FCNL urges the U.S. Senate to convict former President Donald Trump of violating his oath of office in this second impeachment trial. In the waning days of his presidency, Donald J. Trump perpetuated a lie about the outcome of the 2020 election and incited his followers to act out with hate, causing death, mayhem, destruction, and trauma in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
As Friends, we denounce all violence and we uphold that the peaceful transition of power is essential to a healthy democracy.
Trump must be held accountable and never be allowed to hold public office again.
As Friends, we denounce all violence and we uphold that the peaceful transition of power is essential to a healthy democracy. The extremists who interrupted Congress and wreaked havoc on the US Capitol had been encouraged by the former president over many weeks to prevent Congress from certifying the election.
During the current trial, the House managers have displayed videos that soundly establish the case that Donald Trump is guilty of “incitement of insurrection.” Trump’s own words, and those of people in the mob who violently broke into the Capitol, establish the links between the former president and the insurrectionists.
The videos assembled for the case demonstrate the grave peril that everyone in the Capitol faced on Jan. 6. We have seen how our legislators and their staff narrowly escaped violent capture – some of them by mere footsteps away – as they presided over the certification of electoral votes. The pro forma process made official what the public already knew – that Trump had lost the election.
The evils of white supremacy cannot be ignored for the sake of unity or expediency.
The insurrection was clearly an assault on U.S. democracy, encouraged and abetted by the former President. This impeachment trial of Donald Trump should result in conviction by every senator who believes in democracy and the rule of law. That Senate Republicans would vote against Trump’s conviction is a sign of misplaced loyalty.
The insurrection was a traumatic inflection of the Trump presidency that encouraged and gave cover to white nationalists throughout his term, to people whose racist, anti-Semitic actions and attitudes have no place in a civil and moral society. Abetted by his supporters, Trump fueled their growth with lies and hate speech throughout his four-year presidency.
The evils of white supremacy cannot be ignored for the sake of unity or expediency. To do so will only allow these festering evils to continue tearing the fabric of our common good. All of those who participated in the violent January 6 insurrection must also be held accountable. Our democracy will continue to be at risk until we create a society with equity and justice for every person.
No one, not even the president, should be above the law.
Our democracy is governed by the rule of law, and we recognize that adhering to the rule of law promotes justice. We cannot have peace or unity without justice. The world we seek requires us to pursue truth. It requires us to recognize that of God in every person and to work for a world where every person’s potential may be fulfilled.
As people of faith, we support the second impeachment of Donald Trump; holding him, his allies, and the insurrectionists accountable. No one, not even the president, should be above the law.
