Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States of America.

Donald Trump’s despicable rule will come to an unseemly end on January 20, 2021.

Take a moment and savor that.

Really.

We’re going to be talking to you a lot over the next few days about where we go from here (and where we’ve come from).

But a few reflections right now ...

First, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this result. Donald Trump is a danger to the health and well-being of every American — and every person on this planet.

No more Trump means:

• An end to the Muslim Ban.

• Reentering the Paris Accord to fend off climate catastrophe.

• A science-based policy to address the coronavirus pandemic.

• An end to flagrant presidential self-dealing.

• Rescuing the Environmental Protection Agency from a former coal lobbyist, the Department of Interior from a former oil and gas lobbyist, the Department of Health and Human Services from a former Big Pharma executive, the Department of Defense from a former Raytheon lobbyist, the Labor Department from a union-busting lawyer.

It’s a really, really long list. And it includes a president who traffics so routinely in lies, fraud, racist and sexist statements and policy, vicious anti-immigrant xenophobia, and all-around meanness that we’ve unavoidably started to become inured, even as our culture has coarsened and increasingly been defined by resentment, scapegoating, and hate.

Yes, indeed — the pending departure of this stain on America is a cause for celebration.

The sun really will come out tomorrow!

Second, Trump is not going to go easily.

He’s already proclaimed that he wins if you count the “legal” votes. (Apparently votes against him are per se “illegal.”)

His lawyers are filing petty suits around the country.

And Don Jr. has explicitly encouraged state legislatures to ignore the will of their constituents and install electors who will cast their Electoral College votes for Trump.

We’re going to stay vigilant and, if necessary, mobilize to prevent all post-election efforts to steal the White House.

I’m confident that all these desperation maneuvers will fail. But it will require us all to stay engaged and do whatever is needed.

Beyond ensuring Trump makes his timely exit, we’re going to have to guard against all kinds of corrupt and dangerous moves he might make as a lame duck president.

If you can imagine it, Trump might try it.

Again, we’re ready and poised to stop him — in the courts, in the streets, whatever is necessary. But it will take all of us.

Third, as excited as we should be about the departure of Donald Trump, we shouldn’t have any illusions about Joe Biden.

However the Senate races shake out, Joe Biden will not be our savior.

Joe Biden will be exactly as bold and progressive a president as we make him be.

We have to be our own saviors.

There’s no retiring from democratic engagement with Trump leaving office.

The exciting thing is, now instead of mobilizing to stop bad things, we can finally again start pushing for good things.

Okay, that’s enough for now. As I said, you’ll be hearing a lot from us in the days ahead.

For now, let’s celebrate!

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

P.S. Public Citizen — like many nonprofits and small businesses — is experiencing financial strain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. If you can, please make an emergency donation today to support the critical work we’re doing together or even join our popular Monthly Giving program. Thank you.
 
 
Public Citizen | 1600 20th Street NW | Washington DC 20009 | Unsubscribe