Supporters President Donald Trump climb on walls at the U.S. Capitol, rioting against the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results.
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb on walls at the U.S. Capitol, rioting against the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results. Credit: REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

A year ago, the deadly attack on our Capitol demonstrated how fragile our democracy is. The following year has shown us how close we are to losing it.

After Minnesotans and Americans turned out in record numbers for the 2020 election, we witnessed then President Trump and his allies turn their backs on our democracy and incite a violent attack on our nation’s Capitol. Their goal was to overturn the will of voters.

While the insurrection occurred on Jan. 6 last year, attacks on every aspect of our democracy continue. Political violence is increasing, disinformation is spreading rapidly, and extremism is dominating a major political party. We’ve also seen more attacks on free and fair elections and the people who administer them.

After the insurrection, 111 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives came together to condemn attacks on democracy and affirm our commitment to free and fair elections and the rule of law by passing a bipartisan resolution. The Republican-led Senate refused to even consider taking a similar stand. As we recognize the one-year anniversary of the deadly attack, it’s notable how many Republicans have remained silent in the face of mounting evidence of a deliberate and nearly successful coup — and how few now condemn it.

Others have deliberately spread lies that fueled the insurrection. In Minnesota and other states, Republicans used discredited conspiracy theories to push for an audit of the 2020 election. At a recent event, all six Republicans who are running for governor in Minnesota refused to acknowledge the legitimate results of the election.

Their goal is to undermine faith in democracy, paving the way for unnecessary and unpopular policies that restrict the freedom to vote. In Minnesota, Senate Republicans tried to impose restrictive voter ID requirements and effectively end same-day registration. The majority of Minnesotans support same-day registration, and voters soundly rejected voter ID laws when they were on the ballot in 2012.

State Rep. Emma Greenman
[image_caption]State Rep. Emma Greenman[/image_caption]
There was a flood of anti-voter legislation last year. Nineteen states enacted new laws to restrict the freedom to vote, and similar legislation was introduced in 49 states, including Minnesota. These extreme policies would insulate elected officials from the will of voters and create barriers to exercising the freedom to vote that disproportionately impact voters of color, Indigenous people, New Americans, elderly voters, young people and people with disabilities. If policies that undermine the administration of local elections and restrict Minnesotans’ ability to participate in our democracy become law, it could open the door to more efforts to overturn the will of voters.

While spreading disinformation and advocating for policies that restrict the freedom to vote are subtler than the attack on Jan. 6, they’re just as dangerous. Conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric have led to escalating threats and attacks targeting local election officials in Minnesota and other states. A small but growing percentage of Americans say violence against the government is sometimes justified.

State Sen. Lindsey Port
[image_caption]State Sen. Lindsey Port[/image_caption]
This is a crisis, and we need to act now. Standing up for our democracy shouldn’t be about party or politics. Condemning political violence and the deliberate lies and disinformation that fuel it is a bare minimum. Lawmakers must work together at the state and federal level to protect our democracy and the power of voters, starting with passing legislation like the Democracy for the People Act that we introduced days after the insurrection. Ensuring voters have the tools and support they need to cast their ballot is even more urgent now.

Above all, we need to work together to protect free and fair elections and make sure every Minnesotan can participate in our democracy, regardless of their race, age or background. Minnesotans sent us to the State Capitol to represent them, and we’re committed to protecting their voices and our state’s proud tradition of voter participation and trusted local elections. We call on all Minnesota public officials to stand up with us and to speak out against attempts to undermine our democracy and sabotage the will of the people.

Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, represents District 63B in the state House of Representatives. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, represents District 56 in the state Senate.

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39 Comments

  1. “a deliberate and nearly successful coup — ”

    Really? A thousand people unarmed with any gun were going to institute a coup of this empire? Really?

    I find much more distressing, the full opticon surveillance including facial id normalized and even embraced by Democrats and our 17! surveillance agencies and gawd knows how many private surveillance companies. And the fact that we are in the midst of the greatest tranfer of wealth up the social pyramid in the history of the world. If we are actually talking the death of democracy.

    I voted for you, Greenman. I expect better than Dem Party histrionics….

