Watch the full briefing here
Washington, DC —Today, former Senator Doug Jones, former ambassador Norman Eisen, president of Lake Research Partners Celinda Lake, and Defend Democracy Project co-chair Leslie Dach held a press event to discuss what we’ve learned so far from the January 6 Select Committee hearings. The speakers discussed what we’ve learned so far about the plot to overturn the will of the people, the public’s view of the events of January 6 and the hearings, and the ongoing threat to our country still posed by Trump and his MAGA allies.
The hearings have shown, without a doubt, that Trump and MAGA Republicans engaged in a violent criminal conspiracy to overturn an election they lost. They knew their actions were illegal. They have shown they will go to illegal and violent lengths to gain and stay in power, and they must be held accountable in the courts and should not hold public office.
“The President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, not only instigated and urged violent action but then sat back with the ability to snap his finger and stop everything,” said former Senator Doug Jones. “He and his allies rallied supporters around the country to urge people to START the steal. What is important is the threat to democracy, because there is so much that has happened and is continuing to happen across the country perpetuating the myth that the election was stolen and subverting elections. Our work is just beginning.”
“Trump’s decision not to call off the attack wasn’t just inaction, it was wrongful action,” said former ambassador Norman Eisen. “These hearings are working. The American people are waking up and calling for the prosecution of Trump and his co-conspirators. But in a sense the insurrection isn’t over, the wrongdoers are preparing to assault future elections. Prosecution is important to stop that.”
“The public has been paying attention with enormous penetration,” said President of Lake Research Partners Celinda Lake. “There is a complete picture here that is emerging because the public has been paying attention to the hearings – they are concerned about the likelihood of an attack in the future. The public has concluded that this was not a spontaneous bystander event, but it was planned, funded, and encouraged by Trump and MAGA Allies.”
“These powerful testimonies from these eight hearings have allowed us to reflect on how our democracy was and still is under attack,” said Defend Democracy Project co-chair Leslie Dach. “Our democracy is still threatened by people who believe that the 2020 election was not stolen and Donald Trump was the winner. The American people are watching and in support of the prosecution of the former president. The fight continues in order to bring whoever participated or whoever encouraged this insurrection to justice for the sake of our democracy and for the American people.”
