I wouldn't eat dinner with Donald Trump if he paid me. I would rather have a root canal than mingle and make small talk with his cabinet and cronies. The only thing I want from Trump and Republicans is to defeat them in court and at the polls this November.

Sadly, that is not true of much of the corporate-owned legacy media. Tonight, thousands of journalists will attend a dinner honoring Donald Trump. When he delivers his remarks, he will surely lie. He may even attack those in the room. The assembled audience will sit and take it.

The White House Correspondents Dinner wasn't always this way. 

Traditionally, the president spent the evening as the target of lighthearted roasts. Comedians like Stephen Colbert ruthlessly mocked George W. Bush. Keegan-Michael Key made fun of Barack Obama. 

But things have changed. Tonight will be different. After years of boycotting, Trump will be at the event, but there will be no roasts. Instead of a comedian, the event sponsors are having a mentalist. They want to make sure Trump is not offended.

But there will surely still be toasts. Toasts to a president who has belittled the media and toasts to each other for attending an event where they sit there and endure it. 

They will do this because they fear what will happen if they do not. They seek favor from the president, his advisors and officials. They want interviews, tips and access. They view the sacrifice to their dignity as worth it to gain an advantage over their peers at other legacy news outlets that seek the same thing.

I started Democracy Docket in 2020 on a very different theory. I wanted to build a platform for news, information and analysis that does not rely on the goodwill of Trump and the GOP. One that was avowedly pro-democracy and truly independent.

I am proud to say that Democracy Docket succeeded in that mission. It does not seek to curry favor with Trump. It doesn't seek access to the White House or the exclusive parties taking place this weekend. Instead, it exposes Trump's attacks on free and fair elections. It reveals GOP hypocrisy on gerrymandering. It unmasks the election deniers working at the highest levels of government who scheme to subvert results.

Democracy Docket is tracking and reporting on the DOJ's effort to obtain sensitive voting data on every single American. It provides in-depth analysis of state laws making voting harder, and the consequential voting rights cases playing out in courtrooms across the country.

Over the last six years, Democracy Docket has grown along with the threats to free and fair elections. It now has a staff of nearly 30 spread across two offices — one in Washington, D.C., and the other in the New York City area.

It publishes free content on its website and sends out free daily newsletters read by hundreds of thousands each day. It is active on all social media platforms and has a YouTube channel with nearly 700,000 subscribers.

But to meet the current moment and make up for the failures of traditional corporate media, it must grow much larger and fast. It needs to expand its staff and increase its reach and influence.

The right wing built a media ecosystem based on lies and scams. I am trying to build Democracy Docket based on deeply reported news and insightful analysis and commentary.

Democracy Docket has no private equity or venture capital investors. It doesn't have a parent company. It does not rely on Substack or any technology platform that could one day turn against its mission.

Democracy Docket has its own tech stack and is supported by subscriptions from folks who care about what is happening to voting, elections and democracy. In other words, people like you.

As members, you help make Democracy Docket not only possible but a reality. Your support allows Democracy Docket to keep nearly all of its content free for everyone. I offer my thanks and ask you to forward this to your friends and family to encourage them to do the same. I also ask you to consider joining our VIP membership. This opportunity will give you access to even more exclusive events and two annual subscriptions to friends or family. Plus, a tote bag!

Balancing my role as a practicing lawyer, founder of Democracy Docket, and advocate for free and fair elections is time-consuming. It doesn't leave me much time to attend fancy parties.

Tonight, when the journalists are finishing their dessert and applauding a man who lies to their faces, I'll be at my desk — planning, writing, fighting. They can have dinner. We'll take democracy.