RELEASE: Veterans Respond To Trump's 34 Count Guilty Verdict In Hush Money Trial: Trump Unfit To Lead
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2024
VETERANS RESPOND TO TRUMP’S 34 COUNT GUILTY VERDICT IN HUSH MONEY TRIAL: TRUMP UNFIT TO LEAD
NEW YORK, NY — Today, Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots veterans organization, celebrates the guilty verdict of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts. This verdict represents a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice and accountability for a leader whose actions have repeatedly undermined the core values of our democracy.
“This is just the beginning of long-delayed justice for Donald Trump,” said Jose Vasguez, Army veteran and Executive Director of Common Defense. “The crimes for which he has been convicted are merely the tip of the iceberg. Trump's criminal behavior extends far beyond these charges, encompassing a broader conspiracy to steal the 2020 election, inciting violence on January 6th, and compromising our most sensitive national secrets.”
Common Defense emphasizes that, despite these initial convictions, Trump’s actions in attempting to subvert the will of the American people during the 2020 election and his use of violence inciting the insurrection on January 6th to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power remain critical issues. Trump must be held accountable for these grave offenses as well.
“Trump's crimes are not isolated incidents; they are part of a deliberate strategy to seize power and impose a radical, anti-democratic agenda on our nation,” said Naveed Shah, Army veteran and Political Director for Common Defense.“This verdict highlights the lengths to which Trump and his extremist followers will go to disrupt our democratic processes and institutions.”
It is clear with these 34 felony counts that Trump’s long standing pattern of lies and conspiracy to mislead the American people to get into power and to try and retain that power makes him wholly unfit to ever be president again. Trump has shown again and again that he will do anything — including committing countless felonies — for his own gain and not the betterment of our nation, our democracy, and the values that veterans swore oaths to defend.
Finally, we cannot stress enough: if not for the interference of extremist judges, trials on these more serious charges would be held before the next election, allowing the American people to fully understand the extent of Trump’s criminal behavior and make informed decisions about the future leadership of the country.
Common Defense calls on all Americans to remain vigilant and demand continued accountability for Trump and his associates. As veterans, we reconfirm our commitment to defending democracy and ensuring that no one, regardless of their position, is above the law.
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Common Defense is a grassroots, veteran-led organization that was founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props and Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who truly share our values.