Thread by @jentaub

Fantastic speech by @VP Harris

"January 6 reflects the dual nature of Democracy; it's fragility and its strength. The strength of Democracy is the Rule of Law . . .that elections should be free and fair, that corruption should be given no quarter. . .it empowers the people."

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"And the fragility of Democracy is this; if we are not vigilant. If we do not defend it, Democracy simply will not stand. It will falter and fail."

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Also, moving, evocative, powerful speech from @POTUS Biden. We will be listening to this again and again in the days and years to come.

Great nations "don't bury the truth, they face up to it. We are a great nation."



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Trump "has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He has done so because he values power over principle. . and because his bruised ego matters more to him than our Democracy and our Constitution. He can't accept he lost."

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"The way forward is to recognize the truth and to live by it. The Big Lie being told by the former president and many Republicans who fear his wrath is that the insurrection in this country actually took place on election day, on November 3, 2020."

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"Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America?"

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"The election of 2020 was greatest demonstration of democracy in the history of this country. More of you voted in that election than had ever voted in all of American history. Over 150 million Americans went to the polls and voted that day. In a pandemic.

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"They should be applauded, not attacked."

"Right now in state after state, laws are being written, not to protect the vote, but to deny it."

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Instead of saying they need new ideas, better ideas to win, they are deciding to suppress your vote to win. And that's unAmerican.

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"Second Big Lie being told by the former President and his supporters is that the results of the election of 2020 can't be trusted. The truth is that no election, no election in American history has been more closely scrutinized or more carefully counted."

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"Every legal challenge questioning the results in every court in this country that could have been made was made and was rejected. Often rejected by Republican-appointed judges, including judges appointed by the former president himself."

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"From state courts to the United States Supreme Court. Recounts were undertaken in state after state. Georgia counted its results three times with one recount by hand."

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"Phony partisan audits were undertaken, long after the election in several states. None changed the results. And in some of them, the irony is that the margin of victory actually grew slightly."

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"Even before the first ballot was cast, "Trump "built his lies over months." He was just looking for a pretext to cover the truth.

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"He's not just a former President, he's a defeated former President. Defeated by a margin of more than 7 million of your votes in a full, and free, and fair election."

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"There's simply zero proof the election results were inaccurate. In fact, in every venue where evidence had to be produced, an oath to tell the truth had to be taken, the former President failed to make his case."

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"Just think about this. The former President and his supporters have never been able to explain how they accept as accurate the other election results that took place on November 3. .Somehow those results were accurate on same ballot on the same day. Cast by the same voters"

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"The third Big Lie being told by a former President and his supporters is that the mob who sought to impose their will through violence are the nation's true patriots" The mob that ransacked the Capitol literally defecating in the hallways, hunting down members of Congress

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"To me the true patriots were the more than 150 million Americans who peacefully expressed their vote at the ballot box. The election workers who protected the integrity of the vote and the heroes who defended this Capitol."

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❤️"You can't love your country only when you win. You can't obey the law only when it's convenient. You can't be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies."

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🔥 "Those who stormed this Capitol and those who instigated and incited and those who called on them to do so held a dagger at the throat of America, at American democracy."

"They came here in rage, not in service of American, but in service of one man."

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💯"Those who incited the mob, the real plotters who desperate to deny the certification of this election and defy the will of the voters. Their plot was foiled."

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Congress stayed "they finished their work the Constitution demanded. They honored their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

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💯 For the history books right here

@POTUS: "Make no mistake about it. We're living in an inflection point in history. Both at home and abroad. We're engaged anew in a struggle between Democracy and Autocracy, between aspirations of the many and the greed of a few."

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Countries like China and Russia are "betting America is a place for the autocrat, the dictator, the strong man. I do not believe that. That is not who we are. That is not who we have ever been and that is not who we should ever, every be."

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"The former President who lies about this election and the mob who attacked this Capitol could not be further away from the core American values. They want to rule, or they will ruin."

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"As we stand here today . . .the lies that drove the anger and madness that we saw in this place [a year ago] have not abated. So we have to be firm, resolute and unyielding in our defense of the right to vote and to have that vote counted."

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"We are in the battle for the soul of America."

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"Our darkest days can lead to light and hope."

"Let's step up and write the next chapter in American history."

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🔥 Go, Joe! "I did not seek this fight brought to this Capitol one year ago today. But I will not shrink from it either. I will stand in this breach. I will defend this nation. And I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of Democracy."

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"This is not a land of kings or dictators or autocrats. We are a nation of laws. . Here in America people rule through the ballot."

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