Hi John — earlier this week, our nation entered a new, and scarily dark, era of MAGA extremism.
And within just a few hours of being sworn in, Donald Trump signed an executive order to pardon virtually every rioter involved in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 that led to the death of 3 Capitol Police officers and left 140 more seriously injured.
I'd be lying if I said the decision didn't bring back a flood of memories for me.
It was frightening. As hundreds of rioters stormed the building, my colleague and I were rushed into a room, where I remember my son had called me to explain how to barricade a door. For the next five hours, my colleague and I were trapped in this tiny closet of a room as family and friends called to make sure we were okay.
John, I worked my best to keep calm in those moments, but in retrospect, I am so glad I didn't get to see live footage of what was going on on the other side of that door. The chaos, the violence, the complete disregard for people's lives, it was one of the worst things I've ever seen.
For folks across the country, myself included, Trump's recent decision to pardon these criminals is another horrific reminder of his attempt to overthrow our democracy in the name of his own political agenda.
And this isn't the first or last of terrible decisions — in just the first few days of his term, he's also signed a slew of other executive orders to: 1️⃣ end birthright citizenship, 2️⃣ begin mass deportation efforts in cities across the country, 3️⃣ attack our trans family, friends and neighbors, and 4️⃣ reverse almost 80 of former-President Biden's executive orders designed to make life easier for the everyday American.
While the future seems bleak, John, I'm reaching out to promise you this:
No amount of MAGA extremism will deter me from standing up for our community's best interests and being a loud voice against ignorance, hate and divisiveness in Congress.
As we get further into Trump's second term, my team and I will be reaching out to keep you informed and up-to-date about all of the GOP's attempts to take away our rights, and Democrats' work to combat them. Throughout it all, I hope you'll continue to fight with us.
Thank you,
Congresswoman Lois Frankel
