Vanessa Cárdenas Reacts to President Biden’s Democracy Speech
Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to President Biden’s democracy speech last night:
“President Biden is right to highlight the stakes and the threats facing our nation. The very notion of America’s promise as a multi-racial democracy is under threat as a direct result of Republicans’ embrace of the Big Lie and their assault on the notion of America as an inclusive, multiracial, majoritarian democracy. The GOP’s relentless, scorched earth nativism and embrace of ‘replacement’ and ‘invasion’ conspiracies are an inextricable part of this story.
From the moment Donald Trump descended the escalator in 2015 and railed against immigrants, nativism and the dangerous dehumanization of immigrants have been the beating heart of MAGA Republicans’ message. And it’s not just a theoretical threat: whether at the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home or a grocery store in Buffalo, people who listen to, adopt and identify with the nativist messages promoted by Republicans have committed real acts of violence. And the threat is ongoing.
This should go beyond partisanship and beyond the short-term political moment. Pro-democracy forces who believe in the promise of a vibrant, inclusive democracy must join together to call out and defeat those promoting a fearful and insular country.”
