Who happens to be from Texas?
First from Kari Lake's website -
Then from Matt Salmon's website -
For new readers, Cruz is the one who is the leader of the invertebrate caucus.
It's no secret that I support Katie Hobbs in the Democratic primary for AZ Governor but any of the Democratic candidates would be a better choice for Arizona than these two.
Hell, a cactus would be a better choice.
From the website of the FEC -
Foster is an Independent candidate for the Congressional seat in AZ6.
Corazon may be Corazon Ortiz and is a Republican candidate for the Congressional seat in AZ8
Deluzio is a Republican candidate for the Congressional seat in AZ2
Gallant is a Republican candidate for the Congressional seat in AZ1. She ran for governor in 1998...as a Libertarian.
Former House Speaker JD Mesnard is in the state senate now, and while he may have switched chambers, he's still bad news. He may not win the Legislative Loon Award (he faces LOTS of competition there), but he's doing his level best to undermine AZ, both in revenues and democracy. He's already proposed
SCR1011, asking the voters to reduce the amount of revenue available to school districts by taking large swaths of property and exempting such property from property taxes. He has proposed other measures affecting property taxes, but since I'm not certain of their net effect on revenue, they're not included here
SB1094, invalidating signatures on initiative and referendum petitions unless a specific condition is met
SB1096, with a couple of very specific exceptions, taking all "non-custodial federal monies" from the recipients and giving the funds to the legislature to appropriate any way it wants to. This one is proposed in nearly every session of the legislature.
SCR1012, asking the voters to expand the membership of the House of Representatives from 60 to 90. Each representative would be elected from a separate district, while each senate district would contain three house districts. As written, if approved by the voters, this change wouldn't take effect until 2033.
From the website of the Arizona Secretary of State -
Thompson's interest in running for Corporation Commission is/was hardly a secret - he filed a statement of interest with the AZSOS last June. He simply has finally formed a committee for that run.
Thompson is a Mesa City Council member and is running as part of a team with fellow R Nick Myers.
From Facebook -
From CNN -
Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning actor and Hollywood's first Black movie star, dies at 94
Sidney Poitier, whose elegant bearing and principled onscreen characters made him Hollywood's first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar, has died. He was 94.
Clint Watson, press secretary for the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, confirmed to CNN that Poitier died Thursday evening.
1967 was a good year for him - he starred in three classic movies that year - To Sir With Love, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and In The Heat Of The Night.
In The Heat Of The Night was the first movie that I saw him in, and for that one alone (and he had many other iconic roles), I think he belongs in any list of the top 20 actors ever.
From IMDB -
2022 has started out as badly as 2021 ended.
Or at least to West Palm Beach, which is close to Palm Beach, where Mar A Lago is located, and Palm Beach has an actual convention center.
Plus by holding it there, the organizers will be able to ensure that no one but the anointed folks will be near Mar A Lago and risk offending the sensibilities of their Cheeto-colored Imperious Leader and his neighbors.
From The Hill -
Republicans narrow search for 2024 convention site to four cities
Republicans have winnowed down their list of potential host cities for the 2024 Republican National Convention, picking Milwaukee, Nashville, Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh as the finalists.
The narrowed-down list of contenders was first reported on Friday by Politico.
Apparently, there's a lot of crazy in rural Arizona and voters there either try to get rid of some of it by sending it to the Capitol or they feel truly represented by it.
From the Payson Roundup -
State House District 7 race may turn into Republican civil war
Redistricting has handed Republicans a safe seat that includes all of Rim Country and the White Mountains.
So get ready for a civil war.
The redrawn State Legislative District 7 seat may pit two incumbent state senators and three incumbent state representatives against one another in the upcoming Republican primary.
[snip]
Currently, both state Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) and state Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-Apache Junction) could seek the seat in the redrawn District 7.
Sen. Rogers’ office did not respond to an email message asking whether she planned to run for re-election in the redrawn district. Her current official address is actually in the redrawn District 6, which is solidly Democratic and includes the Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache reservations. However, shifting her address by about half a mile would put her in the Republican District 7.
