Herb Stokes choked back tears as he spoke about his grandfather’s role fighting for freedom in the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Eighty-one years later to the day, Stokes stood on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. protesting what he sees as his own government's betrayal of veterans like his grandfather — and himself.
“He lied about his age to get into the U.S. Navy,” Stokes told me at the “Unite for Veterans” rally in D.C. on Friday. “Him and his brother stormed the beach at Omaha. And they didn't do it so that they could take away the rights of the people who weren’t there with him.”
Stokes, a U.S. Navy veteran, traveled to the U.S. capital from Michigan with his sister, Lauren Stokes-Kapsa. They’re upset about the Trump administration’s cuts to veterans’ benefits, services and jobs, as well as its assault on democratic freedoms and rights. In its first 100 days, the Trump government has arrested people for practicing free speech, deported people without due process, blacklisted media that don’t carry the party line, punished law firms for representing the Democratic Party and defunded universities to pressure them to adhere to political ideologies. The Stokes family boasts an unbroken line of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War, and protesting seemed like the right way to serve the country today. The symbolism of the anniversary of D-Day, when U.S. and allied forces stormed Nazi-occupied France to topple Adolf Hitler’s fascist regime, wasn’t lost on the them.
You can watch our conversation in the video above, a recording of my livestream from the rally, where hundreds of veterans, their families and allied Americans gathered to protest President Trump’s actions and his party’s complicity in them. Later in the day, the crowd reportedly swelled to thousands of people, with speeches by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), former Congressman
(R-Illinois) and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pennsylvania), all veterans. (Thanks to , , , , , and many others for tuning in to the broadcast.)Stokes said his concerns with Trump boiled over when the administration cut a program to help financially-strapped veterans avoid losing their homes. In 2023, about 40,000 veterans were at risk of foreclosure after the pandemic, and the Biden administration implemented the program to avoid a cascade of hardship. So far, it’s helped about 17,000 veterans stay housed.
Learn more about what benefits military veterans can receive here.
Veterans Administration Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz says the program “lacks congressional approval,” which critics argue the president could have won. Its closure represents just one piece of broader cuts facing the military community. The Trump administration also announced it would fire approximately 80,000 VA workers — a potentially devastating blow to an already strained system.
The stakes couldn't be higher. The Veterans Administration operates as America's largest mental health provider and the biggest integrated health system, serving more than 9 million enrolled veterans annually. It's a massive lifeline for PTSD treatment, trauma care, suicide prevention and recovery from substance misuse.
Veterans are not just receiving government services; they're providing them, and the proposed cuts threaten both. Veterans make up only about 5% of the U.S. population but comprise nearly 24% of the federal civilian workforce.
John, a veteran from Springfield, Virginia who biked to the rally, embodied this dual role throughout his career. He spent 27 years flying for the Coast Guard and says he loved nothing more “than bringing home a family or a family member that ended up in a bad spot and needed a little bit of help.” He says he has struggled with depression and loss and he’s now getting help from the VA.
“The VA can do great things, but it requires every member to reach out. The VA is not equipped to reach out," said John, who asked only to be identified by his first name.
Even before the proposed reforms, veterans had to actively seek help from an overwhelmed system. The cuts threaten to widen this dangerous gap at a time when veteran suicide rates remain alarmingly high and mental health needs continue growing.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit 988lifeline.org or call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. For current or former military service members, please call 988 and press 1.
It’s not just veterans who are vulnerable right now. Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would cut $880 billion from Medicaid, potentially causing 10.3 million people to lose healthcare coverage. It would also trigger $500 billion in Medicare cuts and slash food assistance for 42 million Americans. The bill would increase the deficit by $2.4 trillion while forcing rural hospital closures and devastating services for the elderly, disabled and poor. Proponents note it would end taxes on tips and overtime pay, allow Americans to deduct interest on car loans for U.S.-made cars and increase the child tax credit.
The House has approved the legislation, which Senate Republicans are now trying to pass through budget reconciliation, a special rule that lets the majority party in Congress approve major spending and tax bills with 51 votes instead of the usual 60.
If it goes through, the bill could have ugly consequences for America’s collective wellbeing. Inseparable, a nonprofit advocacy group working for better mental health care policy, warns that Medicaid pays for 25% of all mental health care and 40% of addiction treatment nationwide.
To voice your views about government proposals and actions:
Contact your governor. They talk to the federal representatives and can sound the alarm for you on a national level.
Find and contact elected officials, from local to state to federal.
People at the rally in D.C. said for them, political engagement serves as a kind of therapy. That’s partly why Brian Ryder of Arizona traveled to Washington to be a part of the protest even though he’s not a veteran.
"You feel powerless, you know? You've got to use your voice. You've got to vent. Otherwise, it's got to bounce around in your head and get angry," he told me. Ryder said he doesn’t have much community back home and finds kindred cause connecting with others at local protests, too.
Lauren Stokes-Kapsa from Michigan described a similar feeling of relief. Back home, she said she doesn’t feel safe expressing her political views and constantly scans for red hats symbolic of Trump’s far-right MAGA movement.
"I hate to be this age in this country, with apparently my privileges that I was born with, and not feel safe," Stokes-Kapsa, a White woman said. "And if I don't feel safe, how does everybody else feel?"
Her words come as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are traumatizing communities by conducting large-scale raids across the country. On Saturday, protests against the operations in Los Angeles prompted President Trump to federalize the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 heavily armed troops to the city over Governor Gavin Newsom's objections.
In D.C., rally organizers drew inspiration from the "Bonus Army" of 1932, when 43,000 World War I veterans camped in Washington demanding promised bonuses during the Great Depression. Their racially integrated protest was remarkable for the segregated era.
The government responded brutally. President Herbert Hoover ordered 800 troops led by Douglas MacArthur, George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower to clear the camps with tanks, cavalry and tear gas on July 28, 1932. Two veterans died and their settlements burned.
Public outrage over the military attacking its own contributed to Hoover's electoral defeat and led Congress to approve the bonus payments four years later. The Bonus Army proved that veterans' voices, when united, can reshape politics.
John, the Coast Guard veteran, posed a challenge to anyone watching current events today: "We're in big trouble,” he said, adding, “What is your red line?"
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” is his. A Republican, he’s refusing to vote for any member of his party "until they fix the rotting cesspool of legislation.”
"We all need to know what that red line is. It may come. And when it comes, what are you going to do?" John asked. "Make your red line now and speak up, do what you can, come to these events, but stand your ground when that red line comes."
A small way you can help me…
Please like, comment, share and “restack” on Substack. This helps others find this work and alerts the internet algorithm to make Invisible Threads more discoverable online.
This isn’t just a newsletter, it’s a movement to build collective wellbeing by nourishing a more aware, compassionate and engaged society. The more people who see the ties between mental health and democracy, the more strategic we can be.
A big way you can help me…
Pay $6 a month for your subscription or help me connect to fundraising sources keen on building an independent media ecosystem for an economy of wellbeing.
However and wherever you can meet me, I appreciate you. Your support, feedback and belief make this work possible — and remind me that authentic journalism still matters to people who care about truth, justice and each other.
Share this post