Rep. Schiff on Threats to Democracy 5 Years After Jan 6

The January 6th Committee's Findings

• 🏛️ The select committee documented how democracy narrowly held during the January 6th attack, largely due to honorable officials who resisted President Trump's pressure.
• 📞 Officials like Brad Raffensberger and Rusty Bowers faced extraordinary pressure to betray their oaths and overturn election results, but they refused.
• ⚠️ The committee's report detailed at least 200 acts of pressure by President Trump targeting state and local officials through various communication channels.

Erosion of Election Guardrails

• 📉 Since 2020, election officials who stood strong are being systematically purged, and the guardrails protecting election integrity are being dismantled.
• 🚫 Federal support for election security has been eliminated, with election security work at CISA ended and funding for information sharing centers ceased.
• 👤 Trusted public servants are being replaced by loyalists and individuals willing to spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

Legal Pretexts and Weaponization

• 📜 An executive order in March 2025 aims to establish proof of citizenship requirements and restrict election funding, creating pretexts for future subversion.
• ⚖️ The Department of Justice is being weaponized to intimidate voters and local officials, with lawsuits seeking unredacted voter rolls.
• 🚨 President Trump signals support for election administrators who commit crimes on his behalf, potentially offering pardons.

The Greatest Threat to Democracy

• 😥 There is massive turnover among election workers, with many who stood firm being pushed out or harassed.
• 🚩 They are being replaced by individuals potentially more willing to bend or break the law under pressure.
• ⚠️ The greatest threat to democracy comes from those in power willing to subvert the rule of law, which is what the current administration is engineering.

Ensuring Future Free and Fair Elections

• 💪 Despite challenges, it is possible to ensure free and fair elections by preparing to stand firm in defense of democracy.
• 🤝 The bravery of officials who withstood pressure in 2020 proved that standing firm is possible and must be replicated.