Sen. Townsend’s office responded to a message by saying she had not yet decided whether to seek re-election or what district she would run in. She lives in the new District 7, but her address is just half a mile from a Mesa-based district, so she could easily move into another district.
[snip]
Walt Blackman (R-Snowflake) has said he will not seek another term so he can challenge Democratic Congressman Tom O’Halleran (R-Oak Creek) in the redrawn Congressional District 2 — where Republicans have a registration and vote history advantage.
Brenda Barton (R-Payson) did not respond to an email asking about her future plans. She’s a conservative Republican who represented the old District 6 for several terms, before sitting out two election cycles due to term limits — before her re-election in 2020.
Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) says he will run in the redrawn District 7, which now includes all of Gila County except for the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
Blackman is anti-choice; supports taxation without representation; is anti-consumer and is an anti-vaxxer.
Barton wants to pay high schoolers less than the minimum wage; is anti-democracy; and is a less than ethical gun nut.
From her 2014 legislative bio -
Cook is pro-developer/anti-water; wants non-LEOs/correction officers (and related types) and anyone else who works for society to rot in their retirements; and is a fave of wingnut religious group The Center for Arizona Policy.
From Cook's legislative bio -
They're just nuts.
David Gordon of Blog for Arizona has a piece up wherein he, and Kirsten Engel (a Democratic candidate for Congress), state a belief that Townsend will run for Congress in AZ6.
Note: As of this writing, there's no "Townsend" committee listed on the website of the FEC.
Wherever she runs, she may find that winning a general election in Pima County (or part of it) to be "problematical."
She demanded an AG investigation into Pima County's vaccine mandate for its employees.
She's since dropped it, but not because she suddenly started liking vaccines. Because the AG ran out of time.
If she does run for Congress, one good thing will come out of it. With her (possibly) running for Congress, and state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita running for Secretary of State, two of the most anti-voter members of this year's legislature won't be in next year's legislature. They may famously dislike each other, but they share a hatred of society.
My guess is that this won't be the last time that Pima County hears from Townsend.
From Politico -
Ted Cruz walks back Jan. 6 'terrorist' remark in heated exchange with Tucker Carlson
Ted Cruz on Thursday walked back his use of the word “terrorist” when describing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol during an intense back and forth with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who repeatedly questioned the validity of the Republican senator’s explanation.
Cruz was lambasted during Carlson’s Wednesday night show for describing Jan. 6 as “a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol.” During his Thursday night appearance, when Carlson asked him why he used the word "terrorist," Cruz brushed off his previous phrasing as “sloppy” and “frankly dumb.”
Cruz established his "spineless" bonafides years ago; this latest example just reinforced something that everyone knew already.
From the Daily Beast in 2016 -
Trump Attacks Heidi Cruz’s Looks
Donald Trump continued his verbal assault on his top rival’s wife late Wednesday evening with a crude retweet negatively comparing her looks to that of his ex-model wife Melania. On Tuesday, the GOP frontrunner threatened to “spill the beans” on Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, in return for an unaffiliated super PAC’s ad shaming Melania for having once posed nude for a magazine. In return, Cruz called the reality-TV star a “coward” and Heidi denied that Trump’s innuendo was grounded in reality. Fulfilling his unassailable classiness, however, Trump then manually retweeted a supporter’s message showing side-by-side images of Heidi and Melania, with the caption, “No need to ‘spill the beans,’ the images are worth a thousand words.” Cruz responded shortly thereafter: “Donald, real men don’t attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.”
From GQ in 2017 -
Ted Cruz Takes Wife to Dinner with the Man Who Called Her Ugly
Texas senator and noted revisionist historian Ted Cruz has enjoyed what could perhaps charitably called a rocky relationship with Donald Trump. The former rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination were cordial enough at first, but once the field of candidates had been winnowed down to just the two of them, Trump went nuclear on "Lyin' Ted," taking to Twitter to call Cruz's wife ugly and implying in an interview that Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. As Cruz himself might say, things escalated quickly.
