The Atlantic
Remember Trump’s Accomplices
Americans must not forget the 147 members of Congress who advanced the former president’s lies, then ignored his culpability in inciting a coup.
February 18, 2021
The Atlantic
John Sleezer / Kansas City Star / Samuel Corum / Andrew Harnik / Bloomberg / Jim Watson / AFP / Anna Moneymaker / The New York Times / Caroline Brehman / Getty / The Atlantic
First they hid behind obscure interpretations of the Constitution and false claims of voter fraud. Then, even after a violent mob came for them, they chose a pathological liar and would-be authoritarian over the rule of law.
Now that Donald Trump’s second impeachment has ended in acquittal, we can look to the objections lodged by 147 Republicans against certifying the presidential-election results on January 6 as an omen. This group was willing to delay democracy and obstruct the transfer of power to a duly elected president—and after their party’s leader incited a riot, they refused to hold him accountable and allowed an attack on their own branch of government to go unpunished.