i honestly feel afraid for democracy for the first time in my life. during watergate i never worried that democracy was going to end. i felt it was an event that would never occur, unique circumstances. but now we re seeing a better-prepared republican party, and i use the term loosely because it s not the republican party that any of us used to know, but the trump party is now better prepared to commit a coup than we were when he controlled the levers of government. he now controls state government and he s going to use it. i feel almost as if we re in 1939 in germany, and it can happen here if voting rights aren t passed, including something that will prevent state legislatures from saying we don t like these results, so we re going to determine a different set of electors. that has to be part of the voting rights that we pass. part of what is so wild,
now i see he was playing an active role in this, and he should be worried about what he has done. but i want to stress what malcolm just said, because i completely agree. i honestly feel afraid for democracy for the first time in my life. during watergate i never worried that democracy was going to end. i felt it was an event that would never occur, unique circumstances. but now we re seeing a better-prepared republican party, and i use the term loosely because it s not the republican party that any of us used to know, but the trump party is now better prepared to commit a coup than they were when he controlled the levers of government. he now controls state government and he s going to use it. i feel almost as if we re in 1939 in germany, and it can happen here if voting rights
independents, plibertarians, everybody. do you think these lawmakers understand now just how much there is to lose if voting rights aren t protected? oh, let me say something. if they don t understand, let me tell them to reflect on this. and that is you could lose our democracy. let me explain to them that as it was explained to me by retired general clapper. our adversaries, primarily china and the russians, are hoping that these two bills don t pass. they would love to see the collapse of our votes not being protected. that s what separates us from them. now, if i can understand it i would imagine that there should be 100 senators that understand
democrats it s not just democrats you re protecting the voting rights. it s republicans, independents, libertarians, everybody. do you think these lawmakers understand now just how much there is to lose if voting rights aren t protected? oh, let me tell you something. if they don t understand, let me tell them to reflect on this. and that is you could lose our democracy. let me explain to them that as it was explained to me by retired general clapper. our adversaries, primarily china and the russians, are hoping that these two bills don t pass. they would love to see the collapse of our votes not being protected. that s what separates us from them. now, if i can understand it, i