Opinion: Trump’s Attack on ActBlue Is a Warning Shot to Democratic Fundraisers

President Trump signed a presidential memorandum taking direct aim at ActBlue, the backbone of Democratic small-dollar fundraising and, arguably, the most powerful grassroots fundraising infrastructure in American politics. His stated reason? Unfounded claims of impermissible foreign contributions. The real reason? Fear.  

Republicans have seen how the small-dollar donor model has given Democrats a competitive advantage in elections, up and down the ballot. That’s why Trump, backed by extremist allies in Congress, is launching this attack. Not just on ActBlue, but on a core tenet of Democratic participation. This is an effort to kneecap the power of everyday Americans at the same time his biggest billionaire funder flagrantly violates campaign finance law in an attempt to buy election results that advance his business interests.  

ActBlue is essential campaign infrastructure for thousands of candidates. It’s a safe and secure platform that enables tens of millions of Americans to participate in a meaningful way in the most fundamental pillar of our democracy: elections. ActBlue’s reliability, transparency, accountability, and fraud detection efforts have been confirmed by years of operational excellence and rigorous safeguards. That’s exactly why it’s under attack. When your opposition can’t beat you fairly, they try to break the rules or dismantle the playing field altogether.

Grassroots fundraising is Democrats’ most significant competitive advantage. In an era of unprecedented spending by billionaire donors and super PACs, Democrats have built an alternative model powered by millions of ordinary people giving what they can, when they can. This is a mission-critical element of any plan to put Dems back on track for majorities in 2026 or retaking the White House in 2028 — and Trump knows it. In recent cycles, small-dollar donors fueled victories across the country, elevated new candidates, and kept campaigns competitive where big-money interests were aligned against them.

I saw the power of this model firsthand in 2024 when my firm helped direct over 300,000 unique donations totaling $35 million to Democratic candidates. Grassroots donors used our platform to easily find and support candidates at every level of the ballot, transforming the races on the ground. Take, for example, Pennsylvania Democrat Brian Munroe who used 3,500 donations through our platform to communicate his message in his state legislative campaign. He over-performed the top of the ticket by 3 percent, which secured the Pennsylvania House majority for Democrats. This is the power of targeted grassroots donations that Trump fears in ActBlue.

As ActBlue’s leadership noted, this attack is designed to erode confidence in our elections, our campaigns, and our ability to organize. Democrats, and the broader pro-democracy coalition, must not allow it to succeed. The good news? Small-dollar donors are resilient. The energy is stronger than ever. Oath has already processed more than 10x as much in 2025 as we did in all of 2023. But campaigns and fundraising professionals need to be proactive and strategic to combat new threats:

Encourage donors to keep giving

We can’t ignore Trump’s threats. We must anticipate and confront the fear these tactics are designed to instill in donors. Campaigns and trusted messengers should emphasize that giving is both safe and essential. Donors should know that their voices and their contributions are a direct rebuke to those who would suppress their political power.  

Be transparent with donors about what’s happening and how it does or does not affect your fundraising. Educate supporters on the political motivations behind this attack. Reinforce the security and legality of grassroots giving.

Diversify donation platforms

ActBlue remains the leader in grassroots fundraising: reliable, secure, and indispensable. But in today’s volatile political environment, even the strongest infrastructure can become a target. Investors and innovators must keep pushing forward: now is the moment to continue building, innovating, and strengthening the broader fundraising ecosystem. Grassroots engagement requires a resilient, multi-layered infrastructure that can withstand political and legal assaults.

Cut the crap

Now is not the time for fake deadlines, dubious matches, or hyperbolic language. Donors are expressing more frustration than ever about how campaigns communicate with them. We must respond with more substantive appeal, not aggressive scare tactics.

Prepare for contingency scenarios

Fundraising teams should develop contingency plans for possible disruptions to donation processing, including email campaigns explaining alternative giving methods and rapid-response messaging strategies.

Trump’s presidential memo creates uncertainty and fear among donors and campaigns, and makes everyday Americans question whether supporting the candidates they believe in is safe or worthwhile. It’s the latest chapter in a much longer story, discrediting the democratic process.

This is a stress test for democracy, and Trump and his allies are betting that attacking the financial infrastructure of Democratic campaigns will silence millions of voices. They’re wrong. But proving they’re wrong will require vigilance, adaptability, and a renewed commitment to grassroots power.

Democratic fundraisers and campaign professionals have led innovation in political giving for years. We must do so again now, not just to survive this moment but to come out stronger on the other side. If they want to shut us down, we’ll build louder, broader, and smarter pathways for engagement.

Brian Derrick is a political strategist, activist, and tech entrepreneur. In 2021, he co-founded Oath, a donor-first platform that uses the power of big data to help grassroots donors and activists direct their resources more efficiently.