Since organizing the Voters Not Politicians 2018 ballot initiative that put citizens in charge of drawing Michigan's legislative maps, Fahey has been the founding executive director of The People, which is forming statewide networks to promote government accountability. She regularly interviews colleagues in the world of democracy reform for our Opinion section.
Kaitlin LaCasse is campaign manager for Protect Maine Elections. LaCasse, who has been involved in Maine politics for over a decade, is a community leader who cares deeply about the people of her state. She felt compelled to lead this campaign to ensure all Mainers would have an equal voice in their elections.
Our conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Fahey: Tell us about your background. What led you to get involved with Protect Maine Elections?
LaCasse: I’ve worked on three gubernatorial campaigns and I recently managed Maine’s campaign to pass semi-open primary legislation, which was successful in franchising hundreds of thousands of voters. I’m motivated by making sure that all Mainers have their voices heard.
Fahey: How will this groundbreaking citizens initiative change the way Mainers vote?
LaCasse: This initiative may not change the way Mainers vote per se, but it will change what information voters receive – and from whom – beforehand. First, it will affirm Maine’s support for an anti-corruption amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and require the state to report on bipartisan progress made by our congressional delegation to advance it. The amendment would stop out-of-control spending in our elections and protect the free speech, representation and votes of all Mainers, not just wealthy donors.
Second, it will protect Maine elections from undo foreign influence. Currently, foreign-owned corporations can put as much money as they like into our referendum campaigns. Foreign electioneering isn’t just a hypothetical here in Maine: Hydro-Quebec, a corporation that’s 100 percent owned by the government of Quebec, recently spent $22 million to influence the outcome of an election – more than twice the previous record for spending in a referendum.
Fahey: Will it completely eliminate a foreign entity's ability to donate to a referendum campaign?
LaCasse: Once enacted, the new rules will apply to companies with 50 percent ownership or higher held by a foreign government; subsidiaries with 5 percent or more shares owned, controlled or directed by a foreign government; and companies in which a foreign government directs, dictates, controls or participates in its decision-making process. Under current law, these foreign entities are not allowed to influence our candidate elections, and they should not be permitted to do so in our referendum campaigns either.
Fahey: How can Mainers currently detect when foreign countries are influencing their elections, and how will that change?
LaCasse: Currently, it’s incredibly challenging to detect when foreign interests are influencing our elections – you can't detect it unless you’re able to figure out who owns the companies making contributions and paying for ads. In the future, additional reporting will be necessary, and donations won't be allowed from companies that fall into the foreign categories we discussed. New public disclosure requirements will be imposed on foreign entities engaging in issue advertising, and this will make it much easier for Mainers to know when that’s happening.
Fahey: What stage is the campaign at, and how can people get involved?
LaCasse: We are working to collect the 63,000-plus signatures necessary to get on the ballot, and we’ve collected more than 50,000 signatures so far. With this momentum, we’re well positioned to submit our signatures this fall. If folks would like to get involved, they can volunteer on our website at protectmaineelections.com to help collect signatures.
Fahey: How do you know the people of Maine want these changes?
LaCasse: Polling shows that 73 percent of Maine voters support our constitutional amendment, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independent voters. Maine’s voter participation and civic engagement are the envy of the nation. We believe in the importance of showing up at town meetings and that billionaire donors shouldn’t have an outsized voice in our elections.
Fahey: Do you think this campaign helps strengthen the ideals of democracy?
LaCasse: Absolutely! The ideals of democracy are rooted in every voter having an equal voice, and currently voters don’t because of entities dumping vast amounts of money into our political system. By creating a system that puts our voices on a more equal footing it absolutely benefits democracy and allows all of our voices to be heard.
Fahey: What other organizations are supporting your effort?
LaCasse: There's a vast coalition working on this, and it's incredible to work with such a great group of organizations and people! The People (your organization), American Promise, RepresentUs, and End Citizens United are providing significant support that we’re very grateful for. We're also working closely with the League of Women Voters of Maine and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections.
