official to incite violence against the government, and to obstruct the finalization of election results, after judges and election officials conclude that his challenges lack proof and legal merit.
To reaffirm our core constitutional principles—and to deter future Presidents from attempting to subvert our Nation’s elections—the Senate should convict President Trump and disqualify him from holding or enjoying “any Office or honor, Trust, or Profit under the United States.”[1] That outcome is not only supported by the facts and the law; it is also the right thing to do. President Trump has demonstrated beyond doubt that he will resort to any method to maintain or reassert his grip on power. A President who violently attacks the democratic process has no right to participate in it. Only after President Trump is held to account for his actions can the Nation move forward with unity of purpose and commitment to the Constitution. And only then will future Presidents know that Congress stands vigilant in its defense of our democracy.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
A. President Trump Refuses to Accept the Results of the 2020 Election
Before a single voter cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump made it clear that he had no intention of abiding by the verdict of the American people.[2]. In a July 2020 interview, he pointedly refused to agree that he would accept the election results.[3] Pressed in September 2020 on whether he would “commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transferal [sic] of power after the election,” he responded: “We’re going to have to see what happens.”[4] Throughout this period, he insisted at rallies and through social media that if he appeared to lose the
- ↑ U.S. Const., Art. I, § 3, cl. 7.
- ↑ Nick Niedzwiadek, The 9 Most Notable Comments Trump Has Made About Accepting the Election Results, Politico (Sept. 24, 2020)
- ↑ Ryan Goodman et al., Incitement Timeline: Year of Trump’s Actions Leading to the Attack on the Capitol, Just Security(Jan. 11, 2021).
- ↑ Id.
