Liberal Leaders Call For 'Massive' Anti-Trump Campaign

'This is a five-alarm fire for our democracy,' reads the letter signed by top officials of groups like MoveOn.org and the Services Employees International Union.

CHICAGO — Leaders of more than 20 leading liberal groups supporting both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are set to release a scathing letter on Tuesday that serves as a progressive call to arms against Donald Trump, imploring Americans to undertake a unified set of concrete steps to oppose the Republican front-runner — from protesting to organizing large-scale voter turnout efforts.

“This is a five-alarm fire for our democracy. A hate-peddling bigot who openly incites violence is the likely presidential nominee of one of our nation’s two major parties. It is alarming and dangerous. Donald Trump’s candidacy is a threat to the America we love, and we must respond to him and what he is stoking as such,” reads the letter, which was obtained first by POLITICO. It is signed by top officials of Sanders-backing groups like MoveOn.org and Clinton-backing organizations including the Services Employees International Union.

“Today we are calling for a massive nonviolent mobilization of working people, students, immigrants, children of immigrants, great-great-grandchildren of immigrants, people of color and white people, the unemployed and under-employed, people of faith, retirees, veterans, women, and men — anyone who opposes bigotry and hate and loves freedom and justice — to stand up to Trump’s bullying and bigotry,” the note continues.

Anticipating the possibility that the billionaire real estate developer essentially locks up the Republican nomination on Tuesday — and that he subsequently pivots to a more widely-acceptable message — the letter lists multiple examples of Trump encouraging violence at his rallies. To fight back, the group proposes a three-pronged response ahead of November’s general election, regardless of the Democratic nominee.

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