Timeline: Political Advocacy by Open Letter
The open letter is a reliable way for organizations to make their political voices; here's a look at some notable examples.
With research assistance from James Rushmore
There are two primary seasons for open letters:
The first few months of an administration, when aggrieved political groups (most often) voice their dissatisfaction.
The last few months of election season, when the goal is to fuck with you - emphasizing how scary one candidate is or how much stronger the other is, when the truth is they both suck.
The October 19, 2020 letter signed by 51 former senior intelligence officials is probably the most infamous example of number 2. It said email from Hunter Biden’s laptop “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
We now know it was more like a Biden misinformation program. We know from the House Intelligence Select Committee that it started with Biden campaign official Anthony Blinken — who later became Secretary of State — calling former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morrell, who then organized the letter. The purpose was to provide cover and talking points for Biden to help him in a final debate with Trump, the House committee found.
Of course there are almost always political motives behind open letters. In 2020, the Trump campaign released an open letter signed by 235 retired military leaders saying Trump was good for national security, and Biden not so good. That was released only after the progressive group Democracy Forward released a letter signed by 70 former Republican national security officials saying Trump had already failed with national security.
It’s mostly a game. The goal is to get the attention of traditional media, and have content that takes off on social media.
At least that’s usually the case. As Matt Taibbi notes in “Are We in a ‘Soft’ Civil War?” today, a strongly worded letter signed by 200 former diplomats and security officials titled “The Assault on American Democracy: A Call to Action” was published last Friday. It features big names former National Security Advisors Susan Rice and Anthony Lake as signatories, but received media attention in Bulgaria only.
An open letter signed by political scientists after the January 6 riots received more media attention in the U.S. Then again, the letter called for Trump’s removal by impeachment or by invoking the 25th Amendment.
One of the signatories, Catawba College (NC) political science and history professor J. Michael Bitzer, says he considers the letter a “statement of principles.”
When something in my mind reaches beyond a level of partisanship to the level of fundamental values we hope Americans stand for on principle, then statements of principles are a core responsibility for those of us who study them. There’s so much partisanship out there that people don’t need to hear from us on every political issue, but when it comes to fundamental values, if something calls that into question, it’s good to speak with a collective voice.
The “statement of principles” is usually more honest than the “open letter,” such as one written in early 2017 by former Columbia Journalism Review editor Kyle Pope but signed “The Press Corps.”
That piece is both hilarious and Class A Jim Acosta-level smug:
Access is preferable, but not critical. You may decide that giving reporters access to your administration has no upside. We think that would be a mistake on your part, but again, it’s your choice. We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies. Telling reporters that they won’t get access to something isn’t what we’d prefer, but it’s a challenge we relish.
Of course, we know that last part isn’t true. The Associated Press whined when its Oval Office access was cut off. Trump’s move was certainly silly, but democracy was not at stake.
Here’s a list of open letters — though certainly not complete — directed at Trump in his first and second terms.
November 29, 2016
Following Trump’s election as the 45th president, the Union of Concerned Scientists release an open letter to Trump and Congress. The letter, signed by 2,000-plus scientists — including 22 Nobel Prize winners — informs the president-elect and Congress that:
First, creating a strong and open culture of science begins at the top. Federal agencies should be led by officials with demonstrated track records of respecting science as a critical component of decision making. Further, recognizing that diversity makes science stronger, administration officials should welcome and encourage all scientists regardless of religious background, race, gender, or sexual orientation.
The Washington Post’s lead on the letter says: “Call it the opening shot in a brewing war over scientific integrity in the future Trump administration.”
The headline is a reference to this line:
Congress and the Trump administration should adhere to high standards of scientific integrity and independence in responding to current and emerging public health and environmental threats.
Andrew Rosenberg of The Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists tells the Post, “We need to make sure there’s not political manipulation of the science.”
January 17, 2017
The Press Corps/Kyle Pope
This letter was written by Columbia Journalism Review editor Kyle Pope, but signed by “The Press Corps.” I reference this letter further up. Another excerpt:
We decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates. We will strive to get your point of view across, even if you seek to shut us out. But that does not mean we are required to turn our airwaves or column inches over to people who repeatedly distort or bend the truth. We will call them out when they do, and we reserve the right, in the most egregious cases, to ban them from our outlets.
Tough stuff.
January 22, 2017
500 Women Scientists
Forbes magazine posts an open letter from 500 Women Scientists. It reads in part:
We are women scientists and we are members of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious groups. We are immigrants. We are people with disabilities. We are LGBTQIA. To represent us, you must embrace our inherent diversity. We will continue to contribute to the American scientific enterprise, and we invite you to do the same.
The letter also gives Trump eight “concrete ways” to support women and their contributions to society and science, such as strengthening America’s role as a leader in climate action by “investing in clean, low carbon energy and climate research.”
The Atlantic profiled the group as its members participated in the January 21st Women’s March on Washington, January 31, 2017 - Feb. 8, 2017
Interfaith Immigration Coalition
Evangelical Leaders
Over eight days, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, evangelical leaders, and venture capitalists write open letters to Trump over his executive order that banned refugees from seven Muslim countries for 90 days.
From the Interfaith Immigration Coalition:
The U.S. Refugee Resettlement program has been and should remain open to those of all nationalities and religions who face persecution on account of the reasons enumerated under U.S. law. We oppose any policy change that would prevent refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, or individuals who practice Islam and other faiths from accessing the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
A Feb. 7 letter, organized by the National Venture Capital Association, says:
We are deeply troubled by the recent Executive Order banning citizens of seven countries and refugees from entering the U.S., as well as the recently leaked draft Executive Order suggesting plans to roll back worker visa and parole programs.
