We all saw what happened yesterday: an angry mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to halt our democracy. At the time, senators and representatives had gathered to certify the results of the presidential election. Until yesterday, that’s something they’ve been able to accomplish, peacefully, every four years.
It’s horrifying, but not surprising. Trump encouraged this violence, all because he’s a sore loser who can’t accept the will of the people.
But it’s not just Trump who is to blame. For years, conservatives in St. Paul and Washington D.C. have refused to condemn Trump’s violent rhetoric. They all know that Trump lost the 2020 election fair and square, but they still helped embolden far-right conspiracy theorists by repeating Trump’s baseless claims. As a result, we’re now seeing the consequences of their cowardice. And it’s sickening.
Minnesota conservatives spread dangerous lies
Minnesota Republican Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Jim Hagedorn voted to undermine our democracy by objecting to the electoral college vote for President-elect Joe Biden.
Reps. Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer have also been complicit in Donald Trump’s attempts to sow doubts about the outcome of the election and undermine democracy. In December, Stauber, Hagedorn, and Emmer signed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to overturn the results of the 2020 elections. And Rep. Stauber doubled down on baseless election conspiracy theories.
Because of this, they all bear responsibility for Trump supporters’ violence and attack on our country.
It’s happening here at home, too
While the chaos erupted in Washington D.C., a second group of Trump supporters, including some conservative Minnesota legislators, gathered in St. Paul for another disturbing rally. They threatened violence against Governor Walz. They claimed there would be casualties.
Again, disgusting. But not surprising.
Conservatives in Minnesota’s legislature, like Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, stood by Trump for years. State Senator Carla Nelson even said once, “my agenda is President Trump’s agenda.” They’ve cheered him on at his rallies. Supported his bogus lawsuits. Repeated his inflammatory rhetoric and unfounded election claims.
Enough is enough
No more bloodshed. No more wackadoo conspiracies. It’s time for conservatives to be held accountable, and to accept responsibility for this violence.
Find out who represents you, and demand that Trump’s conservative allies face consequences for spreading violence and misinformation. And be sure to sign up to receive updates and alerts from ABM.
Together, we’ll hold conservatives accountable and make sure that nothing like this stain on our history ever happens again.
