January 6, 2021
Like all Americans, the Collin County Democratic Party is horrified and appalled by the illegal and out of control take-over of the US Capitol today by hundreds of people carrying Trump flags and other items identifying them as Trump supporters. That this violence occurred today was no accident; the President himself had encouraged a pro-Trump protest in Washington, DC that occurred earlier in the day and repeatedly tweeted his encouragement. The result was that both the US Senate and House chambers were evacuated, Constitutionally mandated proceedings by the Senate and House to complete our Presidential Election were delayed, and as of early evening on January 6th, the protest mob still occupied the Capitol grounds and parts of the Capitol itself.
What we saw happen today was the all-too-predictable result of 40+ years of conservative extremists preaching mistrust of, and outright contempt for, government, especially the Federal government. It’s also the result of four years of Trump encouraging his supporters to violence. He has talked about considering paying legal fees for his violent supporters. He has told police officers to not be too gentle when arresting suspects. He called violence against journalists “a beautiful sight.” Over and over, he has worked to create a climate of alternate reality in which he, and by extension, his supporters, are being personally wronged by various “elites,” whether the mainstream media, Hollywood, Democrats, or whoever is his enemy of the day. Far too many Republican politicians have attached themselves to Trump, including our local Collin County representatives State Senator Angela Paxton (SD-8), Matt Shaheen (HD66) and Jeff Leach (HD67) who have spoken out in support of Trump’s baseless accusations of voter fraud and have yet to accept the lawful election of President-Elect Biden despite the certification of all 50 state elections and the confirmation by the Electoral College. Senator Paxton and her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, both spoke at the pro-Trump rally in DC shortly before the crowd of conservative extremists assaulted the Capitol.
We urge our Texas elected officials, Republican and Democratic alike, to condemn without reservation the violence and lawlessness we witnessed today. We also urge the Texas Republicans who are challenging the lawful election of President-Elect Biden to cease their baseless and unhelpful challenges to the certification of the Electors. We as a nation must end this rancor and unite behind our newly elected President so that we can address the deep challenges we face, from an out-of-control pandemic, the resultant economic crisis, and the many other challenges facing our nation.
Mike Rawlins
Chair, Collin County Democratic Party