WASHINGTON — In the wake of FBI warnings of threats to state capitols across the country, the Republican Party has a responsibility to condemn any further violence carried out by their supporters due to their baseless lies about a rigged election. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee calls on legislative leaders and national Republican leadership to denounce lies spread by their members that purposely sowed doubt in our free and fair elections and inspired last week’s insurrection and to reaffirm President-elect Biden’s victory to prevent further violence.
Right-wing groups won’t stand down for Democrats. Republicans must speak out to stop further violence.
Republicans fueled the lies that led to violence at the United States Capitol. Now, they must prevent the same from occurring in state capitols across the country. It’s time for Republicans to make a decision: do they stand with the country and the constitution or do they stand with Donald Trump and the mob?
“This is not a problem that begins and ends with the president,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “Republican elected officials across the country have spread misinformation for months, lying to their supporters about the result of the election. This conspiracy theory was the direct cause of the sickening events in Washington, and we can’t move on until Republicans own up to their role in perpetuating these lies. With threats of further violence at state capitols already reaching a fever pitch, Republican leaders need to step up and set the record straight before we witness further acts of terrorism.”
In the week after the violent, antidemocratic insurrection on Capitol Hill, Republican legislative leaders have remained largely silent on the assault even though many GOP legislators have been connected to the events in Washington. Only one of the seventeen Republican state legislators who were involved in the insurrection has since resigned and he only did so after being apprehended by the FBI.
But the culpability of the Republican Party reaches much further than just the lawmakers who were present. Hundreds of Republican legislators across the country, including in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia sent letters urging Congress to delay certification or overturn the presidential election results. This week, Republican leaders in Wisconsin blocked a resolution condemning the violence and affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
“Republicans have unabashedly lined up behind a president that has worked to drive our communities apart and undermine our democracy,” added Post. “If there is to be healing, there must be accountability, and Republicans need to grow a backbone and show some leadership, affirm President-elect Biden’s victory and come clean about the pack of lies they’ve been peddling for their supporters for their own political gain.”
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