Two years ago today, Donald Trump incited an armed mob to storm the United States Capitol in what amounted to an attempted coup d’etat by a defeated president for the first time in our nation’s history.
The congressional January 6th Committee demonstrated beyond a shadow of doubt that Trump (and others) committed numerous crimes designed to keep Trump in office illegally. The committee has presented its evidence to the Department of Justice. And the DOJ is conducting its own extensive investigation.
Donald Trump must be held accountable — both to appropriately punish him for his egregious, unprecedented crimes and to deter him (or anyone else) from repeating those crimes in 2024 (or beyond).
As we mark two years since the January 6, 2021, attack on our very democracy, we invite you to join Public Citizen in sending a direct message to Donald Trump:
As the saying goes, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” You committed numerous crimes in an attempt to remain in power illegally despite the incontrovertible FACT that you LOST the 2020 election. You — Donald Trump — deserve to be convicted for your crimes and punished accordingly.
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Allow me a few more words about the imperative of marking this moment and holding Trump accountable.
January 6, 2021, will forever be a date that lives in infamy in American history.
But January 6 was not a one-day, one-time event.
It was the product of years of anti-democratic backsliding engineered by right-wing forces:
- The lies, racism, and propaganda of Fox News and the far-right media ecosystem.
- Years-long maneuvers by Republicans to disenfranchise voters of color.
- Big Business dominance of our politics and economy that has left many voters alienated and hurting.
- Extreme racial and partisan gerrymandering that has led to the election of far-right extremists that traffic in conspiracy and fascism.
- Embrace of authoritarianism by Donald Trump and the Trump cult.
And here’s the most important thing: We are not out of the woods.
The lunacy going on right now in the House of Representatives is a direct continuation of the trends that brought us January 6.
It is very tempting to dismiss all of this as a clown show. That would be a profound mistake. Fascism often rises amidst buffoonery and farce.
Reversing all these trends — and deepening and expanding our democracy — must be our guiding light.
And accountability for Donald Trump is central to that effort.
Thank you for taking action.
For democracy and justice,
- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
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