  2. Insurrection?? I have to laugh at that word used to describe a group of unarmed protesters (mostly peaceful, just like the mob that burned down Mpls) who had no plans to overthrow the government. Who was going to lead this “insurrection “ the guy dressed in Buffalo horns? People who broke doors, windows and fought with police should be prosecuted, just like rioters in Mpls should have been. The only person shot that day was a Trump supporter. How many insurrections end in 2 hours with no show of force to stop it by the authorities? Hell even the Mpls riots had to be stopped by National Guard. The protesters took Nancy Pelosi’s podium and walked out of the Capital building by themselves…. One weak insurrection….

    1. Who was going to lead this “insurrection “
      Your loser president that’s who.
      So far there have been over 750 of your treasonous pals arrested and charged for their insurrection, and that number will just continue to rise, I’d hate to be one of those traitors who haven’t yet been caught, but with the patriots calling themselves sedition hunters working in conjunction with the FBI, those folks have a target on their backs, gotta be a little nerve racking – too bad for them.

      What pictures do they show on Faux news of the insurrection? I’m curious cause the ones I’ve seen are filled with hundreds of traitor Republicans with their red Klan hats bent on destruction. Maybe Faux news just shows rainbows and unicorns as representative of the day.

      Oh, and that nonsense there were no guns in the treasonous riot is a joke, and demonstrably not true. And regarding that traitor who was shot, too bad for her, she got exactly what she deserved, my only regret is that the police showed so much restraint overall.

    2. Why were the “unarmed protesters” in the Capitol building in the first place? Just looking around? No, they went there to stop the certification of election results because they were told – all evidence to the contrary – that the 2020 election was fraudulent. They were there to disrupt a constitutional function of Congress to keep that ugly ruffian in power.

      “Mostly peaceful?” I suppose when they built the gallows and chanted “hang Mike Pence” they were being peaceful?

      “The only person shot that day was a Trump supporter” who was climbing in where she did not belong. She was shot in the act of committing a crime (and before you shed too many tears over the Horst Wessel of January 6, think how you would feel if she were an African American man stopped in his car for a traffic violation. Sure, that’s different). How many police were beaten and attacked that day?

      “How many insurrections end in 2 hours with no show of force to stop it by the authorities?” Because their hero told them to.

      Get over yourself. January 6 was an insurrection by a bunch of admirers of a would-be authoritarian. Minimizing their crimes is just enabling future actions like this.

  3. This is a very important article. Unless we all wake up to the effort in our country to undermine democracy in favor of authoritarianism, we will lose the battle to preserve our form of government. This could not be more serious. Thank you Rep. Greenman and Senator Port for your important work to protect democracy.

  4. There’s two conspiracy theories at work today. One side believes there was a coordinated and nearly-successful insurrection. The other side believes Trump won in 2020.

    The difference is the first is the official Democrat version. It’s being shouted from everywhere at high volume. The second is an embarrassment to most Republicans. They wish supporters would just shut up.

    Somebody’s playing their hand all wrong. We’ll see what happens this fall.

  5. If we were truly that close to losing our democracy, by this pitiful attempt, then we are really in trouble. Keep beating the drum of rhetoric on this, please.

    The capital police opened the gates and let everybody in? What did they gain by walking through the capital building? Umm Nothing. Democracy isn’t a building.

  6. This article is about the “fragility of our democracy” being manifested in a rather poorly executed, if not deliberately planned, “knsurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof”. (Quote from 18 United States Code section 2383 making insurrection a felony crime). This “fragility” appears by the FACT, not opinion, that around 10,000 people “stormed” the Capitol to interrupt or interfere with the certification of the electoral votes for President and thereby make a certain despicable charlatan individual President for one or maybe more terms ad infinitum. An “insurrection” is defined in the dictionary as a “violent” attempt to overthrow a government. January 6, 2021 was nothing if not violent. There’s nothing to quibble about here except who “set it afoot”(section 2383 again) and even there, it’s a foregone conclusion.

  7. Racism is the through-line for all of this anarchy. Race and guns. White racists have ruled the roost in this country for 400-plus years. They are not going quietly. Guns are next. (Why do you think secretaries of state and election supervisors are resigning in droves?)

    Without these traitors’ extinction, you will never have any peace. If you don’t have the stomach for that prospect, consider many other beautiful places to live in the world — places far less hateful and ugly, far fewer white rural fascist bullies, same ham sandwich, same rock bands come through town.