Unwilling to let such repulsive attacks on his family go unaddressed, the senator courageously responded by issuing a blistering rebuke of Trump's comments, and even after Trump eventually secured the GOP nomination and became president, Ted Cruz never forgot the despicable insults and outrageous lies uttered about the man who raised him and the mother of his chil—hahaha, just kidding, he rolled over so fast that he almost threw out his back. Last night, the man reached a previously undiscovered level of spinelessness, bringing his family to dine at the White House with President Trump and the First Lady.
From NBCNews -
Cyber Ninjas, company that led Arizona GOP election 'audit,' is shutting down
Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines.
"Cyber Ninjas is shutting down. All employees have been let go," Rod Thomson, the company's representative, said in a text message Thursday evening.
[snip]
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would impose a $50,000 fine against Cyber Ninjas every day until it hands over documents related to the so-called audit after the Arizona Republic newspaper filed a public records request, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
Jack Wilenchik, a lawyer for Cyber Ninjas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
From KOLD -
‘My training kicked in’ – Arizona lawmakers reflect on the chaos of Jan. 6
Thursday marks one year since the attack on the U.S Capitol. As hundreds stormed the Capitol in hopes of overturning lawful election results, lawmakers inside the building were sent scrambling for safety.
It is a day now emblazoned in the minds of many Americans. Some Arizona lawmakers say that day one year ago brings back memories of chaos.
“My training kicked in,” said Marine-turned Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
[snip]
Gallego’s colleague Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) was getting ready to speak in defense of Arizona’s election results that day when insurrectionists delayed proceedings. Stanton said it has been difficult to work with some of his colleagues who cast doubt on his state’s results.
“Relationships among members of Congress have been a little frayed, which means for a member like me you have to work even harder to build those relationships,” said Stanton.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) was objecting to his state’s election results on the House floor when evacuations began. We reached out to Gosar for an interview but his office rejected our request and did not send a statement.
[snip]
Yes, I have voted for both Gallego and Stanton (don't freak out Rs, there was no fraud here - I moved in 2018).
And I don't regret voting for either one.
From the Orlando Sentinel -
‘Recipe for disaster’: Florida Department of Health releases new COVID-19 testing guidelines that contradict CDC’s
Days after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said he would prioritize “high value” testing, the Florida Department of Health released new COVID-19 guidance that contradicts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recommends fewer people get tested.
“Sensible public health ... it’s the very opposite of what we’ve seen over the last two years, where, for example, leadership at the national public health level have sort of convinced people that it’s just as important to run around testing middle schoolers and elementary school students as it is to be testing other members of the population,” Ladapo said at a Thursday news conference in West Palm Beach.
The CDC recommends people get tested if they have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, if they have COVID-19 symptoms, or if they are not fully vaccinated. It notes that people can spread COVID-19 even if asymptomatic, so testing is crucial.
From the CDC -
Who should get tested
The following people should get tested for COVID-19:
1. Wear a damn mask.
2. Get vaccinated.
From Business Insider -
DeSantis accuses press of trying to 'milk' January 6 attack on the Capitol: 'This is their Christmas'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday accused journalists of having an "obsession" with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
"This is their Christmas: January 6," the Republican governor said, specifically mentioning media organizations based in Washington and New York. "They are going to take this and milk this for anything they can to be able to smear anyone who ever supported Donald Trump."
From The Daily Beast -
DeSantis Blames Feds, Slams ‘Hysteria’ as Florida Shatters COVID Records
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blamed the Biden administration for COVID-19 woes in his state while accusing other state leaders of allowing “hysteria” to reign as they encourage mitigation measures against the virus that he claimed had little basis in sound science.
“In terms of Florida, you look what’s going on in other states, they’re letting hysteria drive them to doing really damaging things. We thought that people had learned,” DeSantis said during his first news conference in weeks on Monday after record-setting COVID-19 numbers spread across the state last month. “They’re closing schools, they’re doing things that should not be done. That is not the way you deal with this.”
That's the "blame others" part; as for the lies?
