Growing up in rural upstate New York, I watched how my neighbors faced the consequences of policies formulated by elites in Washington, D.C. who knew little about the day-to-day challenges of their lives. While the factories that once anchored our towns shuttered their doors, Main Street storefronts went dark, and good-paying jobs that supported entire families disappeared overseas, politicians on both sides of the aisle barely noticed. As Washington, D.C. grew stronger and more intrusive, it also grew more distant from the people it was supposed to represent. The same politicians who spoke of helping “the middle class” looked down on the values that define it: faith, work, family, and country.
Everything changed in 2016. President Donald J. Trump finally gave forgotten America a voice. He built the MAGA movement by speaking directly to the people Washington had abandoned. At its core, the MAGA movement was about one thing: lifting up the voices of forgotten Americans who had been ignored, dismissed, and left behind by the establishment.
Now, nearly a year into his second term, President Trump is fighting for these Americans every single day. But too often the rest of official Washington continues to drown out their voices. Bureaucrats, media elites, and think tanks continue to be out of touch and think they know better. They push policies that ignore real life in the heartland.
To fully entrench this movement, we must elevate the voices of the leaders closest to those forgotten Americans and put forward real solutions that reflect the realities they face on the ground. That’s why I’m launching two new groups: Defend Forgotten America and Defend Forgotten America Action. The first group (DFA) will be focused on healthcare policy while the second group (DFAA) will tackle broader economic challenges. We’ve chosen to put greater focus on health because this is one area where the right remains divided — between the libertarian instincts of the past, the populist priorities of the MAHA movement, and the real-world needs of voters. Unless we can unite these critical coalitions with real solutions, our movement risks being weakened by policy contradictions rather than strengthened by shared purpose.
The detached conversation inside the beltway has real consequences for everyday Americans. The most fundamental responsibility of the government is to keep our communities safe. However, when President Trump enforces the law and deploys resources to clean up cities and restore order, he is absurdly attacked as a king.
Or look at safety net programs. Most Americans believe we should protect and strengthen them for those who genuinely need help — through common-sense work requirements, ending rampant fraud, and removing illegal immigrants from the rolls. But instead of supporting these commonsense steps, Washington insiders keep proposing policy experiments that hurt American citizens and heartland communities who depend on these programs.
State and local conservative leaders are ready to return tax dollars to their citizens and reduce their tax burden. Yet, Washington too often empowers bureaucrats to dictate how Americans spend their own money.
Leaders like Governor Greg Abbott (R., Texas), Governor Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.), and Governor Jeff Landry (R., La.) are fighting for practical solutions to make communities safer, lower taxes, and create good-paying jobs. Conservative governors, state legislators, county commissioners, and mayors face real problems every single day and answer directly to the people. They understand that the issues they confront impact real people and communities, not just policy abstractions in a white paper. President Trump has been their ultimate ally, but their voices are still crowded out by the very establishment the MAGA movement rose up to challenge.
President Trump succeeded because he listened to forgotten Americans. Defend Forgotten America exists to complete his mission. We’re fighting to ensure that state and local leaders — the officials who know their communities — are heard inside the beltway. We’re working to get the federal government off the backs of farmers, manufacturers, healthcare providers, infrastructure builders, community banks, and energy producers. We’re championing the restoration of jobs and opportunity to communities across America’s heartland by elevating the leaders who serve them.
The Constitution established a system where power flows from the people. The MAGA movement awakened Americans to reclaim that power. President Trump showed us what’s possible when you lift up forgotten voices. Defend Forgotten America will fight to make sure they never go unheard again.
Jenn Pellegrino is the Executive Director of Defend Forgotten America and Defend Forgotten America Action.
