How are you feeling? No, forget that.

What can we DO about Trump's latest indictment?   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, The Mueller report, impeachment proceedings, an insurrection, indictments. When something that rattles the foundations of American democracy occurs, once the dust has settled a bit, we usually make it a point to send you some of our team's reporting—especially unique perspectives or overlooked details—to (hopefully) help you make sense of it all. This one turned out different by the end. Because last week's indictment of Donald Trump for his attempts to subvert democracy itself and remain in power is a BFD. Or at least it should be, as David Corn [writes](: "Once upon a time, criminal indictments would stop a political campaign dead in its tracks. Not anymore. The Trump crusade is chugging ahead, as this narcissistic, grievance-stirring wannabe-autocrat strives to return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and implement [his out-in-the-open plan]( to transform the federal government into an authoritarian regime. And millions will cheer him on, perhaps even more loudly after he has become the first former president (and current presidential candidate) to be criminally charged as a domestic enemy of the US Constitution." In that same piece, "[The New Trump Indictment Will Supercharge His War on American Democracy](," David gives a comprehensive look at how we got here and what to expect next in this profoundly important saga. It's 100 percent worth a read. You know how narcissists accuse others of the very thing they're doing or planning on doing, and call others what they are? It's called projection, and Dan Friedman has a great piece illuminating how this works, "[Trump Says the DOJ Is Politicized. If He Wins, It Will Be](." His lede really puts this latest indictment in the broader context: "Donald Trump has been indicted three times in four months. He faces charges in New York, DC, and Florida, with Georgia expected to join the list soon. Those cases, in local and federal courts, include 78 separate counts for crimes he allegedly committed in 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The most likely explanation for this litany of alleged crimes is that the former president is a criminal—a guy who [concluded]( [that]( he was [above]( [the]( [law](, broke laws with abandon, and now, without the presidency to [protect]( him, faces a backlog of criminal consequences. The courts—jurors and judges—will ultimately decide his guilt or innocence if the cases make it to trial." So, the current front-runner for his party's nomination. 78 charges. Including attempting to overthrow the freaking government. Which we all watched play out live on television. It's so wild that somehow this all kind of feels like business as usual. At least it did for me last week, and it sounds like I wasn't alone, as I saw when Abigail Weinberg [touched on collective fatigue]( after Trump's latest arraignment, after years of out-in-the-open corruption: "Even CNN, the poster child of the 24-hour news cycle, referred to Trump's arrests as 'routine' in a broadcast." How about you? How are you feeling? No, forget that. We've asked the MoJo community how you're processing seemingly earth-shattering news like this before—and we've truly learned so much. But right now, I have a different question I'd like to hear from you on. As I was reading through our team's reporting to pull this email together, I was blocked for a while, struggling to answer the question: What makes this moment different? What's important to know now that isn't already widely known? Then [a single paragraph](, more than halfway down another piece by Dan, shocked me out of that stupor—so let's put it in a huge, centered font: "The 2024 presidential campaign is likely to play out alongside the criminal cases in a completely unprecedented legal and electoral drama." That's nuts. A presidential election in which a candidate has been charged with many crimes, including an attempted coup—and that candidate could well prevail regardless. Those of us who care about democracy, justice, and the truth itself are going to have to show up BIG TIME. It's been a grind and we need to rest up and take breaks. But we also have to commit to staying active and engaged—probably in ways we haven't before. Here's my out-of-left-field idea: Make a plan. In the organizing world, encouraging voters to make a plan for voting has been shown to [increase voter turnout](. So let's try that today. Instead of how you're feeling after this latest should-be-shocking news, I'd love to [hear what you can commit to doing](. How will you stand up for democracy between now and the 2024 election? It doesn't have to be profound, it just has to be [written down]( and committed to. And let's say your plan can be just one thing, or up to three, to keep it easy. I'll start: - I'll find a local GOTV operation and volunteer the weekends before the election when doors need to be knocked, calls made, texts sent, or whatever else is helpful—and I'll ask my friends to join me (I really hate the idea of cold calls and canvassing, but always find it incredibly uplifting when I do!). - I'll donate $50 each month, starting now, to a different organization that has a promising way to strengthen democracy and get voters to the polls, or an established track record of doing so. That's $50 to 15 different groups between now and next October—it's not a huge amount, but as a fundraiser, I know first gifts, and every gift, truly matter. - I'll read at least 5 books between now and November 2024 that help me better understand the mess we're in and what we can learn from history, so I can talk more eloquently with friends and family. In fact, I'll probably start with David Corn's [American Psychosis](, then ask our staff for recommendations since they're so on top of their beats. [What about you](? [What will you commit to doing to push back against this terrifying attempt to end, or at least hit pause on, American democracy as we know it](? I'd truly like to know. My list took about 30, 45 minutes as I thought about what makes sense, and is 100 percent doable, for me. But now it's out there and I'm committed to it. It felt good, empowering to put it together and, gulp, share it with hundreds of thousands of you. [I hope you might do it too](, and if enough folks take me up on this, I'd love to be able to share them out in a post on motherjones.com so we can take inspiration from each other, and so others can see how easy it is to do something. That's what we're all here for—journalism that can be put to use fighting for progress and change. And if you need a reminder like I did last week, we're still at DEFCON 1, and will be for a while. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. Onward, Brian Hiatt Mother Jones [Donate](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755