Trump and His Allies Cannot Ignore the Will of the American People

Statement of Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn

The American people voted in record numbers in 2020, and we chose a new President and Vice President. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in on January 20th. The fact that Donald Trump and his supporters don’t like the outcome doesn’t change anything. They would like to ignore the will of the people, but that is not how democracies work. In a democracy, voters choose their representatives, and politicians cannot override the people.

What President Trump and his allies in Congress are doing is undemocratic, un-American, and disgraceful. What these outliers are doing will not succeed in doing any more than slightly delaying Congress’ count and certification of the Electoral College vote. However, history will not look favorably upon congressional Republicans’ actions to try to undermine the Constitution and the faith of the American people in our democracy.

It is time for every Member of Congress to move on and work with the new president to address the pressing needs of a nation facing a democracy in distress, racial inequity, and a financial crisis during a deadly pandemic that has already taken the lives of more than 350,000 Americans. To do anything less is a grave disservice to the nation they swore an oath to serve.