Fahey: In thinking about your journey, do you have any advice for citizens who want to do something about an issue?
LaCasse: Don’t assume somebody is going to do the work for you. If there's a change you want to see, you need to roll up your sleeves and start working on it. Get others to help; the more people involved the more likely it will be successful. Having a well thought out strategy is important, but energy and enthusiasm go a long way. Also, keep the water warm for people who may not see your reasoning at first. People come at things with different points of view, and if they haven't decided to come on board yet, keep things positive and show them why it’s important.
Fahey: If you were speaking with a high school student or a new immigrant to our country, how would you describe what being an American means to you?
LaCasse: Being an American means there are tremendous opportunities to get involved and help shape the system and our country, recognizing that it’s easier for some people than for others. So many systemic issues make it challenging, and we have a responsibility to help even the playing field and work to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to engage. As Americans, we have an obligation to do everything we can to try to change those unfair systems.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a“ Steel Across America” event ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks on the Ellipse near the White House on Sept. 8, 2026 in Washington, D.C. President Trump welcomed 9/ 11 first responders to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’ s“ Steel Across America” event featuring a 16,900- pound, 21- foot steel beam recovered.
For Trump, even 9/11 is an opportunity
There was a reason organizers of the 9/11 ceremony in Manhattan told President Trump he could not speak at this year’s memorial service.
A good one, it turns out.
Because in a speech he gave on Tuesday in Washington, he did exactly what they were presumably worried about — he made it about himself.
According to The New York Times, Trump had wanted a speaking role at the service, but the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum, which oversees the site, said no, as they’ve maintained for the past decade-plus that the venue and event should be nonpartisan.
Trump has long used awful tragedies to either puff himself up, trash political opponents, or sell lies to the American people.
He blamed a deadly plane crash at Washington National Airport last year on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. He blamed Puerto Ricans for the devastation they endured after Hurricane Maria in 2017. He reportedly considered withholding disaster relief after the California wildfires based on the way affected regions voted. In an interview on Fox News meant to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, he used the occasion to slam former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi…with graves of the dead behind him.
And now, as we approach the 25th anniversary of what many New Yorkers consider the darkest day in modern history, Trump has done it again.
He told a rambling, nonsensical story — one he’s told before — about going to Ground Zero just after terrorists flew two commercial jets into the twin towers. In the story, which no one has been able to verify, despite multiple attempts, he says firefighters had to carry him out of One Liberty Plaza, also known as the U.S. Steel Building, because they thought it was about to collapse.
As CNN fact checker Daniel Dale notes, there’s no evidence Trump went into this building, especially at a time when NYPD and NYFD had locked down the area. There’s no evidence that building was collapsing — in fact, it was deemed structurally sound and reopened within two months of the attacks. There’s no evidence he was carried out of it by firefighters.
But the lie isn’t even the worst part. Pretend it was all true — why would the leader of our country, and a New Yorker, decide to make that tragic day about himself?
Because that’s who Donald Trump is. He’s a malignant narcissist.
He’s also, incidentally, a terrible and ineffectual president, who’s made ill-fated decisions that he has to keep defending, and there’s nothing he won’t do to make himself look and feel better.
Within the first two minutes of his speech, he was cravenly using 9/11 to justify and promote his dumb war in Iran — two events separated by 25 years and 6,000 miles.
“And I will tell you, we’re right now fighting because we have a certain nation that wanted a nuclear weapon, they were very close to getting it, and now they have no chance at getting it. They will never have a nuclear weapon. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And they’ve been punished greatly. As you know, we’ve really taken it to them.”
As a New Yorker who lived through 9/11, still one of the worst days of my life, I’m utterly sickened by Trump’s crass, political, and self-promotional framing of that awful day.
And I’m relieved he won’t be given a platform to do it again on Friday’s anniversary in lower Manhattan.
Because for Trump, everything is his for the taking, and absolutely nothing is sacred.
S.E. Cupp is the host of "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered" on CNN.