A Call to Anyone Trapped in an Abusive Relationship

This message is for anyone who is currently in an abusive relationship—man or woman, young or old, married or unmarried. Abuse does not discriminate, and neither should our concern or our response. If you are in a relationship where your partner puts their hands on you, threatens you, intimidates you, controls you, or makes you live in fear, you need to hear this clearly: that is not love.

Someone who hurts you does not love you. Someone who apologizes after hurting you and then repeats the behavior does not love you. Words, tears, and promises mean nothing when the behavior never changes. Abuse is not a mistake. It is a pattern. And that pattern almost always escalates over time.

Too many people stay because they believe the apology. Too many people stay because they hope things will get better. Too many people stay because they are financially trapped, emotionally worn down, isolated from family, or afraid of what will happen if they leave. And too often, by the time they decide to leave, it is already too late.

I am calling on you to leave before something irreversible happens.

Abuse is not just physical. It can be emotional, psychological, financial, or verbal. Being screamed at, controlled, threatened, humiliated, or isolated is abuse. Being prevented from working, accessing money, or seeing friends and family is abuse. Being made to feel worthless or scared in your own home is abuse. These are not “relationship problems.” These are warning signs.

As President, I will treat domestic abuse as the national crisis that it is. My administration will create a dedicated organization focused solely on helping people escape abusive situations safely and permanently. This will not be a hotline that leads nowhere. This will not be a maze of paperwork and excuses. This will be a real, action-driven organization with one mission: to get you out and help you rebuild.

If you reach out to this organization, you will not be told to “go back and work it out.” You will not be judged. You will not be ignored. You will be helped.

We will assist you in leaving the situation safely. We will provide temporary housing during the separation period so you are not forced to choose between homelessness and abuse. We will help you stabilize financially, connect you with employment resources, and give you access to mentoring and guidance so you can regain control of your life. We will help you understand the warning signs so you do not fall into the same cycle again.

Abuse thrives in silence, isolation, and fear. My goal is to remove all three.

No one should feel trapped because they lack money. No one should stay because they have nowhere to go. No one should believe they deserve to be hurt. And no one should feel invisible to their government while living in danger.

If you are in an abusive relationship, leaving does not make you weak. It makes you strong. It means you chose your life, your safety, and your future. Help exists, and under my leadership, that help will be accessible, direct, and effective.

You deserve peace. You deserve safety. And you deserve a future free from fear.