Why I’ve Joined Substack

I’ve joined Substack to offer my take on how we can and must organize, mobilize and fight for a better life that people can see, feel and afford. I refuse to accept that our future can only be a choice between the Trump administration’s actions and what happen beforehand—neither gets us to the shared prosperity and broad-based opportunity that anchors the American dream. I know millions of Americans agree. But to get to that better life, we must stand up, speak up, show up and vote.

With so much coming at us every day, and so much at stake for the future of America, it’s places like Substack that become the town square for people to engage and build community. And so many of us needed a new home after leaving Twitter/X as it became a platform that fuels disinformation and propaganda and now the proliferation of sickening images. On Substack, we can bypass the big media owners who choose to acquiesce to Trump instead of standing up for freedom of speech and reporting the truth no matter the consequences. It’s people like Heather Cox Richardson who have taken up this mantle and become our modern-day Thomas Paines—offering straight talk, giving us hope, and galvanizing us to action.

In this moment, nobody can stay silent or stay home. As I often say, no one can do everything, but we all can do something. Last year showed us the power of standing up and fighting back, from organizing people and speaking out on platforms like Substack to the millions who took to the streets, and made clear that we the people demand a government that works for the people. In 2026, we must build on this and elect leaders who will put people first.

We refuse to stand by while President Trump or any politician hollows out the middle class; abandons public schools and higher education; kicks millions off healthcare; rips away our freedoms; sends masked federal agents to invade our cities, disappear people and commit atrocities on our own citizens; takes food from hungry children; and wages war on workers’ economic security, all to give massive tax cuts to big corporations and billionaires or try to conquer Arctic islands.

I’m proud to lead a union of 1.8 million educators, healthcare professionals and public employees who teach our kids, heal our families, and keep our communities running. Nearly every day, I’m on the ground talking with our members and the students and families they serve about what they are facing and what they want our leaders and elected officials to fight for. I plan to use this platform to amplify their voices, enlarge our tent to connect and mobilize others who want to join our fight, and cut through the noise to give life to the issues that working people want us to fight for—strengthening our public schools and colleges; appropriately funding public services; protecting our rights; and ensuring working people cannot just cover life’s necessities but also have a living wage, decent healthcare and a good retirement.

I look forward to engaging with you, building community and—together—reclaiming the promise of America and building the better future that all Americans deserve.