WASHINGTON, DC – Upon the fifth anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Constitutional Accountability Center Vice President Praveen Fernandes issued the following statement:

When President Trump issues statements purporting to care about DC crime rates and the safety of law enforcement officers, we should all remember that Trump issued broad clemency to roughly 1600 individuals charged with crimes in connection with the violent attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, including individuals charged with harming law enforcement officers in one of the most intense days of criminal activity in the District of Columbia’s history. That insurrection five years ago was not just an attack on the Capitol, it was an attack on democracy. Violent rioters were attempting to thwart the will of American voters by disrupting the peaceful transfer of power. The strength of our democracy depends upon us remembering exactly what happened that day, and upon us ensuring it never happens again.