At 7:00 p.m. last night, the House of Representatives formally delivered to the Senate its article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump.

(A quick aside: Trump always claims to be superlative in everything he does, but in this case he actually IS — Trump is the only president to be impeached twice, and his second impeachment was the most bipartisan in our nation’s history.)

Republican senators now have a simple choice:

• Are you on the side of the United States Constitution, the rule of law, and the most basic elements of democracy?

• Or are you nothing but a spineless self-preserving hack, willing to sacrifice our democracy so you don’t get “primaried”?

• Because any senator who does not vote to convict Trump is unambiguously licensing authoritarianism, political intimidation and violence, election abrogation, and the Big Lie.

We fought, and won, a war of independence 250 years ago and formed a country that was not supposed to be vulnerable to such dangers.

But the Framers — who, despite their many faults, had just stood up to the most powerful empire of their time — never imagined that their successors would one day be too cowardly to defend the Constitution they were crafting, that elected representatives and senators might someday surrender their country before summoning an ounce of political courage.

Tell every Republican in the United States Senate:

If you don’t stand up now and convict Donald Trump, what’s to stop him or somebody else from trying again to illegally and even violently overthrow the government, turning our democracy into a dictatorship? For once, find the courage to put real patriotism before rank self-interest.

Add your name.

Thank you for taking action.

For democracy,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

P.S. For half a century, Public Citizen has been advancing policies that put the needs of everyday Americans before the greed of billionaires and Big Business. That legacy of progress and that ongoing work could not matter more right now, as our nation transitions to a Joe Biden presidency that will be as progressive as we — you and Public Citizen, together — make it. We’re also busy undoing all the damage Trump did. And, like so many nonprofits and small businesses, we continue to experience financial strain related to 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.
 
 
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