From CNN from 4/2020 -
Florida governor falsely claims the coronavirus hasn't killed anyone under 25
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falsely claimed Thursday that the novel coronavirus hasn't killed anyone under 25 nationwide while discussing a timeline for reopening schools in the state.
"This particular pandemic is one where, I don't think nationwide there's been a single fatality under 25. For whatever reason it just doesn't seem to threaten, you know, kids," DeSantis said at an educators' meeting to discuss distance learning.
From Politico -
DeSantis, hydroxychloroquine pitchman
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday used his coronavirus briefing to give a choreographed, live-streamed shout-out to hydroxychloroquine, a drug President Donald Trump has touted as a potential miracle cure for Covid-19.
During the briefing, DeSantis took credit for loosening shipments of the drug from India and sought testimonials on the drug from doctors and a patient.
From the American Medical Association -
FDA warns against chloroquine for COVID-19 outside hospitals
What’s the news: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned against the use of some medicines FDA-approved to treat or prevent malaria and being used for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The FDA has warned that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine should only be used in hospitals or clinical trials because they have been linked to a risk of heart rhythm problems, especially when paired with the antibiotic azithromycin.
Why it’s important: There have been reports of serious, potentially life-threatening, heart rhythm problems in patients with COVID-19 who are treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine and used in combination with azithromycin and other QT prolonging medicines.
“We are also aware of increased use of these medicines through outpatient prescriptions. Therefore, we would like to remind health care professionals and patients of the known risks associated with both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine,” says the FDA drug safety communication.
There is no evidence to show that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine—prescribed for years to treat lupus and arthritis—are safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19. These medicines are currently being studied in clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment and prophylaxis. However, in late March the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to supply chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from the Strategic National Stockpile to treat certain patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and for whom clinical trials are not available, or participation is not feasible. Learn more about lessons learned from COVID-19, including how treatment is unclear at this time.
From the Mayo Clinic -
Let's start off with President Biden's speech on the first anniversary of the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
From CNN -
Biden condemns Trump as a threat to democracy in speech marking one year since January 6 attack
President Joe Biden on Thursday marked the first anniversary of the January 6 insurrection by forcefully calling out former President Donald Trump for attempting to undo American democracy, saying such an insurrection must never happen again.
Biden vowed to defend the nation's founding ideals from the threats posed by the violent mob that stormed the Capitol one year ago and the prevailing lies that Trump and his allies continue to repeat about the 2020 election. An animated Biden made one of the most passionate addresses of his still-young presidency as he harkened back to critical moments from the nation's past, casting the assault as a living symbol of the inflection point in American history he so often speaks about.[snip]
Biden has typically avoided speaking directly about his predecessor since taking office, and pointedly did not say his name on Thursday -- instead making more than a dozen references to "the former President."
[snip]
"A former President of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He's done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interest as more important than his country's interest and America's interest," Biden said.
[snip]
After his speech, Biden defended calling out Trump in such a direct way when asked by a reporter if he believed going after the former President would "divide more than it heals."The President responded: "The way you have to heal, you have to recognize the extent of the wound. You can't pretend. This is serious stuff.""You've got to face it. That's what great nations do. They face the truth, deal with it and move on," Biden said.
Trump responded to the criticism in the manner most usual for him, with more lies.
From The Hill (my emphasis added) -
Trump lashes out at Biden over Jan. 6 speech
Former President Trump on Thursday responded to President Biden's fiery speech on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol saying the remarks alluding to Trump's role in the riot deepened political divides in the country.
Trump, in a statement released just as Biden wrapped up his speech in Statuary Hall, called the remarks "political theater."
[snip]
Trump said that Biden "used my name today to try to further divide America." While Biden indirectly blamed Trump for the insurrection and referred to the former president multiple times during the speech, he did not call Trump out by name.
Edited to add:
Also from CNN -
The single most important -- and powerful -- line from Joe Biden's 1/6 speech
"You can't love your country only when you win."
{/end edit]
The pushback wasn't just from President Biden.
