I almost died defending the Capitol four years ago today

 

My name is Aquilino Gonell, former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant, and on January 6, 2021 I almost died defending the Capitol from insurrectionists inspired and directed by Donald Trump.

I am writing to you because the fight to defend our democracy is not over.

Republicans that supported Trump and defended his actions on January 6th control the House and the Senate. Trump and his allies are set to retake the White House later this month. But we’re lucky, because we have fighters of our own.

So I am personally writing to ask for your help. To help support my friend Ruben — a Marine, a fighter, a patriot. A man who was ready to fight, just like me, on January 6th. Someone who will stand in the breach and hold the line against Trump and the MAGA Right.

Trump called January 6th a “day of love.” His supporters almost loved me to death that day.

I can assure you their hearts were not full of love as they cursed at law enforcement officers and assaulted us with multiple weapons. I wonder how loving the invading rioters were as they threatened to shoot me, and said that I, an Army veteran and police officer, should be executed.

I wonder how loving they were as the attackers pulled me in every direction by my leg and my shield.

Trump says he’s going to pardon the people who attacked me and our Capitol that day.

So I am going to do everything I can to support my friend, Senator Ruben Gallego — who also showed extraordinary courage that day. So I am humbly asking:

Can you contribute to Ruben Gallego’s campaign for Senate today? Use this link to give whatever you can afford to make sure he has everything he needs to hold the line against Trump and the MAGA Right.

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Thank you very much,

Aquilino Gonell

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

How’d we do it?

 

Hey, it's Ruben.

I've been going through orientation in the Senate over the last week since we won, and as you might expect, a lot of people want to know how we pulled it off in Arizona.

It's a big question, and it was a lot of work, but the answer isn't as complicated as you might expect. I talk about it here, in this article in the New York Times. Check it out — but I'm also happy to talk it through with you.

From the very beginning I knew my campaign was going to need to set our own path to win. If I was going to connect with voters they were going to need to understand who I was.

I'm the son of immigrants. I grew up poor. I worked hard to support my family. I got into Harvard, I served in the Marines, and I did my best to support my family and serve my country after I came home.

I understand what it's like to struggle to make ends meet. I know how hard it is when it feels like you're letting your family down. And I knew that in Arizona, a lot of people felt like that.

As much as people are coming down on "identity politics" right now, you have to tell people who you are if you're going to build trust. And my identity — a first generation Latino, a Marine, a father, somebody who grew up poor — helped me connect. You have to be real with people because they won't trust you to solve their problems if they don’t know who the hell you are in the first place.

But that's just one piece.

The other part is taking that trust, that understanding, and showing them what you're going to do for them. We have to connect the dots between good policy and how it's going to solve the problems that people are facing.

Until people actually feel something — higher wages, lower costs, more security — you’re not going to get credit no matter how good your plans are.

You do that, you have as good a chance as anyone to win. That's how we did it in Arizona, and I am incredibly proud that I'll be able to represent my people in the Senate when they really need a fighter.

But now, we have to deliver. And I aim to do that.

So, as we buckle down and face the challenges ahead, I hope you're still with me.

If you are, could you become a sustaining monthly donor to my campaign? We're working on a budget based on our monthly recurring donations right now, and it would give me a lot of peace of mind as I work in Washington to know that I've got a big team backing me up at home. Can I count on you?

BECOME A SUSTAINING DONOR

I’ll never forget that I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for your support. So, as I get ready to take office next year, thank you so much for helping me get here.

Semper Fi,

Ruben

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

I will head to the United States Senate to represent Arizona and ensure that your voice is heard. THANK YOU ARIZONA!

 

We did it.

I will head to the United States Senate to represent Arizona and ensure that your voice is heard.

You know my story. You know I never thought I’d make it this far. Growing up poor, the son of immigrants. Working my way through high school to support my mom and my sisters. Trying to survive in Iraq.

To be here, today, the first Latino Senator in Arizona history… It’s so incredibly humbling. And I know that it would not have happened without your support. As tough as this week has been, I hope that you know your support made all the difference in this race.

As hard as I fought to get out of poverty, as hard as I fought in the Marine Corps, as hard as I fought and continue to fight for my family, I will be fighting for you in Washington, DC.

This is for you.

Thank you to the voters of Arizona for their trust.

And thank you for helping us get here.

Now, the real work begins.

