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US President Donald Trump is seen on TV from a video message released on Twitter addressing rioter at the US Capitol, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021. Trump told his supporters on Wednesday to "go home" after they stormed the US Capitol following a rally during which he repeated his spurious claims of election fraud. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Impeachment Trial Must Result in Trump Lifetime Ban To Protect Our Democracy
We cannot begin to address this threat and rebuild trust unless we send a clear message that future presidents cannot incite an insurrection at the end of their term and get away with it.
Feb 08, 2021
Any elected official who incites mob violence as part of a campaign to subvert our democracy is unfit to hold public office in the future.
This week's impeachment trial is an opportunity for the public to hear the extent to which former President Trump used a campaign of disinformation to bully election officials and attempt to steal an election he had lost at the ballot box, leading up to the attempted insurrection by supporters carrying his flag on Jan. 6.
The outcome of this trial should be a lifetime ban on Trump holding federal office.
Trump's disinformation campaign included lies to his supporters, but also blatant attempts to pressure state officials to break the law during the post-election period and an unprecedented demand of the vice president to circumvent the entire Electoral College once the vote had already been certified.
Lives were lost on Jan. 6 and confidence in our system of government was shaken. Now, 71% of Americans say that democracy in the U.S. is under threat.
We cannot begin to address this threat and rebuild trust unless we send a clear message that future presidents cannot incite an insurrection at the end of their term and get away with it. Tweetable quote: To prevent the most dangerous abuses of power in the future, we must first have accountability.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Trevor Potter
Trevor Potter is Campaign Legal Center's founder and President and one of the country's top election lawyers.
Any elected official who incites mob violence as part of a campaign to subvert our democracy is unfit to hold public office in the future.
This week's impeachment trial is an opportunity for the public to hear the extent to which former President Trump used a campaign of disinformation to bully election officials and attempt to steal an election he had lost at the ballot box, leading up to the attempted insurrection by supporters carrying his flag on Jan. 6.
The outcome of this trial should be a lifetime ban on Trump holding federal office.
Trump's disinformation campaign included lies to his supporters, but also blatant attempts to pressure state officials to break the law during the post-election period and an unprecedented demand of the vice president to circumvent the entire Electoral College once the vote had already been certified.
Lives were lost on Jan. 6 and confidence in our system of government was shaken. Now, 71% of Americans say that democracy in the U.S. is under threat.
We cannot begin to address this threat and rebuild trust unless we send a clear message that future presidents cannot incite an insurrection at the end of their term and get away with it. Tweetable quote: To prevent the most dangerous abuses of power in the future, we must first have accountability.
Trevor Potter
Trevor Potter is Campaign Legal Center's founder and President and one of the country's top election lawyers.
Any elected official who incites mob violence as part of a campaign to subvert our democracy is unfit to hold public office in the future.
This week's impeachment trial is an opportunity for the public to hear the extent to which former President Trump used a campaign of disinformation to bully election officials and attempt to steal an election he had lost at the ballot box, leading up to the attempted insurrection by supporters carrying his flag on Jan. 6.
The outcome of this trial should be a lifetime ban on Trump holding federal office.
Trump's disinformation campaign included lies to his supporters, but also blatant attempts to pressure state officials to break the law during the post-election period and an unprecedented demand of the vice president to circumvent the entire Electoral College once the vote had already been certified.
Lives were lost on Jan. 6 and confidence in our system of government was shaken. Now, 71% of Americans say that democracy in the U.S. is under threat.
We cannot begin to address this threat and rebuild trust unless we send a clear message that future presidents cannot incite an insurrection at the end of their term and get away with it. Tweetable quote: To prevent the most dangerous abuses of power in the future, we must first have accountability.
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