We will not be intimidated
Our democracy held firm in the face of an utterly appalling attack.
This is a dangerous moment for democracy, those who conspired against the will of the voters and the rule of law should be held accountable.
Two months ago, a record number of Americans overcame barriers to voting — including a deadly pandemic — and chose a new President. And on January 6, we watched in horror as far-right insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to drown out all of our voices.
The U.S Congress has certified the Electoral College total, and President-elect Joe Biden will become President effective at noon on January 20.
President Trump incited this violence.
There is absolutely too much at stake for our country to ignore the hideous reality that he is unfit to lead. Trump’s behavior in office has fundamentally undermined our democratic norms, our values, and the rule of law. And, rebuilding those vital institutions starts with accountability.
Congress must draw a clear red line that their behavior was unacceptable. It is time to move our country forward, and unify against President Trump’s violent incitement by passing bipartisan articles of impeachment. If convicted in the Senate, Donald Trump can be forever barred from holding public office again.
This is a wake-up call — or a reminder — for every American about the danger we’ve been living with.
Trump has carried out the implicit threat that he’s made for his entire political career: refusing to accept the results of an election that rejects him. He repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power — and when asked on the debate stage to tell the white supremacist Proud Boys to “stand down,” he instead urged them to “stand back and stand by.”
Now, his most extreme supporters have attempted to violently subvert the will of the people in a fair, legal, and certified election.
And, they were able to violently storm and vandalize the Capitol with few arrests — in the same city where police violently attacked peaceful Black Lives Matter activists with tear gas and rubber bullets. The police must answer for this racist double standard and their passive response to violent white nationalists — and a full investigation of their conduct must take place.
Trump’s many enablers in elected office also bear serious responsibility for this tragedy. History will watch and judge the legislators and state attorneys general who planned to help him overturn the election — particularly the 138 Republicans in the House and 7 in the Senate who voted with Trump even after the violence.
Here’s how you can help:
We won’t be intimidated. It’s time to draw a line in the sand.
Common Cause is calling for Trump’s immediate impeachment for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government, and his Cabinet must invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. He must be removed by any legal means.
Furthermore, the Members of Congress who joined Trump’s call have violated their sacred oath to the Constitution — which Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) has called on the Ethics Committee to investigate, potentially leading to their expulsion from Congress. And, there must be accountability for the people who violently stormed the Capitol– as well as a full investigation into the Capitol Police’s conduct in response.
Americans have a right to peacefully protest, but there’s no place for a violent insurrection in our democracy — especially in an attempt to overrule the will of the voters and overturn a free, fair, and democratic election.
But even as a far-right mob stormed the Capitol — Trump posted messages of support on Twitter, repeated his baseless lies about the integrity of our election, and menacingly urged all of us to “Remember this day forever!” — posts that our Stop Disinformation program invoked as we successfully petitioned Twitter to suspend his account.
Trump and his enablers have exploited social media platforms to amplify disinformation and incite violence, sowing seeds that could lead to the destruction of our democracy. For the sake of future generations, we absolutely cannot let them succeed.
Our democracy is worth defending — and it requires the continued efforts of each and every one of us to maintain it for the next generation. The dangerous forces responsible will remain long after Trump leaves office.
