We stand for justice, and we stand behind our democracy.

Today, our democracy experienced an unprecedented attempt to overrule the will of the people. There are words for this illegal move – coup d’état, sedition, insurrection – that before today have been unfamiliar to American politics.

It is clear that, absent Donald Trump’s urging, both today, and over the past months, this awful event would not have taken place. Trump will go down in history as a failed tyrant, a would-be petty dictator who put his own personal and political interests ahead of his oath to our constitution. In the weeks and months ahead, we must urge our lawmakers to hold him, and the people who attempted the coup, responsible, to the full extent of the law.

Let us also remember that our systems withstood this attack. Nearly sixty judges, including many appointed by Trump, have turned away his specious challenges to the election results. The Republican Governor and Secretary of State in Georgia withstood his attempts at blackmail. Our news media did not shy away from labelling the mob a mob, the coup a coup. Our police and national guard performed bravely and with great restraint, although questions remain about how today’s events were allowed to happen and the different level of response to the legitimate protests catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd.

Tonight, though still imperfect, our democracy remains intact because our systems worked. To not only keep our democracy alive, but continue striving to fulfill its true promise, we must pull together, acknowledge the common bond of all Americans, put conspiracy theories and demagogues behind us, and work together to build a more inclusive and equitable political and economic future for all.

We stand for justice, and we stand behind our democracy.