WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol:
“Five years ago, President Trump launched an angry mob at the Capitol. He and his allies led a desperate attempt to overthrow the presidential election, tried to hang his own vice president, and assaulted law enforcement, leading to the deaths of five officers.
“Over the last five years, a concerted effort to whitewash the events of that day has borne fruit. Hundreds of rioters who attacked police officers walk the streets again thanks to President Trump’s blanket pardons. Criminal charges against the architects of the insurrection, including President Trump himself, have been dropped by his own compliant Department of Justice. Right-wing propagandists downplay the largest assault on our nation’s Capitol, or grasp at ludicrous conspiracy theories in an attempt to shift blame to their political enemies. We can’t even hang a plaque honoring those law enforcement officers who lost their lives because Republican congressional leaders have refused to put it up.
“Democracies are fragile, and so is our reputation as one. Nations that have long looked to us as a model are increasingly looking elsewhere. If we act decisively, we can still strengthen and heal our country. Five years from now, I hope we will have a stronger democracy; a nation more willing to learn from its history; and a more unified, secure, and just America, but we have hard work to do to get there.”