Friend:

History was made – yet again – when the House of Representatives voted this week to impeach President Trump for a second time, making him the first and only president to be impeached twice.

Like you, I was horrified to see the Capitol building invaded and vandalized, members of Congress forced into hiding, and law enforcement not just threatened but ultimately one officer even losing his life to this dangerous and seditious pro-Trump mob. From vandalized historic Black churches to Camp "Auschwitz T-shirts" and Jesus signs, white Christian nationalism was on full display. And we know this emboldened movement isn't going away on its own or any time soon.

President Trump’s impeachment can only be one part of our national response to last week’s insurrection. We must mount the most strategic, proactive fight of our lives to reclaim religious freedom as a fundamental American value that applies equally to all of us and does not permit harm to others. We must shut down continued efforts to undermine church-state separation.

Americans United is already leading in that effort. We will continue our work to expose and stop the state legislative agenda of movements like Project Blitz, and we will continue to bring our expertise and advocacy to Congress and the new administration. We won’t stop seeking justice in the courts, though we are doing so mindful that we have more conservative lower courts and an ultra-conservative U.S. Supreme Court majority.

In just four days, President-Elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office as America’s 46th president, ending Trump’s term and fulfilling our Constitution’s mandate for a peaceful transfer of power as a result of a free and fair election.

Under threat of further violence in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals across the country, the machinery of our democracy carries on. That’s possible because at the end of the day, most people – like you – remain firmly committed to the democratic principles of our Constitution.

Today, National Religious Freedom Day, is the perfect day to thank you, friend, for being with Americans United at this eventful juncture in history. It’s no exaggeration to say that our choices now around where to invest our energy and resources will shape the future for generations of Americans to come.

With hope and determination,