Young Democrats of Bergen County Condemn Attempted Coup by Donald Trump and Rioters Attacking the US Capitol Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Young Democrats of Bergen County staunchly condemn the coup attempt by Donald Trump and his violent supporters today in Washington D.C.

Despite the fact that Donald Trump has privately acknowledged that he lost the election, he has consistently lied about the how it was conducted and the fact that Joe Biden has been lawfully certified as the winner. Now, emboldened by the cowardly and anti-democratic actions of Republican members of Congress, the outgoing President called on his supporters to violently riot and storm the US Capitol Building, in an effort to overthrow the results of the election. The outgoing President then issued woefully late, a tepid and wholly inadequate call for rioters to go home, while still perpetuating the lie that the election was stolen from him.

We as Americans should never forget what we witnessed yesterday in Washington. We now know that our Democracy cannot be taken for granted.  When large numbers of our fellow citizens abandon the values and principles this nation was founded on in favor of antidemocratic, authoritarian rule, we must denounce their actions.  To the residents of Bergen County and Americans all over the country who watched these scenes in horror, we must stand strong in defense of democracy, our Constitution, our institutions, and lawful and honorable behavior. Our collective patriotism and belief in these things will overcome the deranged and violent actions of people longing to be ruled by a demagogue.

Once again, as he has many times since his election, President-elect Joe Biden has stepped into the void of leadership left by Donald Trump, by making a live televised call to stop the violence and come together as a nation. Our nation and our people have never met a challenge we cannot overcome.

That said, we should not move past this dark moment without holding those responsible for this assault on our Democracy accountable. Make no mistake, the cowardice and silence of Republicans from Washington DC to Bergen County have led us to this moment. Their failure to repudiate Donald Trump has allowed authoritarianism to seep into the soil of our great nation, and poison the minds of millions of people with fantastical conspiracy theories.

We call on all elected Republicans in Bergen County to immediately and unequivocally condemn the actions of Donald Trump, the rioters attempting to stage a coup on his behalf, and to unequivocally acknowledge that the election was not “stolen”.

You all swore an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution of these United States, and the time has come for you to do so. Failure to condemn these actions are tantamount to approval of them. Either you are in favor of the Constitution and the rule of law, or the lawlessness we witnessed at the direction of President Trump. There is no middle ground.

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