FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from the Vermont Democratic Party
MONTPELIER, VT – Today marks one year since the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, when Republican leaders incited an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results on January 6th, 2021. It remains one of the darkest days in our democracy’s history. Americans were stunned to watch in real time as conservative activists, inspired by former President Donald Trump, violently stormed and scaled the Capitol with the intent to disrupt the counting of the 2020 electoral votes, overturn the election results, and attack members of Congress. It was a violent crescendo of what has become a hallmark of the modern Republican Party: distrust, disinformation, and destruction. It was also a warning of the dangerous extremist actions that Trump and today’s Republicans leaders will take to stay in power, and a stark reminder of what we are fighting to protect — the right to vote, the integrity of elections, and our democracy itself. Vermont Democratic Party Chair Anne Lezak said in a statement: “The terrifying attack on the U.S. Capitol one year ago is a testament to the dangers of the disinformation campaigns and false narratives led by former President Donald Trump, his supporters at the highest levels, and many leaders in the Republican Party. “It was shocking to watch activists fueled by Trump’s and the right-wing media’s false rhetoric break into the Capitol, intentionally destroy property, and injure dozens of Capitol Police in their effort to overturn a legitimate election. What is equally disturbing is that a year later, Republican leaders across the country, including many in Congress, continue to promote demonstrably false conspiracy theories and undermine faith in our elections. “In statehouses across the country, legislators are using this false narrative to roll back voting rights. Republican leaders refuse to hold accountable the violent mob that broke into the Capitol Building, promote threats of violence against lawmakers at every level, and deny the very real threat to our democracy this represents.
“We must respond by redoubling our efforts to support the integrity of free and fair elections, end voter suppression, and fight misinformation campaigns. In Vermont, we have the luxury of knowing that our voting rights are well protected; we must ensure that across America, the voters decide the outcomes of elections. We will not forget January 6th, 2021; this somber anniversary is a call to action for all of us.”
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CONTACT:
Asha Carroll Communications Director Vermont Democratic Party acarroll@vtdemocrats.org (802) 391-4035
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