Only after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, disrupting our democracy, physically trampling the tenets and values of American exceptionalism, did President Donald Trump halfheartedly commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
His statement read much like the man himself: limp, selfish, utterly devoid of substance, more meaningful for what was not said, his words punctuated by hollowness. There was no congratulation to President-elect Joe Biden. No recognition of Biden’s victory. No condemnation of those who physically assaulted our democracy, egged on by a president whose lies have no boundaries or limits.
He offered only personal grievance based on falsehood and a hollow pledge that signifies nothing.
“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out” his statement began, “nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.”
But, of course, the facts do not support the president’s claims about the election. They never have, and they never will. His pledge for an orderly transition is meaningless because he has long undermined it by refusing to accept the election outcome, culminating — we hope, for with this president, there is no bottom, only free fall — in Wednesday’s siege of the Capitol. An orderly transition begins with the acceptance of the election results, not a weak statement issued by surrogates because the president, like a petulant teenager grounded by his parents, was locked out of his Twitter account.
It is beyond pathetic.
What else is beyond pathetic in this dark moment for our nation?
Those senators who suddenly, again after the siege, decided to reverse their objections to the Electoral College vote. While this reversal is welcome, it also laid bare the stunning hypocrisy of selfish politics, the performative abandonment of democracy for personal gain, best reflected in a statement from Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.:
“When I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes,” Loeffler said. “However, the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider. And I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors.”
Let’s be clear, nothing about the integrity of the Electoral College vote changed with Wednesday’s riot. All that changed was the forceful reality that to promote baseless claims of voter fraud and rigged elections is to foment insurrection and an assault on democracy.
What else is beyond pathetic?
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who promoted these baseless claims and challenged the election, and then turned to Twitter to condemn the storming of the Capitol and then later tweeted (try not to laugh):
“Stop stoking division.
“Stop spreading hatred.
“Stop using malicious rhetoric (such as false & reckless charges of ‘sedition’).
“Stop showing contempt for the half of the country that disagrees with you.”
If only he honored his own advice, but that’s exactly why his words are so meaningless.
Those who fomented this dark moment in the American story must be held accountable for their actions, pegged forever to their roles in instigating insurrection. There are discussions about removing Trump from office via impeachment or the 25th Amendment, or perhaps both at the same time.
This moment demands a forceful rebuke. Not for partisan reasons but to preserve our democracy for future generations. To allow this to have happened without repercussions would be a monumental injustice and an invitation to future assaults on our democracy.