The Feb. 8 letter from evangelical leaders was in the form of a full-page ad in the Washington Post.
As Christians, we have a historic call expressed over two thousand years, to serve the suffering. We cannot abandon this call now.
March 2, 2017
Various women’s rights groups
As advocates for women’s rights, equality, justice and inclusion, we have come together to outline core domestic policy priorities that will help ensure that all women in the United States have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
That is the first line in a letter signed by about 400 progressive organizations, such as several NOW chapters. It proceeds to list six broad categories for which “we will measure your administration’s success by how women have fared during your tenure,” the letter warns.
Sept. 29, 2017
Several evangelical leaders, including pastor TD Jakes and the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, email a letter to Trump and calling for him to denounce the alt-right.
We believe it is important for this movement to be addressed, for at its core it is a white identity movement and the majority of its members are white nationalists or white supremacists.
May 6, 2019
Several hundred former officials in the Justice Department issue a statement on Medium that says special counsel Robert Mueller’s report shows that Trump would be charged with obstruction of justice if he wasn’t president.
The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming.
August 21 - Sept. 14, 2020
The tit-for-tat letters on national security mentioned at the top of this piece are released August 21 (anti-Trump) and Sept. 14 (pro-Trump)
Oct. 19, 2020
The letter from 51 former national security officials is released. Politico breaks the story.
January 6, 2021
Following the January 6 riots, Political scientists write an open letter calling for Congress to remove President Trump from office.
January 11, 2021
Nearly 1,500 historians call for removing President Trump from office, via Medium.
January 6, 2025
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Several organizations sign on to this letter to “express grave concerns and to unequivocally oppose the use of the sanctions authority of the United States to attack the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent judicial institution dedicated to combating impunity for the gravest crimes known to humanity.”
Signatories include the ACLU, American Friends Service Committee, American Human Rights Council, and Amnesty International USA
January 29, 2025
American Friends Service Committee
A coalition of groups that includes Catholic Workers and the National Association of Korean Americans ask Trump to take a “peace-first approach” with North Korea. One recommendation is to formally end the Korean War.
Even though active hostilities between the United States and North Korea ended in 1953 with an Armistice Agreement, there was never a formal end to the war with a peace agreement. This continued state of war is the root cause of militarism and tensions that must be resolved if there is to be real progress with North Korea. A peace agreement that ends the wartime status quo would reduce tensions and foster more effective engagement on critical issues such as improved human rights and denuclearization.
March 3, 2025
Former prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
Sixteen former prisoners of Guantanamo Bay sign an open letter to condemn an executive order to expand detention facilities for illegal immigrants there. The letter is posted on Aljazeera.
Guantanamo is not just a prison – it is a place where law is warped, dignity is stripped, and suffering is hidden behind barbed wire. We lived it. We know the clang of metal doors, the weight of shackles, and the silence of a world that looked away. We know what it means to be caged without charge, without trial, without hope.
March 31, 2025
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
More than 1,900 members sign an open letter to criticize cutbacks in the sciences and the administration investigations of universities.
The funding cuts are forcing institutions to pause research (including studies of new disease treatments), dismiss faculty, and stop enrolling graduate students—the pipeline for the next generation’s scientists.
The administration’s current investigations of more than 50 universities send a chilling message. Columbia University was recently notified that its federal funding would be withheld unless it adopted disciplinary policies and disabled an academic department targeted by the administration. Destabilizing dozens of universities will endanger higher education—and the research those institutions conduct.
April 24, 2025
The Assault on American Democracy: A Call to Action letter is released, signed by 200 former diplomats and security officials.
American global leadership has depended on many factors, including political, economic, and military power. But most important was the moral foundation for that power -- America as an example to others. Though our actions didn’t always live up to our ideals, we stood for simple but powerful ideas that people everywhere embraced: democracy, equality, individual liberty, and human rights.
That moral foundation is now in grave danger. The challenge comes from within, as President Trump and his administration have assaulted the pillars of our democracy here at home and our strength around the world.
April 22, 2025
American Association of Colleges and Universities
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Several hundred college presidents and deans sign on to “A Call for Constructive Engagement.” The letter was released a day after Harvard sued the government following the Trump administration’s decision to withhold funding. The letter now has 547 signatures.
As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education. We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding.
April 28, 2025
Coalition of Nobel Peace Prize-winning groups
Representatives of the three groups urge Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to work toward denuclearization.
Recent statements from your administrations have featured rhetoric about the desirability of a world without nuclear weapons and the exorbitant cost of nuclear weapons, funds that could be put to far better use. Talk about denuclearization must be matched by deeds. The world cannot continue to walk the edge of catastrophe.
I looked to see if the April 22, 2025 letter from the American Association of Colleges and Universities/American Academy of Arts and Sciences got attention which is-- as you point out--a motivation.
And yes, here you go from the University Wire (https://www.uwire.com/) press releases that include the letter: or parts of it.
*Brown extolls its president for signing.
Paxson signs open letter condemning federal actions targeting higher education - The Brown Daily Herald Is Part Of University Wire, 2025.
*- (Bowdoin College): Zaki Signs Open Letter to Protect Higher Education from Government Overreach. Carlsbad: Uloop, Inc, 2025.
I'm going to write an open letter under the headline: "Please ... no more open letters."