Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo To Attend “Drain the Swamp” Event

On February 24th, Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, Stacey Abrams, and Jim Acosta will join speakers such as Rep. Jason Crow and NYT bestselling author Ruth Ben-Ghiat at the “Drain the Swamp” event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Organized by DEFIANCE.org, the Portland Frog Brigade, and COURIER, the event will take place at the same time as the State of the Union Address. The organizers promise a night that will be “bold” and “unfiltered” in a venue that is usually known for polite translation of political messaging.

The evening will feature live counter addresses and truthful explanations from opposition figures, current & former elected officials, celebrities, and other leaders, clarifying how Trump’s historic abuses of power have put American democracy at risk. They will also offer ways to unite to preserve Americans’ constitutional rights. The promise of the evening is, “We will laugh. We will defy. We will be impossible to ignore.”

Some may recognize Rep. Jason Crow as the man who publicly warned U.S. troops to refuse “illegal orders”. Author Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a leading scholar on authoritarian movements. They will be joined by Joanne Carducci and Lisandra Vazquez, new media celebrities who are shining the light on U.S. politics.

Guests will also include outspoken journalists Mehdi Hasan, Brian Karem, Charlie Sykes, Wajahat Ali; legal experts such as Joyce Vance, Glenn Kirschner, and Norm Eisen; as well as political figures Ron Wyden, Steve Bullock, Seth Moulton, Dan Goldman, and Joe Walsh. Also expected to attend are Miles Taylor, Olivia Troye, Stephanie Grisham, Sue Gordon, Latosha Brown, Tara McGowan, George Conway, Tom Arnold, Marianne Williamson, Rashad Robinson, Abbe Lowell, Asha Rangappa, Steve Schmidt, and Robby Roadsteamer.

According to the Facebook page Fear and Loathing: Closer to the Edge:

“This is a lineup designed to short-circuit indifference. Actors who pull cameras. Journalists who pull receipts. Former insiders who pull back the curtain. Organizers who pull people into motion. Satire, seriousness, anger, laughter, and strategy packed into the same room on purpose.

“And the Portland frogs are coming with them. Not as a joke. As a warning. Last year, when Trump labeled protesters ‘terrorists’ and reached for federal force, ridicule proved more effective than fear. Frog suits broke the script. Mockery collapsed the justification. Power hates being laughed at because laughter exposes how brittle it really is. That symbolism is walking straight into the National Press Club now, daring the press to treat it as anything other than legitimate political speech.”

You can join the event in person or virtually. Tickets are available on the Defiance.org website. The LIVESTREAM of the main event will be FREE and open to the public.

100% of net proceeds go toward efforts to counter Donald Trump’s abuses of power.