Danielle, I hope you had a wonderful and restful holiday — and, if it's your thing, that you found a little time to reflect on the past year and think about your resolutions for the next. I've definitely been doing some reflecting myself. And let's just state the obvious: 2025 was a tough one. The year began with Donald Trump taking power and running what has become the most corrupt administration in American history — surpassing even his first term. One image kept coming back to me all year: the billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, and Mark Zuckerberg sitting front and center at Trump's inauguration, ahead of his own cabinet nominees. That image set the tone for the year and made clear whose needs would be coming first. That day, on Day One, was the day that Trump promised to lower costs for families. Instead, he chose chaos and cruelty — distracting the public, weaponizing government institutions, and ramming through policies that hurt working people while making wealthy people even wealthier. What did we get instead of those promised lower costs? The Gulf of Mexico got renamed. Elon Musk took a chainsaw to life-saving and consumer-protecting agencies like USAID, the NIH, and the CFPB. The White House essentially had a tacky, neon "open for business" sign put on it, with Trump turning it into a Tesla dealership and destroying the East Wing to make room for a ballroom to court wealthy special interests. A reckless tariff war that drove prices up, hitting everyday essentials hardest. A $5 million "gold card" option, allowing the ultra-rich to buy their way to U.S. citizenship. At the same time, ICE agents disappeared people off the streets — masked, unidentified, using unmarked vans, smashing car windows, and even staking out elementary schools. The National Guard and Marines were deployed in American cities. They launched an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting scheme to lock in permanent power. Congressional Republicans fully abdicated their responsibilities, bending the knee rather than doing their jobs. The administration interfered with media it didn't like — from Colbert to Kimmel to 60 Minutes. Republicans passed their signature policy package that rips health care and food assistance from millions to fund tax breaks for the same billionaires at that inauguration. Let's not forget the countless violations to the Constitution. That's only the gist of it, Danielle. I won't sugarcoat it: this was a brutal year. Many of us stopped saying "this has to be as bad as it gets," because somehow it kept getting worse day after day. How can we, if at all, try to feel a little optimistic about 2026? Here's how I'm thinking about it. Trump and his allies are doing everything they can to overwhelm us — to rig the economy, hollow out our government, and inflict maximum pain so people feel powerless, exhausted, and ready to give up. There are no limits to what they think they can do to take this country over, to humiliate people, and to try to get people to cave in and knuckle under. But here we are in December after a year of throwing everything they can at us, and you know what? We're still standing. We're a little battered and a little bruised. There are people who have been hurt. But we are still standing. And more than that — we're still fighting, and we're getting stronger. We've learned something important: fighting back matters. Resistance creates pressure. It forces reversals. It moves courts. It exposes corruption. And it brings more people into the fight. We stopped those unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering efforts in states like California, Missouri, and Indiana. People took to the streets to defend neighbors targeted by ICE. We didn't let Kimmel or 60 Minutes be quietly silenced. Voters across the country elected candidates who take the affordability crisis seriously, defeating far-right MAGA opponents and demonstrating we CAN make our economy more affordable and fairer for everyone. Millions showed up to declare, loudly and clearly: There are no kings in America. Even in a year defined by chaos and cruelty, people chose to stay engaged. That matters more than they want us to believe. Authoritarian movements win when people decide resistance is pointless. But all year long, we proved the opposite. Public pressure still works. Courts can still be moved. Elections still matter. Community still matters. None of this means 2026 will be easy. But we know their plan, and we have ours. I understand my assignment in the Senate, and I'm committed to using every tool I have to fight this corrupt administration. I'm resolved to help Democrats take back the House and the Senate — and to push our party to fight harder for working people with bold, structural economic change and a clear, forceful rebuttal to Trump's lies and failed policies. As for you, Danielle, I hope you'll join me in holding onto the belief that better things are possible — and resolving to stay in this fight. A clear majority of Americans disapprove of what Trump is doing. We have the blueprint, the momentum, and the resolve to turn that disapproval into real power. I feel good about our chances. As we look ahead to 2026, I want you to know what an honor it is to fight alongside you. Thank you for staying engaged, for caring, and for showing up. It truly matters. We're going to kick some ass in 2026. If you're able, please consider making a contribution before the new year to support our grassroots movement. Your support will help fight back against this administration, take on big, bold fights for working people — and win. Thanks for being part of this, Elizabeth  | 