    Almost 250 years of democracy was a nice run. A proud expat is a good thing to be.

  8. The “insurrectionists” got tired and left overthrowing the Government for dinner around 5 pm, all by themselves. With the majority of “insurrectionists” being retirement age, shutting down the overthrow had to take a backseat to Cracker Barrel buffet. I am not that familiar with insurrections but it seems that taking over a government would require a gun or two, maybe not having half of your insurrection warriors being over 60 years old and maybe some sort of plan. A guy in Buffalo horns and stealing Nancy Peloci’s lectern was a poor attempt at a takeover of the strongest country in the world.

    1. The FACT is that they tried to overthrow the authority of the United States and our laws by force and they were not all “unarmed” as you falsely claim. Many were armed with all of the sort of weaponry the right claims as being “protected’ by the Second Amendment. It’s interesting to me that the same people who claim the Second Amendment protects the absurd stockpiling of firearms as a vague defense against the government refuse to admit this ridiculous surfeit of weaponry is itself a threat to democracy. As if vigilante death squads could never happen in the USA. There comes a point where defending this Un-American attack on our democracy is itself indefensible under the First Amendment.

      1. I agree with Mr. Smith. At a certain point there’s a comic aspect to all this doom and gloom. I like your last line. “Shut up or we’ll prosecute YOU.”

  9. The January 6 counting of the electoral votes began at 1:05 PM on January 6. At 2:30 PM the Capitol was locked down and the counting ended.

    The counting was ended by an insurrection aimed at disrupting the execution of a Constitutionally mandated function of government.

    Would any of our insurrection defenders here tell us that an insurrection is only an insurrection if it is successful?

    Merriam Webster tells us:

    Essential Meaning of insurrection: a usually violent attempt to take control of a government
    He led an armed insurrection [=rebellion, uprising] against the elected government.
    acts of insurrection

    Notice the word “attempt”?

    An attempt began at 1:30 PM as the insurrectors began to breach the Capitol. The attempt had initial success at 2:30 when the insurrectors stopped the Constitutionally mandated counting. The attempted insurrection failed and the count resumed at 8:30 PM.

    When would our Trumpian friends call an insurrection an insurrection? Obviously a 6 hour insurrection does not qualify. 12 Hours? 24 Hours? A few days?

    Come to grips with the truth: On January 6 an insurrection occured at the Capitol and 6 hours later control was restored.

    Oh, and here’s the best part:

    18 U.S. Code § 2383 – Rebellion or insurrection
    U.S. Code

    Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

    And the best part of the best part:

    “or gives aid or comfort thereto”

    And how this fits with: “Go home. We love you, you’re very special.”

    1. We should expect charges to be filed any day now against hundreds, and the former President if you’re right.

    2. There are no “insurrection defenders” here, or anywhere else. There are many, however, who are asking for hard evidence the “insurrection” was anything but a leaderless riot.

      1. There are those here who are trying to minimize what happens, and their language in doing so shifts according to the current thoughts of right-wing agitprop.

        Today, we are hearing that it was just a crowd that (something, something) and then went off to Barrel o’ Crackers for dinner. We’re not told what they were doing before heading off for that BOGO on chicken-fried steak, but it was doubtless something benign, video evidence and eyewitness testimony notwithstanding.

      2. The idea that that the Jan 6 “riot” (to use your minimalist terminology) was “leaderless” is comic. The reactionary overwhelmingly white crowd that was directed by Trump-connected organizers to attend the “Stop the Steal” event on the day of the electoral ballot certification, was harangued by numerous coaches of the Trumpite movement for hours, culminating in a lie-filled rant by Great Leader himself about the critical need to “fight hard to take your country back or your won’t have it any more”, with the promise that he was “now going to lead you to the Capitol”, certainly did not think it was “leaderless”.

        As for “hard evidence” of Trumpolini’s incitement of his mob to breach the Capitol “defenses” and “stop the steal” (i.e. stop the vote count), that was abundantly provided by the Dem managers in the (second) impeachment of the monstrous Trump. I doubt that anyone in the Capitol that day (Repubs included) was in any doubt as to who was “responsible” for inciting (i.e. leading) the revolt. If one chooses not to credit incontrovertible evidence of responsibility, that’s on them.

