On the one-year anniversary of the Capitol Riots provoked by Donald Trump and carried out by his supporters, former President Jimmy Carter has penned an op-ed in The New York Times titled “I Fear for Our Democracy.”
“One year ago, a violent mob, guided by unscrupulous politicians, stormed the Capitol and almost succeeded in preventing the democratic transfer of power,” Carter opened. “All four of us former presidents condemned their actions and affirmed the legitimacy of the 2020 election. There followed a brief hope that the insurrection would shock the nation into addressing the toxic polarization that threatens our democracy.”
President Carter would go on to highlight the continuous lies that are spread citing voter fraud and a stolen election, creating mistrust in the foundational system of elections in the United States. He also cites the Survey Center on American Life that highlights the alarming result of “the traditional American way of life is disappearing so fast that we may have to use force to save it” is felt by 100 million citizens.
President Carter would go on to highlight three needs to ensure our democracy remains intact: agreement of fundamental constitutional principles, reforms to preserve the security and accessibility of elections, and resist the reshaping of identities in politics.
You can read President Carter’s entire Op-Ed here.
