Friends --

Early this morning, Congress voted to certify the election results. President-elect Joe Biden will take office on January 20th as the 46th President of the United States.

Donald Trump lost. It was a free and fair election. Trump received fewer votes and Biden received more. That's the truth. And it's long past time for Trump to be held accountable for his words and actions.

Yesterday's unprecedented attack on the Capitol -- the People's House -- is what happens when leaders propagate hate and division and sow distrust in our most basic democratic norms.

Prior to the siege, Trump gave a speech to his supporters in front of the White House, where he spewed baseless claims of election fraud and told those listening, "You’ll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong."

After the Capitol was breached, Trump continued to hurl falsehoods about a stolen election, he called the insurrectionists "great patriots," and he even said, "These are things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away."

I share in your disgust, in your sorrow, and in your anger that this happened in the United States of America.

Donald Trump's actions and words make it clear that he is unfit for the Office of the President.

I took an oath to protect the Constitution. I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to protect our democracy, Trump must be removed from office by the Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment or by this Congress impeaching him.

We must restore the soul of our nation. We must protect our democracy. We must repair the damage that has been done through compassion, love, and facts. We must return America as a beacon of liberty, equality, hope, and opportunity for all.

Friends, I will keep fighting to make our democracy stronger.

Sincerely,

Antonio Delgado