        So the “evidence” ship has already docked and unloaded. For those who are open to objective analysis, anyway…and there’s lots more to come as we can see from the work of the Select Committee.

        1. What I object to is hysteria. Let’s be accurate. Go ahead and call what Trump did grossly irresponsible. Call it disqualifying, proof he should never hold office again. There’s plenty of evidence of that. There’s little evidence of anything else.

          1. It would seem the DOJ disagrees. I believe you were asking for indictments of sedition no? Let’s see how heavy those goalposts are.

            1. “Let’s see how heavy those goalposts are.” Point out a time when I have ever changed my argument, just to win. You can’t, can you.

  10. Love the comments as they seem to focus on the dumb things done on Jan 6th last year. Yes, they are just plain dumb and those responsible are being prosecuted. Fair enough.
    But when we are talking about our democracy, it seems that is the only lens that is being used by the real threat of democracy here and is plainly spelled out by these two elected legislators.
    “extremism is dominating a major political party.’ It is, by the Democrats who continue to move so far to the left that it is no longer the party it once was. There is no apology for the direction they are moving this country away from what it proudly is. Illegal immigrants and criminals are given more rights than anyone else. There is a constant push for more and more socialist policies. Democrats want everyone to vote and don’t care about integrity of who is voting.
    But as bad as Jan 6th was last year, no one in that group could ever stage such a coup as what actually happened with the stupid Russia hoax on a sitting president and administration. It is being proved again and again that everything was a complete lie with many people in many areas of the government actively participating and pushing forward such a horrible narrative that no president, no matter the party, should have to deal with. Hate Trump? Fine. Not like that there are people that think the election results were wrong? Fine. That goes back to many elections that include the elections of several Republican presidents. But when you have an active collusion within the government where most of the media is an acting and willful group supporting the propaganda, that is where the fear of a failing democracy should be.
    The article is basically showing that they would accept that power be more and more centralized, which is the exact opposite of what should be going on. This is what the Soviet Union was all about, consolidation of power to one group.
    If these two elected legislators are really want to ensure democracy, they need to have it be good for any election that is everlasting, actually work with the other side of the aisle if they want to be respected, and not just regurgitate the pathetic tripe we hear on MSNBC. It’s articles like this is why we are so polarized.

    1. “The article is basically showing that they would accept that power be more and more centralized, which is the exact opposite of what should be going on. This is what the Soviet Union was all about, consolidation of power to one group”

      Uhhh, Bob:
      Did you notice that the last President was defeated and did more than any other President in 250 years to not leave and consolidate his power?

      Please check on Peter Navarro’s “Green Bay Sweep” which was a plan with Steve Bannon to consolidate power with Trump after his defeat.

      Why is it that the other world leaders who Trump has publicly stated he most admires are all authoritarians who have successfully consolidated power?

      The steam of your anger must be fogging the windows in your glass house.

    2. So much nonsense to unpack here.

      “’extremism is dominating a major political party.’ It is, by the Democrats who continue to move so far to the left that it is no longer the party it once was.”

      The party it once was? I don’t suppose you can comprehend how radical Medicare and Social Security were, back in the day.

      “There is no apology for the direction they are moving this country away from what it proudly is.”

      First, see Trump, Donald J., the presidency of. before you cry about moving the country away “from what it proudly is.” Second, that comment exudes smugness. Is there no room for improvement? Have we reached perfection as a nation? By which I mean, perfection for all Americans, not just Bob Petersen and people who think like him? What America “proudly is,” and always has been, is a country that can adapt and change to work towards a more just society.

      “Illegal immigrants and criminals are given more rights than anyone else.”

      What rights do illegal immigrants have that the rest of us do not? As for “criminals,” most of the rights that are complained about are constitutional rights that apply to people suspected of or charged with crimes. You have the right to be secure in your person, house, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, just like all the criminals you see on TV. Similarly, when some crazed right-winger asserts his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, he is relying on one of those rights, even though he has, I’m sure, nothing to hide.

      “Democrats want everyone to vote and don’t care about integrity of who is voting.”

      If by “the integrity of who is voting” you mean making it more difficult for people of color to vote, guilty. Of course, it’s not about race. Just a coincidence, right?

      “But as bad as Jan 6th was last year, no one in that group could ever stage such a coup as what actually happened with the stupid Russia hoax on a sitting president and administration.”