Yesterday, the Maricopa County Elections Department and Office of the Recorder issued a report about the 2020 election.
From the response (the full report is available at the link) -
The in-depth analysis and review of the reports and presentations issued by the Senate’s contractors found that nearly every finding included faulty analysis, inaccurate claims, misleading conclusions, and a lack of understanding of federal and state election laws. Our review of the claims made by Cyber Ninjas, CyFIR, EchoMail, and the Senate’s Audit Liaisons found:
- 22 were misleading. The claims lead the reader to assume a conclusion that is not supported by the evidence.
- 41 were inaccurate. The claims include flawed or misstated analysis.
- 13 were false. The claims are demonstrably false and can be proven false using materials provided to the Senate.
From the full report ("UOCAVA " is an abbreviation for "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act") (my emphasis added) -
Maricopa County is the second largest voting jurisdiction in the United States. With more than 2.6 million registered voters, Maricopa County represents more than 60 percent of Arizona’s registered voters. The Elections Department reports to both the County Board of Supervisors and the County Recorder and administers city, town, school district, special district, county, state, and federal elections in Maricopa County.
Transparency, accuracy, and accountability are paramount to Maricopa County and its Elections Department. Maricopa County’s election staff are trained and Certified Election Officers with knowledge of state and federal election laws and the Arizona Election Procedures Manual. Our role as election administrators is guided by statute and our team follows those laws and procedures so that every eligible vote is counted.
On November 23, 2020, Maricopa County delivered the November General Election certified canvass results to the Arizona Secretary of State. The Elections Department stands by these certified results.
Many allegations about the November 2020 General Election made their way to court and Maricopa County clearly presented the facts to judges at both the state and federal level. Fourteen different times complaints alleged election fraud, manipulation, or tampering in Maricopa County’s 2020 General Election. No claim succeeded. For a complete listing of all court cases, see Exhibit – COURT CASES.
The County welcomes objective and unbiased scrutiny and reviews of its elections processes. Following the August 2018 Primary Election, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors enlisted both the County’s internal audit department and an external auditing company to conduct a review of the County’s election processes. Those professional, non-partisan reviews yielded many positive changes to the County’s elections.
After the November 2020 General Election, the County hired two federally certified Voting System Test Laboratories to conduct an audit of the tabulation equipment used to count ballots for all five of the elections administered in 2020. Both certified laboratories found no anomalies in the tabulation equipment and confirmed that:
• All tested software, systems, and equipment were using certified software
• No malicious malware or hardware was installed
• No evidence of internet connectivity was found
• The 2020 General Election program and tabulation equipment was accurate (test completed by only one Voting System Test Laboratory)
Despite all evidence to the contrary, false allegations continue to persist and damage voter confidence. Many falsehoods have been perpetuated through the Senate’s review of Maricopa County’s ballots, equipment and data, which were subpoenaed by Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen.
[snip]
[snip]
5.6.7 (Audit UOCAVA Count Does Not Match the EAC Count) When performing this review, Cyber Ninjas used the incorrect data set from the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) Report, a state-by-state report that covers data on various topics related to the administration of federal elections published by the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission. On page 30 of Cyber Ninjas report they state that there were 10,408 UOCAVA ballots cast in Maricopa County during the 2020 General Election as reported by the EAVS report. It appears Cyber Ninjas pulled data from the wrong section.
[snip]
5.7.7 (Inaccurate Identification of UOCAVA Ballots) Cyber Ninjas include a finding where they state that the manifest the County used to transfer the ballots to the Senate does not identify which boxes contain UOCAVA ballots. The County had no operational need or statutory requirement to identify this information when the ballots were boxed and labeled, which occurred prior to the creation of the manifests.
Edited to add:
From the White House -
Remarks By President Biden To Mark One Year Since The January 6th Deadly Assault On The U.S. Capitol
THE PRESIDENT: Madam Vice President, my fellow Americans: To state the obvious, one year ago today, in this sacred place, democracy was attacked — simply attacked. The will of the people was under assault. The Constitution — our Constitution — faced the gravest of threats.
