Less than 75 Days to January 6, 2025, Speaker Johnson and Congress Must Commit to Certifying the Election
By Officer Michael Fanone
The rising tide of political violence that has overtaken American politics in recent years is appalling, but should not surprise anyone. January 6th, 2021 was, for now, the apex of this trend. On that day, I came face-to-face with political violence as my colleagues and I defended the Capitol from politically-motivated, violent insurrectionists seeking to overturn the results of a free and fair election. We are now well under 100 days until January 6th, 2025, when Congress will be tasked with fulfilling their constitutional obligation to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election. Every member of Congress must support the peaceful certification of this election to prevent another attack on our democracy.
January 6th, 2021 was one of the darkest days in the history of this country, but it was not an aberration, and it didn’t come out of nowhere. January 6th was built on a mountain of lies, which were peddled and propped up by MAGA extremists, led by former President Trump and now-Speaker Mike Johnson. Their Big Lie – that the 2020 election was stolen – incited the assault on the U.S. Capitol and led to the deaths of eight people.
Political violence has been on the rise in America for more than a decade, yet many of our leaders have remained silent or actively promoted conspiracy theories and election denialism. This includes J.D. Vance’s non-answer at the vice presidential debate, during which he refused to admit that former President Trump lost the 2020 election. If we are going to have a stable democracy, our leaders must be willing to stand up for the truth and denounce threats of political violence.
The increase in violence and violent rhetoric is corrosive to a democracy and erodes every part of our society. From 2015 to 2021, threats against federal judges increased by 400% and among 538 local public health officials surveyed by Johns Hopkins, 57% had received threats of some kind.. It undermines trust in our democratic institutions. The public is acutely aware of this as well. More than four-in-five Americans are concerned about political violence and two-thirds fear another January 6th. The Secret Service has even labeled January 6th, 2025 a national special security event, acknowledging the indisputable events of the insurrection and the increased risk since then.
Our political leaders play an important role in preventing the spread of political violence. Studies show that cues from political leaders can play a role in reducing instances of political violence. 147 MAGA Republicans, including now-Speaker Mike Johnson, doubled down on the Big Lie and propped up the very conspiracies that jeopardized their own lives and our democracy. With January 6th, 2025 on the horizon, we need every member of Congress and all political leaders to condemn the Big Lie and commit to the peaceful certification of the election. That’s why I signed a letter to Congress, alongside Courage for America council members, urging for a commitment to certifying the upcoming election, and a coalition of pro-democracy organizations from across the country co-signed a letter emphasizing the importance of Congress performing their constitutional duty.
So far, we’ve seen MAGA extremists in Congress repeat the same lies and lay the foundation for another January 6th. Speaker Johnson tried, but failed, to include the so-called SAVE Act in a must-pass funding bill. The SAVE Act is a Project 2025 policy that claims to outlaw non-citizen voting despite it already being illegal. In reality, the SAVE Act would disenfranchise thousands of eligible Americans from voting. In fact, 98,000 voters in Arizona almost lost their ability to vote in state elections due to a similar law enacted there.
The rhetoric of MAGA extremists promotes election denialism, even before any ballots have been cast. When asked if he would commit to the peaceful certification of the 2024 election, Speaker Johnson said that it depended on “if we have a free, fair, and safe election…” However, lawmakers are already warning the public that Speaker Johnson cannot be trusted to certify the election results. It shows how much MAGA Republicans have acquiesced to the far-right in peddling election lies and laying the groundwork for another insurrection.
Almost four years ago, I nearly lost my life due to the Big Lie. As we approach January 6, 2025, we need lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come together to condemn political violence and commit to the peaceful certification of the election. It is going to take everyone to stop this trend and make sure that political violence is never the answer to political discourse. It is the single greatest threat to our democracy.