Semper Fi,

Ruben

JOIN US

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

Arizona has never elected a Native American to Congress

 

Across the US, our Native American communities have historically suffered at the hands of our federal government — forced from their ancestral homelands in a brutal genocide that stains our nation to this day. Here on Navajo Nation, our people’s roots run deep: we are a rare example of a tribe that retains access to our ancestral lands. Despite the history of our government’s oppression towards America’s native peoples, we have consistently demonstrated patriotism of the highest order: serving in our armed forces at a disproportionately high rate, stewarding some of our nation’s most beautiful landscapes, and so much more.

I’m humbled to have won the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, and it would be the honor of my lifetime to serve as our state’s first-ever Native American member of Congress. Can you please support my campaign by splitting a donation between Ruben Gallego and my campaign today?

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I’ve spent my entire career in public service here in rural Arizona: first as a member of the Tribal Council, then Navajo Nation Vice President, and finally President. I worked hard to bring clean water and electricity to the most remote corners of Arizona, and guided our Reservation through the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout my career, I’ve always been proud of my ability to work across partisan and geographic divides towards concrete policy achievements.

I know rural Arizona is ready for a change, and it’s truly inspiring to see our grassroots movement come together to flip this seat blue in November. Please chip in a split donation here to help us keep up our momentum.

Thank you for your support,

Jonathan Nez

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

Kari Lake’s 🤡 Clown Car 🚗 of MAGA support

 

When you think of the most extreme people under the MAGA tent, who do you think of?

Chances are, Kari Lake has that person on speed dial. Check this out.

She’s got Roger Stone:

Steve Bannon:

Matt Gaetz:

Marjorie Taylor Greene:

And obviously, Trump himself:

Running against Kari Lake is not a campaign against Kari Lake alone.

Ruben’s campaign for the U.S. Senate is a campaign against the entire clown car of MAGA-right extremists. If she is victorious in Arizona, you know who the people advising her are going to be.

It’s up to us to make sure that Kari Lake and the people backing her up never come close to the U.S. Senate. To do that, Ruben is going to need your help.

With our primary election just days behind us, can you rush a $5 donation and help Ruben win this election? Arizona is going to be the most competitive race in the country, and he’s going to need supporters if he’s going to help us defend our Senate majority.

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Thank you,

Ruben Gallego for Senate

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

What Trump’s “complete immunity” means in Arizona

 

Look. I don’t profess to be some kind of constitutional law scholar.

But I swore an oath to defend the Constitution when I joined the Marines, and I took that oath seriously.

What I can tell you is that last week, the Supreme Court gave Trump a mandate to act like a king when they gave him immunity from criminal prosecution. It clears the way for the worst of his dictatorial aims.

There’s no telling what another term could look like. With loyal followers like Kari Lake enabling him, it could mean the end of our democracy.

This is no time for despair, though. It is time for action.

If we’re going to defeat Trump we have to win in Arizona. If Trump does win here, he’ll take back the White House. Of that I have no doubt.

It’s going to take all of us doing our part to prevent that from happening.

So, if you’re with me, and if you’re ready to take action that will have a major impact on the outcome of our campaign in Arizona, chip in $5 and help us win in Arizona and defeat Trump.

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Semper Fi,

Ruben

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

KEN BURNS: I’m asking you to support Ruben Gallego in Arizona

 

Hello. This is Ken Burns.

As a filmmaker, I've always been deeply interested in the moments that defined the American spirit — the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Second World War, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement.

These were inflection points where we were forced to live up to the essential promise of our nation: preserving a democratic system of government that respects the rights and addresses the needs of all its citizens.

As Benjamin Franklin so wisely put it, "A Republic, if you can keep it."

Today, we face a new generational challenge. Our system of government is in great peril. The democratic values that make up the very fabric of our nation are under assault and at risk of unraveling. It has never been more important that we come together to ensure that our republic endures for future generations.

To meet that challenge, we need leaders who understand how important our democracy is and what it truly means to serve. That's why I’m writing to you on behalf of Ruben Gallego. Ruben is the son of immigrant parents, the first in his family to go to college, a Marine veteran, and a father.

His opponent, Kari Lake, attacks our elections at every turn. She sows the very same discord that is tearing our country apart. She is dangerous. Where Ruben would unite us, Kari Lake seeks only division.

We need more people like Ruben serving our country, and it would mean the world to me if you could support his campaign.

Can you make a donation of $25 or whatever you can afford to Ruben’s campaign for U.S. Senate in Arizona? This is a critical moment for our country, and I would not ask for your help if this were not so important.

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Ruben must win in Arizona if we want to have any chance at holding the Senate and protecting our democracy. Those are the stakes.

I hope he can count on you,

Ken Burns

DONATE

 

Paid For By Gallego for Arizona

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.