Outnumbered and in the face of a brutal attack, the Capitol Police, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the National Guard, and other brave law enforcement officials saved the rule of law.
Our democracy held. We the people endured. And we the people prevailed.
For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol.
But they failed. They failed.
And on this day of remembrance, we must make sure that such an attack never, never happens again.
I’m speaking to you today from Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. This is where the House of Representatives met for 50 years in the decades leading up to the Civil War. This is — on this floor is where a young congressman of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, sat at desk 191.
Above him — above us, over that door leading into the Rotunda — is a sculpture depicting Clio, the muse of history. In her hands, an open book in which she records the events taking place in this chamber below.
Clio stood watch over this hall one year ago today, as she has for more than 200 years. She recorded what took place. The real history. The real facts. The real truth. The facts
and the truth that Vice President Harris just shared and that you and I and the whole world saw with our own eyes.
The Bible tells us that we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. We shall know the truth.
Well, here is the God’s truth about January 6th, 2021:
Close your eyes. Go back to that day. What do you see? Rioters rampaging, waving for the first time inside this Capitol a Confederate flag that symbolized the cause to destroy America, to rip us apart.
Even during the Civil War, that never, ever happened. But it happened here in 2021.
What else do you see? A mob breaking windows, kicking in doors, breaching the Capitol. American flags on poles being used as weapons, as spears. Fire extinguishers being thrown at the heads of police officers.
A crowd that professes their love for law enforcement assaulted those police officers, dragged them, sprayed them, stomped on them.
Over 140 police officers were injured.
We’ve all heard the police officers who were there that day testify to what happened. One officer called it, quote, a med- — “medieval” battle, and that he was more afraid that day than he was fighting the war in Iraq.
They’ve repeatedly asked since that day: How dare anyone — anyone — diminish, belittle, or deny the hell they were put through?
We saw it with our own eyes. Rioters menaced these halls, threatening the life of the Speaker of the House, literally erecting gallows to hang the Vice President of the United States of America.
But what did we not see?
We didn’t see a former president, who had just rallied the mob to attack — sitting in the private dining room off the Oval Office in the White House, watching it all on television and doing nothing for hours as police were assaulted, lives at risk, and the nation’s capital under siege.
This wasn’t a group of tourists. This was an armed insurrection.
They weren’t looking to uphold the will of the people. They were looking to deny the will of the people.
They were looking to uphold — they weren’t looking to uphold a free and fair election. They were looking to overturn one.
They weren’t looking to save the cause of America. They were looking to subvert the Constitution.
This isn’t about being bogged down in the past. This is about making sure the past isn’t buried.
That’s the only way forward. That’s what great nations do. They don’t bury the truth, they face up to it. Sounds like hyperbole, but that’s the truth: They face up to it.
We are a great nation.
My fellow Americans, in life, there’s truth and,
tragically, there are lies — lies conceived and spread for profit and power.
We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie.
And here is the truth: The former president of the
United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He’s done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interests as more important than his country’s interests and America’s interests, and because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution.
He can’t accept he lost, even though that’s what 93 United States senators, his own Attorney General, his own Vice President, governors and state officials in every battleground state have all said: He lost.
That’s what 81 million of you did as you voted for a new way forward.
He has done what no president in American history — the history of this country — has ever, ever done: He refused to accept the results of an election and the will of the American people.
While some courageous men and women in the Republican Party are standing against it, trying to uphold the principles of that party, too many others are transforming that party into something else. They seem no longer to want to be the party — the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower, Reagan, the Bushes.
But whatever my other disagreements are with Republicans who support the rule of law and not the rule of a single man, I will always seek to work together with them to find shared solutions where possible. Because if we have a shared belief in democracy, then anything is possible — anything.
And so, at this moment, we must decide: What kind of nation are we going to be?
Are we going to be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm?
Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people?
Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies?
We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation. The way forward is to recognize the truth and to live by it.
The Big Lie being told by the former president and many Republicans who fear his wrath is that the insurrection in this country actually took place on Election Day — November 3rd, 2020.
