John,
 
There are 12 days left until the Biden-Harris Administration begins, introducing a healing force of new leadership that we need now more than ever. This week brought good news out of Georgia but ultimately proved a dark time in our country’s history, and we’re deeply saddened and angered by what we witnessed on Wednesday. Normally, we'd be sending you a note about our work and new opportunities, but in the wake of what’s happened not just to our federal government but to our hometown, we're taking a pause and hope everyone is staying safe.
 
Third Way released the following statement on the events of January 6:
 
“We watched the sickening spectacles in the Capitol yesterday with shock and horror but not with surprise. The physical attacks – assaults on the men and women who work in the building and the desecration of our democracy’s most sacred spaces – were unprecedented but not unpredictable. They were the culmination of a political assault that the President of the United States and his many enablers have unleashed on our nation.
 
“Let us be clear: they are responsible. Donald Trump and his staff. Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and their Senate allies. The Republican Leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, and the majority of his caucus who joined him. They are at fault for lying without shame and maliciously attacking the most important pillar of our republic – our free and fair elections.
 
“That is not to say that the rioters who attacked the Capitol should not also be held to account. They should, and the failure on the part of law enforcement to immediately arrest more of the marauding crowd must be rectified. No one should be permitted to smash their way into the United States Capitol and defile its halls without serious consequence. It is inexcusable that peaceful protestors, like those marching in response to the murder of George Floyd, routinely are treated more harshly than the criminal thugs who invaded the Capitol yesterday.
 
“But even more serious are the crimes of the elected officials who incited them to violence. The President is the ringleader of this appalling circus, but he is not alone. The craven politicians who lied to the American people about the nature of the presidential election are also to blame. And when they reentered the sullied chambers and continued their charade long into the night, this was not just politics as usual – this was a seditious effort to execute a coup.
 
“In two weeks, Joe Biden will be President. This week, Chuck Schumer became Majority Leader. And on Sunday, Nancy Pelosi retained her gavel as Speaker of the House of Representatives. This country faces the deepest challenges of our lifetime. But we are relieved to have good, reasonable and thoughtful people ascending to positions of authority and responsibility.
 
“We are deeply grateful to the patriots who fought these criminals, both physically and rhetorically. And we are holding out hope that the country will heal and the guilty face justice when the nightmare of the Trump era ends on January 20.”

Best,
Jared 

Jared DeWese
Senior Communications Advisor | Third Way
202.384.1737 :: @jareddewese