fighting over socialism and are eager to paint the entirety of the Democratic Party as represented by extreme views. We at JDCA refuse to adopt or accept that narrative. We’re supporting Democrats with whom we align, including the party’s leadership, and with their victories, we’re aiming to build a robust majority in Congress that drowns out the extremes and defends our democracy in honor of our nation’s 250th year.

Here are ways to join us:

We have work to do to win these elections, and I recommend turning off the noise for a day or two in honor of our nation’s 250th year, so we can rest up to fight for its future.

Wishing you a happy Fourth of July and Shabbat Shalom.