      A sitting President is immune from investigation? Gee, maybe you should have passed that on to President Clinton.

      The “Russia hoax,” as you so dutifully called it, was credible evidence of Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. It is open to debate how successful those were, and it’s unclear whether Trump actually colluded (doubtful. Would you trust a loose cannon like that to keep a secret?), but the efforts at interference were there. Comparing a Congressional investigation to a bunch of hoodlums storming the Capitol and trying to stop certification of an election is, at best, delusional.

      1. What rights do illegal immigrants have that the rest of us do not?

        How long of a list do we need? illegal immigrants can cross the border at will, without a Covid Test. I need a negative covid test within 24 hours of entering the US. Illegal immigrants have free medical care, free food, etc.

        Who in their right mind can justify the ‘open the gates’ policies at our borders?

        1. Who in their right mind would say that an illegal action is a “right?”

          “Illegal immigrants have free medical care, free food, etc.” only in the imagination of right-wing agitprop outlets, unless you mean the private charities that choose to provide humanitarian aid.

  11. I’ve been impressed by Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, though I generally disagree with their policy prescriptions. They’ve shown enormous courage.

    Anyone know if there are any Minnesota counterparts? That is, reality-based conservatives?

    1. If there are, they are keeping it to themselves. The Republican orthodoxy has morphed into Trumpism. One would have to have a lot more spine than do our current crop of Republicans to go against that.

      1. The “Republican orthodoxy” would love to get rid of Trump. The problem is democracy. Too many voters like him.

        1. Yes indeed. That’s why Repubs across the country are altering voting laws to limit turnout in ways that can only help Trump’s “re-election” as a (popular vote-losing) president in 2024! If one actually opposes Trump, that’s not the way to shape the “democracy”.

          The idea that there is some significant body of “True Repubs” who lament Trump’s rise and influence is a persistent myth. And if such worthies truly exist, yet cravenly do Trumpolini’s bidding from fear of the great unwashed base, then they are all the more contemptible…

          1. Trump makes things hard for the GOP, who would prefer the pre-Trump years, with no difference between parties. An energized base forces them to acknowledge Trump’s agenda. If they want to keep their jobs.

            It’s a remarkable and largely unacknowledged historical event, the power of your “great unwashed base”. It’s proof we have a democracy. For now.

  12. There’s certainly no doubt that the US is a “democracy in crisis” as a result of Trump’s baseless and ceaseless lies about his decisive loss in the 2020 election, his knowing and intentional incitement of a rightwing mob to assault the Congress as it met to certify the majoritarian president’s victory in hopes of stopping the proceeding, and now the nationwide effort by Repubs to suppress voter turnout in urban areas, as well as giving Repub legislatures the unilateral power to interfere in non-partisan state election machinery. There’s also no doubt that the Republican Supreme Court will side with Repubs in their vote suppression efforts, just as that “conservative” Court has already blessed the partisan gerrymandering operations that have been undertaken by Repubs in the states they control.

    The question is what non-Repubs are going to do about this crisis in the coming weeks and months. So far, elected Dems haven’t directed much attention to the election-gaming that the Repubs are pulling. Perhaps with Biden’s speech in Atlanta yesterday, and with efforts such as those by the authors here, the tepid rhetoric can begin to change and begin to warn the voters of the threat, to the extent they can be made to care. But the Repub party is a clear and present danger to democracy at this point; failing to understand that is the real crisis.

  13. Democracy in Crisis?? How about getting ride of the Fillibuster, dumping the Electoral College, packing the Supreme Court? Each one of them has a much bigger effect on our political system than the Jan 6 event did.

    1. I think a more reality-based observation would use the word “unpack” to describe what needs to be done to the democratically-illegitimate Republican Supreme Court. The Repubs already did the packing: of “conservative” judicial activists.

      But your chief error is in thinking that the senate filibuster rules and the electoral college are in some way desirable components of a modern democracy, and not disastrous archaic practices that permit anti-democratic rule by minority faction. Your concern seems to be that you don’t want to lose these terrible features of American “democracy”. But I would say that working towards an actual majoritarian democracy is not a bigger danger to the nation than a violent insurrection plainly seeking to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to a lawfully-elected majoritarian president….

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