GOP leaders must do more to stand up to Trump
The insurrection on January 6, 2021, rocked America’s conscience. Donald Trump’s Republican supporters launched a violent riot to storm the U.S. Capitol, breaking windows, threatening members of Congress and assaulting police officers resulting in the deaths of several, all as our country watched in horror.
It was an insurrection with a simple goal: to overturn an election. To stop Joe Biden from winning the presidency and to keep Donald Trump in the White House. Rioters that day shouted, “Trump sent us.” Two people died at the Capitol that day and seven more died in the days and months after, bringing the death toll to nine.
It was a moment unlike any other in American history. It was an insurrection in support of Donald Trump — and a stain on America’s reputation around the world.
When other Republicans across the country condemned the insurrection and rightfully placed the blame on Donald Trump, too many Republicans in Connecticut, including 2018 gubernatorial nominee Bob Stefanowski, put their love for Trump ahead of their love for the country.
After years of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump — Stefanowski called his endorsement in 2018 “pretty cool” and gave him an “A” grade for his job performance — he refused to condemn the base of his own party, and he refused to condemn Trump for fueling the flames of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
In Connecticut, voters take pride in their willingness to support reasonable, mainstream candidates from both political parties. However, by embracing the former president and his radical, dangerous conspiracy theories, Bob Stefanowski has put himself in the company of the most extreme fringes of the GOP — far outside of mainstream Connecticut. Maybe Bob forgot what state he lives in, but the people of Connecticut deserve better.
Silence from Stefanowski and other Republican leaders has dangerous consequences. A poll from last August showed that a majority of Republicans think the 2020 election was rigged, and threats against members of Congress have increased 10-fold since 2016.
And though Stefanowski often claims to stand with law enforcement, he has chosen loyalty to Trump over supporting those who keep our communities safe. His attempts to protect Trump are an insult to those who died and the 150 officers injured during the riot.
One year after Donald Trump’s insurrection, Bob Stefanowski and too many Connecticut Republican leaders have maintained an unconscionable silence.
To her credit, Themis Klarides said that President Trump owns this — but does the rest of her party agree? Do Bob Stefanowski and other GOP members still support Trump and his conspiracies?
A year after this shameful attack on our democracy, our leaders must speak with one voice to counteract these virulent and pernicious lies.
The election was not stolen from Donald Trump. There was no rampant voter fraud. And Joe Biden is the legitimately elected president of the United States.
Bob Stefanowski and too many Connecticut Republicans have long stood with the Trump wing of the Republican Party. But as the national GOP attempts to use the Big Lie as a pretext for a nationwide attack on our right to vote, merely condemning violence is not enough.
It is not enough for Bob Stefanowski and the leaders of the Republican Party to tacitly condemn violence while they continue to protect the man who incited it.