Trump should be removed and never hold office again.
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Dear Fellow Supporters of Democracy,
I hope you are all safe today.
I know all of you are as shocked and horrified about yesterday’s events as I am. Jan. 6, 2021 was an incredibly painful day for our country, and one we will not forget. We know from history that democracy is a fragile thing and needs to be nurtured and protected—that is what we work toward at Campaign Legal Center.
This fall, nearly 160 million Americans voted in the November general election—the most in history. Facing a global pandemic and barriers to voting, American voters made their will clear.
Yesterday, we had a sobering reminder at how vulnerable democracies can be. The shock is that the violence we saw at the U.S. Capitol was undeniably and inexcusably incited by the president of the United States: by his calls for thousands of people to come to Washington on the day the Electoral College votes were to be counted for a “wild time,” and then further incitement by him, his son and lawyer—using violent language—at a rally outside the White House just before the joint session of Congress convened. This, on top of months of baseless attacks on our democratic system.
The sitting president is an active and immediate threat to American democracy. Leadership in the legislative and executive branches should go on record condemning Trump’s anti-democratic actions. Many have already done so, from both parties. I believe the only way to ensure accountability and mitigate the risk of further incitement to violence and unconstitutional actions between now and January 20th is for President Trump to resign or be removed from office, and for Congress to ensure he never holds federal office again. The bipartisan National Task Force on Election Crises, of which CLC is a part, has called for this ([link removed]) , as has Checks and Balances ([link removed]) , a conservative/libertarian group with many
former Reagan and Bush senior officials. Our elected leaders should ensure that Trump can do no further damage. American history requires this, or we will be consigned to repeat it.
Those who charged the Capitol building to attack our democracy should be held accountable and prosecuted. It is inexcusable that this can happen, and the response to this largely white mob stands in stark contrast from the decision to use tear gas to disperse a peaceful gathering of Black Lives Matter protestors in front of the White House this summer for a photo op. Inequality in the administration of justice is not acceptable.
Thankfully, the halls of the Capitol were cleared by last night, and the work of Congress was able to resume. But far too many members of Congress continued their groundless objection to the votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania. It cannot be said enough: We have a duty as Americans to accept the results of elections, even if the candidate we supported does not win. When I worked for John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008 and he lost, he eloquently called for Americans to support his victorious opponent as President. Now, members of Congress are not telling their supporters the truth about Trump's loss and are thereby causing real and lasting harm.
In the end, good sense and decency last night overcame the objections. An overwhelming number of Senators voted them down and delivered strong speeches against them, and some of those who had earlier planned to object changed their position after the awful events of the day. In the early hours of this morning, the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was certified.
The problems facing American democracy are larger and deeper than Trump—this election and the past four years have exposed vulnerabilities that must be addressed immediately. We need to work harder than ever to fight for transparent, inclusive and accountable government. We can do this. We must. Democracy will prevail if we fight for it.
Clearly, we have unprecedented and difficult days ahead as a country, but we will all get through this together. We are grateful to you for your continued support of our organization. Now, let us all be safe and prepare for brighter days.
Sincerely,
Trevor Potter, and the staff at Campaign Legal Center
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