I stand before you, not as a stranger, but as a fellow citizen who believes that our country needs empathetic and principled leadership. We have been disappointed in the lack of these essential values in President Trump. We feel that his administration has not demonstrated the compassion necessary to support and care for all American citizens equally. Along these lines, there have been many instances where the integrity of his office has been compromised significantly.

Issues such as divisive handling of civil unrest, questionable use of power, and the mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis are ample proof of our concerns - just to list a few. According to the New York Times, as of October 27, 2020, there have been more than 8.7 million COVID-19 cases in the United States, with a significant number of those cases representing poor management of the crisis.

On March 30, 2023, a Manhattan grand jury approved a thirty-four count felony indictment against Trump for falsifying business records in the first degree in connection with his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, made through Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen and reported as legal expenses. The trial date is set for April 15, 2024.

On June 9, 2023, Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with thirty-seven felonies related to his handling and refusal to return hundreds of documents containing classified information. He also charged Trump’s personal aide Walt Nauta with several felonies for his alleged role in handling the documents. On July 27, 2023, a grand jury issued a superseding indictment alleging additional charges against Trump, Nauta, and Carlos De Oliveira, the head of maintenance at Mar-a-Lago, alleging they conspired to delete security footage. The trial is set for May 20, 2024.

On August 1, 2023, Smith charged Trump with four federal criminal counts after a grand jury investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the January 6th insurrection. In October 2023, Trump claimed in the case that he had absolute immunity from prosecution for actions he took as president but Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, the trial judge in the case, rejected Trump’s claim of absolute immunity, finding that “neither the Constitution nor American history supported the contention that a former president enjoyed total immunity from prosecution.” Trump appealed the ruling. Following the Supreme Court’s refusal of Smith’s request to immediately intervene, the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument on Trump’s immunity claim on January 9, 2024 and ultimately ruled that Trump does not have broad immunity from federal prosecution. Trump appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.

On August 14, 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump and 18 others in a 41-count indictment after a two-year grand jury investigation into election fraud and related offenses in the state of Georgia during the 2020 election and after. The charges against Trump include solicitation of a violation of an oath by a public officer in response to Trump’s call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump pushed him to “find” votes and reverse his loss in the state. While Trump has pleaded not guilty, no trial date has been set and he is making similar immunity arguments here as well.

These charges against Trump are the sign of a healthy democracy and a victory for the rule of law. Holding public office is a deep and sacred responsibility that demands the highest standard of ethical conduct. In order to maintain the public’s trust, elected officials must follow the law; when elected officials break those laws, they must face consequences – just like anyone else. And when an elected official attempts to silence the voice of the people by overturning the results of an election, the bedrock of democratic government, the need for accountability is at its apex.

We are guided in this pursuit by the spirit of democracy, a system which, at its core, affirms the right to hold our leaders accountable. It is in this spirit that we call for the recall of President Trump, confident that we can find a leader who meets our country's need for compassion and integrity. We urge you to sign this petition and join our call for a more democratic and inclusive America.