Think about that. Is that what you thought? Is that what you thought when you voted that day? Taking part in an insurrection? Is that what you thought you were doing? Or did you think you were carrying out your highest duty as a citizen and voting?
The former president and his supporters are trying to rewrite history. They want you to see Election Day as the day of insurrection and the riot that took place here on January 6th as the true expression of the will of the people.
Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country — to look at America? I cannot.
Here’s the truth: The election of 2020 was the greatest demonstration of democracy in the history of this country.
More of you voted in that election than have ever voted in all of American history. Over 150 million Americans went to the polls and voted that day in a pandemic — some at grea- — great risk to their lives. They should be applauded, not attacked.
Right now, in state after state, new laws are being written — not to protect the vote, but to deny it; not only to suppress the vote, but to subvert it; not to strengthen or protect our democracy, but because the former president lost.
Instead of looking at the election results from 2020 and saying they need new ideas or better ideas to win more votes, the former president and his supporters have decided the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections.
It’s wrong. It’s undemocratic. And frankly, it’s un-American.
The second Big Lie being told by the former President and his supporters is that the results of the election of 2020 can’t be trusted.The truth is that no election — no election in American history has been more closely scrutinized or more carefully counted.
Every legal challenge questioning the results in every court in this country that could have been made was made and was rejected — often rejected by Republican-appointed judges, including judges appointed by the former president himself, from state courts to the United States Supreme Court.
Recounts were undertaken in state after state. Georgia — Georgia counted its results three times, with one recount by hand.
Phony partisan audits were undertaken long after the election in several states. None changed the results. And in some of them, the irony is the margin of victory actually grew slightly.
So, let’s speak plainly about what happened in 2020. Even before the first ballot was cast, the former president was preemptively sowing doubt about the election results. He built his lie over months. It wasn’t based on any facts. He was just looking for an excuse — a pretext — to cover for the truth.
He’s not just a former president. He’s a defeated former president — defeated by a margin of over 7 million of your votes in a full and free and fair election.
There is simply zero proof the election results were inaccurate. In fact, in every venue where evidence had to be produced and an oath to tell the truth had to be taken, the former president failed to make his case.
Just think about this: The former president and his supporters have never been able to explain how they accept as accurate the other election results that took place on November 3rd — the elections for governor, United States Senate, the House of Representatives — elections in which they closed the gap in the House.
They challenge none of that. The President’s name was first, then we went down the line — governors, senators, House of Representatives. Somehow, those results were accurate on the same ballot, but the presidential race was flawed?
And on the same ballot, the same day, cast by the same voters.
The only difference: The former President didn’t lose those races; he just lost the one that was his own.
Finally, the third Big Lie being told by a former President and his supporters is that the mob who sought to impose their will through violence are the nation’s true patriots.
Is that what you thought when you looked at the mob ransacking the Capitol, destroying property, literally defecating in the hallways, rifling through desks of senators and representatives, hunting down members of congress? Patriots? Not in my view.
To me, the true patriots were the more than 150 [million] Americans who peacefully expressed their vote at the ballot box, the election workers who protected the integrity of the vote, and the heroes who defended this Capitol.
You can’t love your country only when you win.
You can’t obey the law only when it’s convenient.
You can’t be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies.
Those who stormed this Capitol and those who instigated and incited and those who called on them to do so held a dagger at the throat of America — at American democracy.
They didn’t come here out of patriotism or principle. They came here in rage — not in service of America, but rather in service of one man.
Those who incited the mob — the real plotters — who were desperate to deny the certification of the election and defy the will of the voters.
But their plot was foiled. Congressmen — Democrats and Republicans — stayed. Senators, representatives, staff — they finished their work the Constitution demanded. They honored their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Look, folks, now it’s up to all of us — to “We the People” — to stand for the rule of law, to preserve the flame of democracy, to keep the promise of America alive.
That promise is at risk, targeted by the forces that value brute strength over the sanctity of democracy, fear over hope, personal gain over public good.
