Jimmy Carter.Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
In an op-ed published Thursday inTheNewYorkTimes, the 97-year-old Carter writes that, in the immediate aftermath of the insurrection, “There followed a brief hope that the insurrection would shock the nation into addressing the toxic polarization that threatens our democracy.”
One year later, however, not much has changed, the nation’s 39th president writes.
“Promoters of the lie that the election was stolen have taken over one political party and stoked distrust in our electoral systems,” he writes.
At the time, President Carter — who went on to be a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian and worldwide democratic advocate after the White House — also worried about what the violence signaled for U.S. democracy, saying in his statement.
“Having observed elections in troubled democracies worldwide, I know that we the people can unite to walk back from this precipice to peacefully uphold the laws of our nation, and we must,” he wrote. “We join our fellow citizens in praying for a peaceful resolution so our nation can heal and complete the transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.”
Rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Samuel Corum/Getty
Trump, who had been falsely claiming for weeks that the election had been “stolen” from him, told the crowd they needed to “fight like hell” and risked losing their country.
Once at the Capitol building, the swarm of Trump supporters grew violent, overwhelming law enforcement and occupying the complex, forcing then-Vice PresidentMike Penceand other lawmakers to bequickly evacuated.
Five people — including some of Trump’s own supporters as well as a Capitol Police officer — died.
As the violence unfolded, and reports emerged that shots had been fired inside, Trump resistedcalls from those closest to himto urge the rioters to disperse. In a series of subsequent statements, Trump both praised the mob and told them to leave the Capitol and avoid violence. However, he warned, “These are the things and events that happen.”
“All four of us former presidents condemned their actions and affirmed the legitimacy of the 2020 election,” Carter writes.
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Like other leading Democrats, he proposes that Americans “push for reforms that ensure the security and accessibility of our elections and ensure public confidence in the accuracy of results.” He adds that citizens must “resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics.”
source: people.com
