Biden: ‘This is democracy’s day’

An American flag in Woodstock, Vermont, during the Fourth of July. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Before a silent National Mall but with a message of hope, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as the new president and vice president of the United States on Wednesday. With that accomplished, history was made: Harris officially became the first African American, the first Asian American and the first woman to hold the country's second-highest public office.

The historic moment gave joy to millions, but it was not before the usual inauguration crowd of thousands. Amid heightened security and the pandemic, the National Mall was instead filled with a majestic public art display of nearly 200,000 flags — including American flags, and flags from every state and territory — representing the many people who couldn’t be there to share the moment. With applause from the smaller, distanced gathering assembled, Biden took to the podium to address the nation for the first time as its 46th president.

"This is America's day, this is democracy's day, a day of history and hope, a day of renewal and resolve," Biden said.

That resolve was severely tested in recent months, during an election fraught with unproven allegations of election fraud and swirling conspiracy theories. Rage about the election result fueled the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, in which supporters of former president Donald Trump tried to derail the Congressional process to complete the certification of the presidential election. That attempt failed, as Biden noted, but he put it in a larger context, about the power of the country's foundation.

"Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause: the cause of democracy," Biden declared. "The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed."

Unity was the main theme, and a quality Biden said the country greatly needs. He acknowledged there are Americans who are not pleased that he was in office, and calls for unity often ring hollow today.

"I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real, but I also know they are not new," Biden said.

He noted that through the Civil War, the Great Depression, World Wars, 9/11 and other dark times, we've overcome challenges together.

"Through struggle, sacrifices and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed," Biden pointed out.

Going forward, he said Americans must guard against "lies told for power and profit" and speak up for truth.

"We must stop the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured," Biden insisted.

The president also spoke directly to those who voted against him.

"Hear me out, as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart, and if you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America," Biden said. "The right to dissent peaceably within the guardrails of our republic is perhaps this nation's greatest strength. Yet hear me clearly, disagreement must not lead to disunion, and I pledge this to you: I will be a president for all Americans."

All Americans, in one way or another, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Biden led a brief moment of silence for those who lost their lives, their families and the country. As he did several times, the president pointed out the simultaneous challenges we face, including threats to democracy and truth, the pandemic, systemic racism, growing inequity and climate change.

"Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways, but the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we've had," Biden said.

He urged people to set aside politics and forge a united front against the coronavirus.

"In the work ahead of us, we're going to need each other, need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter," he cautioned.

Biden also recalled a different January, in 1863, that also saw rife division throughout the land. It was the month that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Upon doing so, he said, "If my name ever goes down into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it."

"Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation," he said. "And I ask every American to join me in this cause."

Biden also pledged to put the people first in his work as president.

"I'll keep everything I do in your service, thinking not of power but of possibilities, not personal interest but the public good, and together, we shall write an American story of hope not fear, of unity not division, of light not darkness, a story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness,” the president said. “May this be the story that guides us, the story that inspires us, and the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history."

Powerful moments of reflection surfaced when National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman shared her stunning poem, "The Hill We Climb", becoming the youngest inaugural poet in the nation's history at 22. Gorman recalled the events of Jan. 6 and the resiliency that followed, saying "while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated."

Her message was poignant, created for the nation, the world, and this era, as it looked also to the future:

"Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: That even as we grieved we grew, that even as we hurt we hoped, that even as we tired we tried, that we'll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division."

— Gareth Henderson

Trump impeached for the second time

A view of the ridgeline from Hartland Hill Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

President Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be impeached twice on Wednesday, as the House of Representatives voted 232-197 to approve the historic action in the wake of last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Ten Republicans joined the entire Democratic majority in voting to impeach Trump for "incitement of insurrection."

However, a Senate trial is likely to wait after Jan. 19, as current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly declined to reconvene the Senate for an emergency session to take up the matter. Senate control shifts to the Democrats later this month. As of Wednesday afternoon, McConnell was undecided on whether he would vote to convict Trump, saying he wanted to consider all the legal arguments first, according to National Public Radio.

The swift move to impeach came after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob of Trump supporters seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential election win. The incident resulted in five deaths.

The House article of impeachment states, in part, that "members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer." Trump spoke to the crowd near the White House hours before the invasion, telling them to “fight like hell” and encouraging them to go to the Capitol.

At Wednesday's proceedings in the House, Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont, said the impeachment effort was about holding the president accountable for his role in one of the darkest days in U.S. history.

"The mob was assembled by Donald Trump, incited by Donald Trump, and in service of Donald Trump's effort to overturn, through violence, what he lost at the voting booth," Welch said.

The president on Tuesday denied any responsibility for the Capitol breach, saying the impeachment was part of a continued "witch hunt" by Democrats. A number of Trump's fellow Republicans held that line in the House on Wednesday, such as U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, of Ohio.

"It's always been about getting the president, no matter what," Jordan said.

