Over the last four years, President Trump and his enablers have undermined American democracy and endangered lives through rhetoric that incited violence, sympathized with white supremacists, and spread baseless conspiracies. What we witnessed yesterday was an attempted coup d’état in Washington, DC. Thousands, including many known white supremacists, stormed the Capitol and endangered the lives of lawmakers and their staff, not to mention inflicted material and psychological damage on our nation.
Those observing the police response to the rioters rampaging and looting their way through the Capitol Building, in complete contrast to the police response to calls for racial justice, knew that it was ‘white privilege’ that stormed the Capitol. They knew that had the rioters been Black or Brown, the result would have been very different.
We are at a pivotal junction in our nation’s history, where a false narrative by a narcissistic and fascistic president has inspired some Americans to commit acts of violence. While we appreciate the Republican elected officials who have, at long last, supported democratic procedures by pushing for a peaceful transition of power, it has come a little too late. We are entering a new presidency with a Democratic Senate majority, presiding over a divided nation. No transition of power can promise an end to the divisiveness that Trump has deepened without a re-commitment by Republicans to our democratic values.
What we need now is for EVERY elected official to choose America first, over any party or leader, by holding Trump accountable for encouraging an attempted coup in his name and for inciting violence against our country and its institutions.