Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Statement on Wednesday's Attack on Capitol and Attempted Coup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib released the following statement regarding Wednesday's violent attack on the United States Capitol and attempted coup by Trump supporters and white supremacists:

"On Wednesday, Trump supporters and white supremacists attacked the United States Capitol in what can only be described as an insurrection and a coup attempt. This was an attack on our government to keep Donald Trump in power, directly encouraged by the impeached President and his closest advisors and supporters in Congress.

"It should be noted that I was not on Capitol grounds when this occurred. On Wednesday morning, I woke up feeling ill due to the necessary side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, and out of an abundance of caution I stayed home. I was horrified by the correspondence I received from my colleagues who were at the Capitol and the images I saw.

"Yesterday's attack was not a flash in the pan moment. This was the result of a buildup of hate, distrust, and disregard for reality that has been growing since even before Donald Trump announced his run for office. The impeached President built a cult of personality around idolizing a tyrant and con-artist, and tapped into the currents of white supremacy in this country to foment unhinged hate, resulting in the siege of the United State Capitol.

"The world had a front row view of not only Donald Trump's undermining of our democracy, but also saw the double standard in policing protest in this country that exists based on your race and the threat your message poses to the status quo. It's hard not to think about the contrast in how we saw racial justice protestors brutalized by police over the summer and in years past, to how we saw terrorists handled with a soft glove by police yesterday.

"Donald Trump must be removed from office immediately. I am co-leading the introduction of Articles of Impeachment and am joining efforts to hold the congressional members who supported efforts that led to yesterday's attack accountable. There is no place in the People's Congress for so-called representatives who would subvert our democracy and the will of the voters. Congress must reconvene now and take action.

"It is clear that what happened yesterday is not a one-off event and that we must work to ensure that accountability and truth are at the forefront of our immediate actions. Trumpism is a disease that will last long after he leaves office, and we must perform our duty to get him out of the White House as soon as possible and work to create a society and transform a country to be one that is rooted in justice and equity."