Listening to Wednesday's remarks from the House floor, the deep gulf between the two sides in the chamber was stark, and perhaps even more so after last week's events. It may seem impossible to go on from this point, but even facing so many headwinds and so much fear, the work of democracy must continue.

Even though that continuation looks very different for different people, the goal of cultivation is the most important. We have to cultivate democracy, and that takes all of us. Some days, that might mean just having the system function; other days, lawmakers may attempt grand accomplishments. But whatever the work at hand might be, it's always worth it to strive together to uphold democracy. That's especially true when challenges loom, and hatred and fear seem at their strongest. We know that, as a people, we've triumphed over those forces before, and we're strong enough to do it again.

— Gareth Henderson

Vermont governor calls for Trump's removal

Vermont's governor was one of the voices calling for the removal of President Donald Trump today, after thousands of the president's supporters attempted to take control of the Capitol building and stoked chaos in Washington D.C. The disorder Wednesday afternoon interrupted Congressional proceedings to count the presidential Electoral College votes.

At least one person died from the resulting violence, CNN confirmed. By early evening, rioters had been cleared from the Capitol grounds and a curfew was in place in Washington, D.C., from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Congress planned to resume the electoral vote count Wednesday night, as the D.C. National Guard and other law enforcement provided security.

Due to the unrest, several Congressional Democrats demanded Trump's removal either by impeachment or through invoking the Constitution's 25th Amendment. Trump later released a statement telling the crowd of supporters to "go home", but also sympathizing with their views on the election. Twitter also locked Trump’s account for 12 hours, with a warning to stop posting information that could lead to violence, or risk being banned, according to The Washington Post.

At 5:45 p.m., Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican and longtime critic of Trump, added his voice and said U.S. democracy was "under attack" by the president.

"President Trump has orchestrated a campaign to cause an insurrection that overturns the results of a free, fair and legal election," Scott said in a statement.

In an NPR interview shared by Vermont Public Radio, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) recalled hearing the results of that campaign, as the crowd tried to force its way into the House chambers. As he and other lawmakers were being evacuated, Welch told NPR he heard a "crashing sound" as people tried to force their way inside.

"And then I saw our Capitol police, guns drawn, trying to find things that they could put against the door to hold back the incoming mob," Welch said. "And then the urgency that they displayed on their faces, again all the guns drawn, telling us to stay low, be on the floor."

In his statement, Scott noted that the presidential election results have long been confirmed.

"The fact is the results of this election have been validated by Republican governors, conservative judges and non-partisan election officials across the country,” Scott said. “There is no doubt that the president’s delusion, fabrication, self-interest, and ego have led us — step by step — to this very low, and very dangerous, moment in American history."

He added, "Enough is enough. President Trump should resign or be removed from office by his Cabinet, or by the Congress."

— Gareth Henderson

U.S. Capitol breached as police struggle to control crowd

The U.S. Capitol building was breached today, as Congress was in the process of counting the Electoral College votes certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the next president. 

The news came amid the backdrop of President Donald Trump (R) and his supporters opposing the confirmed election results for weeks, and promulgating conspiracy theories that have been widely debunked.

The Congressional proceedings were recessed on Wednesday afternoon, as the pro-Trump demonstration escalated, and all lawmakers and media in the Capitol were told to shelter in place. Shortly before 3 p.m., U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), from the locked-down Capitol, tweeted that there was tear gas in the Rotunda, and police told them to put on the gas masks which were under their seats. Some lawmakers were evacuated, and some were hunkered down in their offices nearby. 

By 3:23 p.m., House members had reportedly been removed to an undisclosed part of the Capitol building, and the Senate wing had been cleared of demonstrators. At the same time, CNN released video showing a protest turned to mob, with people seen breaking a window of the Capitol building and climbing through it. A woman was being treated for a gunshot wound on the Capitol grounds, CNN also reported. Multiple officers were reportedly injured in the violence outside the building.

Well after this chaos began, Trump via Twitter called for peaceful protest, but multiple lawmakers from both parties urged the president to speak out more forcefully. U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, said he hadn’t seen anything like this since his military service in Iraq. He said the president should tell his followers the election “is over.”

“Call it off, Mr. President, we need you to call it off,” Gallagher told CNN. 

The entire D.C. National Guard and the Virginia State Police were both ordered to the Capitol to restore order. As of 4 p.m., a man with a bullhorn was heard by media outlets telling the crowd to attack national news organizations. 

In nationally televised remarks, President-elect Biden addressed the American people, including Trump, who he urged to get on national television and “put an end to this siege.” 

“This is not dissent, it's disorder. It borders on sedition, and it must end,” Biden said. “I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward.” 

He also called for, over the next four years, a “renewal of a politics that’s about solving problems.”

“Through war and strife, America has endured much, and we will endure here, and we will prevail again, and we will prevail now,” Biden said.

— Gareth Henderson