I’m taking the liberty of sending this your way one more time, because we didn’t quite hit what was a very critical fundraising goal yesterday. I hope one last reminder is all it takes to persuade you to pitch in.

The good news is that the deadline has been extended, so there’s ONE MORE DAY to get in on our Giving Tuesday $50,000 matching gift.  

I think David is exactly right about the danger of Trump’s extremism being accepted as the new normal. He’s also right about how crucial reader support is to everything we do here. Top-quality journalism is essential in a democracy that relies on people having access to the truth. We’re only able to deliver it because readers like you help pay for it. 

It’s not too late to have your gift doubled—but it will be soon. 

Thanks, as always,

All gifts made before midnight tonight will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. That means your support will go twice as far to keep fearless, independent journalism alive at a time when the truth is under attack.

Dear Mother Jones Reader, 

I’d like to share with you something that concerns me. Recently Donald Trump engaged in one of the most outrageous and foul acts of his second presidency, and it didn’t make the front pages of our leading newspapers. But before we get to that, allow me to pester you with some business.

I know receiving solicitation emails isn’t your favorite thing. It’s not mine either. But Mother Jones has a critical “Giving Tuesday” deadline today, and our fundraising team asked me to take a shot at persuading you to join our team and help out.

The bad news: We’re short of our $50K goal—and we have a matching gift deadline that hits tonight. That means we really need to pull in as many donations as possible so we can maximize the match.

The good news: We are within reach of hitting that mark. A few hundred supporters have already answered the call today and supported our independent reporting. If this email gets a response like that, we’ll make it. But until that happens, there’s still a five-figure gap that we need to raise TODAY to keep our newsroom humming along and our reporting at full capacity. So if you can, please donate now and become part of the group of readers who know that kick-ass journalism is vital to saving American democracy from the threats it now faces.

Which brings me back to what pissed me off. Did you get a chance to read this piece I published on MotherJones.com a few days ago? If not, let me put it to you this way: What does it say about the current political moment that Trump can publicly call for Democratic lawmakers to be executed—and it’s not a major controversy or a big part of the day’s news cycle?

But that’s what happened.

It began with a video made by six Democratic lawmakers who each served in the US military or the intelligence community. These legislators presented a dramatic reminder to service members and intelligence officers: “You can refuse illegal orders.” In fact, the six noted, “You must refuse illegal orders.” They acknowledged that this could be “hard” and that “it’s a difficult time to be a public servant.” But they added, “We have your back.” The video ended with a plea to stand up “for our laws, our Constitution.”

The video was posted on social media, and within two days it had 12 million views and had made national headlines.

Republicans in Washington and in the online MAGAverse howled about the video. And Trump went ballistic. He vented on his Truth Social account: “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” He then promoted a post from another user that exclaimed, “HANG THEM.” Next, in a follow-up post of his own, he said it outright: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

The president of the United States endorsed hanging senators and representatives.

Here’s what’s worried me since the start of Trump 2.0: The mainstream press doesn’t know how to cover this presidency. Trump blasts away with his firehose of lies and outrage, and he’s counting on the fact that reporters, vetters, and voters can’t keep up. As I noted in my Our Land newsletter, the New York Times buried this story and focused more on Trump’s charge of sedition than his death threat. (By the way, it is not sedition to remind service members of an obligation that exists.)

Promoting a death threat should not be dismissed as just one more of Trump’s excesses. When a wannabe autocrat aligns himself with a call to execute political foes, it’s not just another Trump social media post. It’s a warning to us all. And the media has the responsibility to make sure this is reported prominently.

Now back to business: We at Mother Jones need you to join our effort to chase the big and important stories that are often downplayed or outright ignored so we can produce journalism that exposes and tracks all the Trump chaos and sleaze. And that means we need your help today with this membership drive. It’s pretty straightforward: We cannot provide the American public the fearless, truth-telling reporting it desperately needs right now, without people like you. That’s why I’m taking time out from reporting and editing to write you this letter myself—this is not some blah-blah-blah churned out by a fundraising consultant—and I’m hoping you will help us achieve this $50,000 goal. My ask is simple: Will you please chip in?

Elevating and echoing an explicit call for killing senators and representatives is a new low for Trump. But because many in the media treat Trump’s extremism and authoritarian impulses as routine and the same-old/same-old, there’s a danger the public will accept this as the new normal. But we at Mother Jones aren’t falling for that. We know these are not conventional times, and they require unconventional coverage. That’s exactly what my colleagues and I strive to deliver every day: hard-charging and fierce journalism you can’t find elsewhere. Perhaps never in the history of our country has that been more necessary than now.

You know me. I’d rather be chasing a scoop than bothering you for money. But I can’t do the former without the latter. I can’t do it without people like you—who give a damn about the country’s future and who want to do what they can to fight back. When I vow that we’ll continue to make you proud with reporting that is essential during these days of crisis, chaos, and conflict, my word is solid.

So please join me in this vital crusade for truth. Let’s fight back together.

As always, thanks for reading this, and thanks for having our back,

P.S. If you happen to be reading this after the midnight deadline—no sweat! It’s never too late to give. We’re grateful for your support whenever and however it works for you. And we always will be.