Make no mistake about it: We’re living at an inflection point in history.
Both at home and abroad, we’re engaged anew in a struggle between democracy and autocracy, between the aspirations of the many and the greed of the few, between the people’s right of self-determination and self- — the self-seeking autocrat.
From China to Russia and beyond, they’re betting that democracy’s days are numbered. They’ve actually told me democracy is too slow, too bogged down by division to succeed in today’s rapidly changing, complicated world.
And they’re betting — they’re betting America will become more like them and less like us. They’re betting that America is a place for the autocrat, the dictator, the strongman.
I do not believe that. That is not who we are. That is not who we have ever been. And that is not who we should ever, ever be.
Our Founding Fathers, as imperfect as they were, set in motion an experiment that changed the world — literally changed the world.
Here in America, the people would rule, power would be transferred peacefully — never at the tip of a spear or the barrel of a gun.
And they committed to paper an idea that couldn’t live up to — they couldn’t live up to but an idea that couldn’t be constrained: Yes, in America all people are created equal.
We reject the view that if you succeed, I fail; if you get ahead, I fall behind; if I hold you down, I somehow lift myself up.
The former President, who lies about this election, and the mob that attacked this Capitol could not be further away from the core American values.
They want to rule or they will ruin — ruin what our country fought for at Lexington and Concord; at Gettysburg; at Omaha Beach; Seneca Falls; Selma, Alabama. What — and what we were fighting for: the right to vote, the right to govern ourselves, the right to determine our own destiny.
And with rights come responsibilities: the responsibility to see each other as neighbors — maybe we disagree with that neighbor, but they’re not an adversary; the responsibility to accept defeat then get back in the arena and try again the next time to make your case; the responsibility to see that America is an idea — an idea that requires vigilant stewardship.
As we stand here today — one year since January 6th, 2021 — the lies that drove the anger and madness we saw in this place, they have not abated.
So, we have to be firm, resolute, and unyielding in our defense of the right to vote and to have that vote counted.
Some have already made the ultimate sacrifice in this sacred effort.
Jill and I have mourned police officers in this Capitol Rotunda not once but twice in the wake of January 6th: once to honor Officer Brian Sicknick, who lost his life the day after the attack, and a second time to honor Officer Billy Evans, who lost his life defending this Capitol as well.
We think about the others who lost their lives and were injured and everyone living with the trauma of that day — from those defending this Capitol to members of Congress in both parties and their staffs, to reporters, cafeteria workers, custodial workers, and their families.
Don’t kid yourself: The pain and scars from that day run deep.
I said it many times and it’s no more true or real than when we think about the events of January 6th: We are in a battle for the soul of America. A battle that, by the grace of God and the goodness and gracious — and greatness of this nation, we will win.
Believe me, I know how difficult democracy is. And I’m crystal clear about the threats America faces. But I also know that our darkest days can lead to light and hope.
From the death and destruction, as the Vice President referenced, in Pearl Harbor came the triumph over the forces of fascism.
From the brutality of Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge came historic voting rights legislation.
So, now let us step up, write the next chapter in American history where January 6th marks not the end of democracy, but the beginning of a renaissance of liberty and fair play.
I did not seek this fight brought to this Capitol one year ago today, but I will not shrink from it either.
I will stand in this breach. I will defend this nation. And I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of our democracy.
We will make sure the will of the people is heard; that the ballot prevails, not violence; that authority in this nation will always be peacefully transferred.
I believe the power of the presidency and the purpose is to unite this nation, not divide it; to lift us up, not tear us apart; to be about us — about us, not about “me.”
Deep in the heart of America burns a flame lit almost 250 years ago — of liberty, freedom, and equality.
This is not a land of kings or dictators or autocrats. We’re a nation of laws; of order, not chaos; of peace, not violence.
Here in America, the people rule through the ballot, and their will prevails.
So, let us remember: Together, we’re one nation, under God, indivisible; that today, tomorrow, and forever, at our best, we are the United States of America.
God bless you all. May God protect our troops. And may God bless those who stand watch over our democracy.
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