WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2026 – Several national veteran leaders are speaking out to urge veterans across the nation to support the March 4 Democracy (M4D) rallies on Friday and Saturday, February 27th and 28th, in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
The M4D rallies are being held to defend democracy, confront the wealthy and political enablers behind the rampant corruption in the Trump administration, and demand our elected officials honor their oath to the Constitution and remove Trump and his cronies.
“Veterans swore an oath to the Constitution, not to a party,” said Joey Gray, a retired Army Special Forces veteran and founder of Money Out of Politics. “That oath does not expire when we hang up the uniform. It is incumbent upon all veterans to fully understand how our U.S. Code and Constitution define how elected and appointed officials must govern this country, because you cannot defend what you do not understand.”
The March 4 Democracy will demand that the Trump administration and Congress address several critical veteran-specific issues:
- Ensure immediate, high-quality health care, including full mental health services, for all service members, veterans, and their families.
- Commit to ending unnecessary military occupations and prioritizing diplomacy and human rights.
- Guarantee survivor-centered support, confidential reporting, and accountability for Military Sexual Trauma.
- Reinstate military benefits for all transgender service members and veterans.
- Deliver gender-affirming care.
- Provide comprehensive LGBTQIA+-specific support.
- Modernize the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program to match local labor-market data, guaranteeing veterans receive relevant training, certifications, and employment pathways in their region.
- Restore and preserve military history, honoring monuments and sites that reflect our nation’s service, sacrifice and defense of democratic values domestically and abroad.
“It is shameful that legislation addressing veteran homelessness, mental health access, housing, and food security continues to stall or become political leverage,” said Gray. “A nation that sends people to war but cannot guarantee them stability at home is failing a basic test of democracy.”
“My VA care has slowed due to cuts,” said Diana Patton, a Navyveteran who is the Commander of Veterans Defending Democracy. “I may lose even more necessary care as an LGBTQ veteran. And if the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passes, I will not be able to vote since I am not only transgender but adopted as well.”
Retired Marine Sgt. Eric Rhodes, who has been on point over the past year advocating for veterans and democracy at 64 protests, rallies and direct actions across the country, urged veterans to head to DC or the rally nearest to them.
“Republicans don’t care about veterans unless they are running for office, and only then so they can use us for votes,” Rhodes said. “They feel veterans do not contribute to, but only take from, the system. They would prefer us dead because it’s cheaper than paying for medical expenses that came from how badly our bodies and minds got screwed up fighting their wars.We will no longer be taken for granted. That is why we are in this fight.”
Katie Chorbak, the President of 50501 Veterans, urged veterans to join the March 4 Democracy in Washington.
“As veterans struggle to make ends meet, worry about their disability benefits, and wonder if the VA will be short staffed, we also see growing division and challenges to the Constitution we swore to support and defend,” Chorbak said. “Our oath was never to a party, a politician, or an ideology, but to the nation and the principles that hold it together. No matter our differences, that duty remains. It’s time for veterans to stand for that oath together.”
M4D’s partners are unions, advocacy groups, veterans’ networks, civil rights organizations, immigrant-justice coalitions, LGBTQIA+ advocates, community organizers, and grassroots powerhouses. If your organization would like to become a partner of the March 4 Democracy Coalition, go to the Partner Page on M4D’s website: https://march4democracy.org/partners/.
“MAGA will never be the patriots of our time,” said Army veteran Tom Sidle, the lead M4D organizer. “Veterans are this nation’s true patriots, which is why we are calling on them to join our ranks for the March 4 Democracy. We must serve again, to honor the diversity of our nation and protect the most vulnerable among us.”
M4D’s full list of demands can be found at https://march4democracy.org/about/demands/.
“After 9/11, our nation united and generations of American veterans served for decades to defend who we are,” said retired Army Sgt. 1st Class John Moses, who advocates relentlessly for Afghan allies he served with who are now at risk of being deported to Afghanistan. “We gave up friends, time, and dreams to build a better America. Those sacrifices require sober reflection as we strike the alarm. Our oaths compel us to act. Resist fascism.”
About The March 4 Democracy Coalition
The March 4 Democracy coalition is a rapidly expanding movement of people-powered organizations fighting for a democracy not just in name, but in deeds. M4D is a movement built from outrage, solidarity and the American working class. We believe representation should be shaped by human need and shared voice, not wealth, race, or privilege. We reject a system built on exploitation, silence, and stolen futures. We are parents trying to pay the rent, veterans fighting for the benefits we were promised, immigrants surviving state violence, workers crushed under corporate greed. And we’re done waiting for permission to demand justice. For more information, visit the website: https://march4democracy.org/.
