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Defend the Republic

Location:

Washington, DC
Type:

Limited Liability Company
Chief Executive Officer:

Zac Petkanas
Formation:

2017

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Defend the Republic is a Democratic Party-aligned messaging and strategic communications venture targeting President Donald Trump over alleged associations between Trump, his 2016 Presidential campaign, and the Russian government. It is associated with Petkanas Strategies, a political consultancy headed by Democratic operative Zac Petkanas. 1

Activities

In October 2019, Defend the Republic teamed with Stand Up America to establish ImpeachmentHQ to provide rapid response and media spin during the impeachment process of President Donald Trump. 2

Zac Petkanas

Zac Petkanas, a veteran Democratic Party operative and president of Petkanas Strategies,3 launched Defend the Republic in July 2017 as a messaging and strategic communications project focused on various Russia-Trump investigations. 4

Petkanas was previously the director of the Trump War Room at the Democratic National Committee in 2017. Before that, he worked as the director of rapid response for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign from October 2015 through November 2016. 5

He was also a vice president at Media Matters for America, a leftwing media watchdog group after serving as director of communications for then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2010 and 2011. 6

Petkanas, who had been a Fox News pundit, announced in October 2018 that he would no longer appear on the nation’s largest cable news network, alleging the channel was “a cancerous propaganda organ doing lasting damage to our country.” 7

References

  1. ImpeachmentHQ. DemCast. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://demcastusa.com/author/impeachment-hq/
  2. Press Release. “Stand Up American and Defend the Republican Launch Impeachment HQ.” October 15, 2019. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.standupamerica.com/press-releases/pr-impeachment-hq/ 
  3. Press Release. “Stand Up American and Defend the Republican Launch Impeachment HQ.” October 15, 2019. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.standupamerica.com/press-releases/pr-impeachment-hq/ 
  4. Ann Palmer, Jake Sherman and Dan Lippman. “Playbook: John Kelly’s First Day – Pence in Estonia – Susan Glasser Talks to Lebanese PM Hariri – Ann Karaini and Eliana Johnson on Jared and Ivanka – B’Day of the Day: Mark Cuban.” Politico. July 31, 2017. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2017/07/31/john-kellys-first-day-pence-in-estonia-to-reassure-allies-on-russia-susan-glasser-talks-to-lebanese-pm-hariri-annie-karni-and-eliana-johnson-on-jared-and-ivanka-bday-of-the-day-mark-cuban-221595
  5. Zac Petkanas. LinkedIn. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-petkanas-622a885/
  6. Zac Petkanas. LinkedIn. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-petkanas-622a885
  7. Keller, Megan. “Former Clinton Aide Says He Will No Longer Appear on ‘Downright Dangerous’ Fox News.” The Hill. October 30, 2018. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/413889-former-clinton-aide-says-he-will-no-longer-appear-on-downright-dangerous-fox
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Defend the Republic


Washington, DC