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As Democrats prepare to contend with the coming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are co-chairing a new coalition called Governors Safeguarding Democracy.
While the initiative's website describes it as "a nonpartisan alliance of governors" aiming to bolster "American democracy," both co-chairs are Democrats.
"There's been outreach to Republican governors," Pritzker said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "Good conversations, I might add, and there is continued interest by lots of governors. But I’m not going to name the ones that we've talked to."
The website names "fast-moving disinformation campaigns" and "cyberthreats" as examples of "threats to our democracy."
"Donald Trump is going to bring people into his administration who are absolute loyalists to his cult of personality and not necessarily to the law," Pritzker said, according to the New York Times. "Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so I think that the threat remains great."
Trump, who decisively won the 2024 presidential election, will take office on Jan. 20, 2025, next year.
"There's not an overnight erosion that occurs on Jan. 20," Polis said, according to the New York Times. "There's a threat of an ongoing erosion over the future administration, and we want to prevent that from occurring."
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During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Polis said of Trump, "we're gonna work with him and his administration however we can for our state."
He said that it is important to protect democratic institutions, ensuring that elections, court decisions, and the rule of law persist across Republican and Democratic administrations.
Pritzker, who also appeared on the program, said the effort is "about responding to concerns that governors will have about dealing with what … seems to be an onslaught from the new administration."
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The Governors Safeguarding Democracy website includes a donations page with an optional pronouns field where donors can select from various choices such as "Ve/Ver/Vis," "Xe/Xem/Xyrs," and more.
"Governors Safeguarding Democracy is supported by Governors Action Alliance. Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a fiscally sponsored project of Global Impact, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization," the donation page notes.
Fox News Digital reached out to request comments from Polis and Pritzker, and in both cases press secretaries for the governors responded by providing the press release about the initiative.
The press release never mentions President-elect Trump.
"At this critical moment in our history, we must unite to protect the foundations of our democracy and ensure our institutions withstand threats and persevere in their mission to improve the lives of our people," Pritzker said, according to the press release. "Governors Safeguarding Democracy will serve as a powerful force in state-level efforts to ensure that our democracy lives up to our ideals and thrives for generations to come."
"In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level," Polis said, according to the press release. "Governors Safeguarding Democracy shows our shared dedication to defending the democratic principles upon which our country is built."
