PRESS RELEASE Contact: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Date: January 6, 2023
Washington, DC – Today, Norm Eisen, legal scholar and counsel in the first impeachment and trial of former President Donald Trump, Patrick Gaspard, CEO of the Center for American Progress, Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research, and Leslie Dach, co-chair of Defend Democracy Project, joined a virtual press briefing hosted by Defend Democracy Project to discuss the second anniversary of the January 6th assault on the Capitol and the ongoing threat posed by MAGA Republicans.
The report from the January 6th Committee showed just how extensive the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election was. As the speakers said, Trump and his allies need to be held accountable for their roles as outlined in the Committee’s final report to ensure that something like the attack on the Capitol never happens again. We must also remain vigilant against ongoing threats to our democracy.
“Today, we commemorate two years since the Donald Trump-led attempted coup that culminated in the violence on January 6,” said Former Ambassador Norman Eisen, legal scholar, and counsel in the first impeachment and trial of former President Donald Trump. “Accountability at last appears imminent for him and the other leaders of the coup. The first place where we’re likely to see that is in Georgia, where Fulton County DA Fani Willis appears ready to bring criminal charges.”
“The findings in the January 6th Committee report were as shocking and as heinous as many of us feared, with the former President at the center of a multipart conspiracy by people at the very highest levels of that government to overturn a free and fair election,” said Patrick Gaspard, CEO of the Center for American Progress. “The rot didn’t stop after January 6. The threats to our democracy remain real and pervasive, and they come from forces both inside and outside of our institutions of government. Without hesitation, we need to take on these extremist groups. What we saw on Jan. 6 was an attempt to subvert the rule of law through a mob trying to break down and dismantle our foundational principles.”
“January 6 had remarkable salience and influence on the 2022 elections, motivating voters, particularly young voters. The voters feel that they were quite successful in joining together and pushing back on election deniers and people that were involved in the insurrection,” said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research. “What the people wanted, and what they still want, is accountability. These are not just political views in voters’ minds. These are crimes. People want to hold their political leaders, especiallyTrump, accountable for January 6 and they don’t think that job has been completed.”
“During the solemn anniversary, we remember those who gave their lives to protect our democracy. We salute the voters who turned out in 2022 to protect that democracy. We salute the members of the January 6 committee who worked so hard to bring the truth forward,” said Defend Democracy Project co-chair, Leslie Dach. “It’s clear the American people want, demand, and deserve accountability for the ringleaders of this attack, but the sad truth is that two years later, there’s been no real accountability for the masterminds of that project, Donald Trump still acts as if he’s not above the law. And MAGA has strengthened its control on the Republican party.”
Watch the full briefing here.
###
