Five years later, democracy still under attack

Today marks five years since Donald Trump incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol in an effort to overturn a lawful, democratic election. January 6, 2021, represented the worst assault on our democracy since the Civil War, and its legacy continues with election denialism and persistent attacks on our democratic norms and institutions.

On the first day of his second term, President Trump pardoned, granted clemency to, and released from jail nearly 1,600 people convicted or charged with crimes related to January 6. Since then, some have committed and been arrested for further acts of violence, and the head of at least one dangerous far-right militia announced plans to relaunch. In other words, the extremists Trump mobilized on January 6 are still “standing back and standing by,” waiting to be deployed again in service to him.

Last month, Former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee that “our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.” Smith’s testimony about January 6 was released last week on New Year’s Eve, likely in an attempt by Republicans to hide it, because it affirms that President Trump bears the ultimate responsibility for January 6. 

It’s easy to become numb or want to tune out when attacks on democracy and the rule of law have become a constant fixture of Trump’s second term. That’s how authoritarians want us to feel. They want us to accept as normal their wrongdoing, whether it be denying the outcome of an election, disregarding the Constitution, weaponizing the Department of Justice, trampling democratic norms, ignoring the separation of powers, or launching an insurrection.

We refuse to accept January 6 and its aftermath as our new normal, which is why we’re fighting to defend democracy, including at the ballot box. We know that the future of democracy has been the number one issue driving the Jewish American vote in the past two elections, and we’re doing all we can to defend it through advocacy and electoral victories in 2026.

We have a strategy to help Democrats who share our values take back control of Congress so they can reestablish oversight and accountability for this White House and stop Trump’s dangerous policy agenda. We have a strategy to ensure we defend democracy in 2026, and it runs through many of your states in the midterm elections.

Democracy is such an important issue for Jewish Americans that it will be the focus of the first JDCA Members’ Event of 2026, on January 22 at 12:00 p.m. ET, with leading voting rights attorney and Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias.

If you have not already become a JDCA member in 2026, please do so today. Your annual support allows us to expand our work advocating, organizing, mobilizing, and engaging Jewish voters to advance our shared values. All 2026 JDCA members are invited to exclusive events, including our January 22 briefing on “The State of American Democracy in 2026 with Marc Elias.”

We’ve already gotten to work in this new year, and we hope you’ll join us. The stakes could not be higher, and we look forward to working with all of you to defend our democracy in 2026.

Thank you,

Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America