Senator Tammy Duckworth: “We Will Not Put Up With Folks Who Choose to Attack Our Democracy”
Source: Vogue
On Wednesday, January 6, much of the country watched in horror as an unruly mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory. As the violence and chaos unfolded, many elected officials were forced to shelter in place.
Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth (D) was one of those elected officials, barricading herself in a secure location for hours; on Tuesday, Vogue spoke to the senator about her experience of last week’s events, the action she feels must be taken to punish those who participated in the insurrection, and the importance of prioritizing the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vogue: First of all, how are you recovering from the events of last week?
Tammy Duckworth: It’s an emotional thing, but I’m fine. It was a very, very long day, but we got through it. I’m glad we ended by finishing the people’s work. It was frustrating for me, after all my decades spent in the military, helping other nations fight for democracy, to see my own capital taken over by Americans—under the very same flag I wore into battle. I’ve been just so frustrated and so mad, and it was important to me that we send the message that we will not put up with folks who choose to attack our constitution and our democracy in this way.
Did your experience as a combat veteran inform your reaction to the storming of the Capitol?
I think I was much more calm than many of my colleagues were, and I knew what we needed to do. I was not with the bulk of my colleagues when when [the Trump-supporting mob] reached the Capitol; I was actually in the tunnels underneath. I knew that the best thing that I could do was to remove myself so that the Capitol police did not have to worry about me. I knew to get myself to a secure location and then let them know where I was once the mop-up started, so they could come get me later.
Were you concerned about COVID-19 during the attack, especially given the news that certain representatives have since tested positive?
I was, because I saw that a lot of my Republican colleagues were not wearing their masks. We were closely packed together, and there was no social distancing going on, because it just wasn’t possible in the space we were in.
Did you have any reaction to Trump recently calling the speech that incited the storming of the Capitol “totally appropriate”?
No, it’s not! His inauguration speech was inappropriate. From the minute he took the oath of office, he’s been inappropriate. So I’m not surprised by it. That’s why I think it’s really important to get him removed from office, because even in the small amount of time remaining [in Trump’s term], he still has access to the U.S. nuclear codes. He can do a lot of damage that, frankly, we as a nation don’t need to be dealing with. We already are dealing with COVID-19, and the economy, and trying to get kids back in school, and a myriad of other things.
I know it’s a big question, but where do you think we go from here as a democracy?
We need to show that those who were part of the insurrection will be punished, and that there must be consequences for these actions. And then we rebuild, brick by brick, the foundations of our democracy and put them back in place with stronger mortar than we had before. That means that Democrats and Republicans must come together and work to reestablish those norms.
I think it’s really important that President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris lead us in that effort, as we will in the Senate as well. But we need to move forward. The first step was continuing the delegate count, and the next thing will be to have this inauguration on the Capitol and reclaim our space. Then we need to shore up our judiciary. At the same time, dozens of Americans are dying every hour, so we have to address this pandemic first and foremost.
Are there any responses to what happened that have encouraged you to keep pushing for what’s right?
Seeing many of my Republican colleagues who stood up on the floor and denounced the insurrection was one. I’m still disappointed in Senators Hawley and Cruz, and some of the others who voted the way they did, but I will say that I am especially proud of many of my Republican colleagues who took a deep breath and remembered the oath of office they took to defend our constitution and behave appropriately.
By: Emma Specter
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