American Veterans in Defense of Democracy was founded to fight for our natural right of democracy and liberty through grassroots organization, coalition building and engagement with civil society and elected officials. We stand against political extremism and violence and advocate for our basic civil liberties as laid out in the Constitution. We aim to restore America’s national honor as a beacon of freedom and democracy throughout the world.

As Veterans, we swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and were taught to live by a code of conduct built around core values such as duty, honor and integrity. These values were stressed in pursuit of the noblest of causes, the defense of the freedoms and liberties enjoyed by generations of Americans. Democracy is the very lifeblood of our nation; if it is under threat then so are our basic freedoms and security. We owe a debt to those Americans who sacrificed to protect our liberties in the past and have the same obligation for generations of Americans yet to come. We are now mobilizing to confront the current threat to our democratic way of life and pledge to put country before party, principle before politics.

As Veterans, we are in a unique position to push back against the assault on our democracy. Vets who oppose authoritarianism in America possess a powerful weapon: the ability to speak out, stand up for what’s right and demonstrate the power of peaceful, constructive civic engagement. America sees in its veterans the embodiment of selfless sacrifice in defense of our nation’s highest ideals and the power of bravery, commitment, strength and leadership in the face of adversity. In short, America looks up to its veterans. We can lead by example and provide a powerful counterpoint to extremists, militias and politicians who espouse violence and illiberal rhetoric and tactics, the forces that are tearing down our democracy. In pursuit of this endeavor we will:

Organize: Create a nationwide organization of American Veterans who are willing to speak out and engage politically at the local, state and national level to oppose extremism in our national politics and support common sense reforms that bolster our democracy.

Coalition Build: Strengthen and work with the moderate, non-violent wing of the coalition that opposes MAGA’s march to autocracy. Formulate a coherent strategy aimed at identifying, opposing and rolling back the forces of extremism and illiberalism that has taken root in our political culture. Work to grow a united political coalition into a force capable of affecting political change at the national level. Network with international veteran’s groups to defend and promote democracy across the globe.

Message: Monitor and push back against the current administration’s illiberal attempts to tilt the political playing field in its favor and undermine the democratic process, especially attempts to subvert the 2028 presidential election. Engage in public forums, social and traditional media to communicate our message and show that a significant number of Veterans are opposed to MAGA’s authoritarian tactics. Raise awareness of extremist rhetoric and activity in the current administration, Congress and elsewhere.

Fundraise and Lobby: Raise funds to assist moderate political candidates who support our values. Lobby elected officials in pursuit of a simple message: the American people will not tolerate the administration’s bid to manipulate and undermine their basic civil rights as enshrined in the Constitution.