FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 5, 2020
CONTACT: Logan Smith, [email protected], 202-709-8825

Bend the Arc statement on Senate impeachment vote
Senate’s refusal to hold Trump accountable is another chilling milestone in the march toward authoritarianism

WASHINGTON, DC — Bend the Arc: Jewish Action CEO Stosh Cotler released the following statement on Wednesday in response to the U.S. Senate impeachment vote:

“The Senate’s refusal to examine the facts or challenge the defense team's falsehoods and obfuscation is yet another chilling milestone in this country’s march toward authoritarianism under President Trump and his GOP. This so-called ‘trial’ wasn’t a fair or impartial hearing, it was a coverup in plain sight.

Those who enable an authoritarian leader who openly breaks the law and obstructs justice are culpable in all that he destroys. Trump has made his playbook clear: scapegoat the most vulnerable, make policy based on fear and fiction instead of facts, destroy the institutions and principles our society holds dear, and scare everyone else into going along with it. We’ve seen this before. And we know who will bear the cost of the Senate’s cowardice: the millions of immigrants, people of color, Muslim people, Jewish people, LGBTQ people, and all who are targeted by Trump’s white nationalist policies and rhetoric.

The Senate’s acquittal vote is a betrayal of the constitution and our democracy, and we must hold Trump’s enablers accountable. As Jews, we know that as authoritarianism advances, Jewish safety erodes. We will continue to reject the politics of authoritarianism, fear, and division by joining together with all who are threatened and angered by this administration’s agenda to build a country where everyone can participate, everyone is safe, and everyone belongs.”