And so I did feel him very much in my heart and in my chest through that entire period." He was asking a lot more of democracy, not less. He added: "Tommy was in a second year at Harvard Law School, when we lost him and he was deeply engaged in movements for human rights, against war, for animal rights and welfare, and to defend and expand democracy. Trump Backs Out of Riot Anniversary Event Blames Jan.Peter Navarro Jan 6 Interview Viewed 1M Times: 'You Are Describing a Coup'.Comparing Sean Hannity's Private Texts and Public Remarks Before Jan."I think it feels right because of who he was and what he wanted for the world," Raskin said, noting that his son was a young man "filled with extraordinary moral and political passions." "Now that you are putting it out to the world and able to talk about it, does it still feel like the right thing to do? Does it still feel like you had to do it?" Maddow asked him during the interview. On Tuesday, a day before the one-year anniversary of his son's funeral, Raskin appeared on Rachel Maddow's show and opened up about why he had written the book. Raskin reflects on the two traumatic events he experienced in the span of a week in his new memoir, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy, which was published on Monday. Thx for standing by me through thick and thin.- Jamie Raskin January 4, 2022 It’s also about the Jan 6 insurrection, my work as lead impeachment manager, and the ongoing struggle for democracy. “This was the most terrible crime ever by a president of the United States against our country, and I want everybody to feel the gravity and the seriousness of those events."Unthinkable,” my book about Tommy, and his passions and gifts, and struggle with depression, was released today. The vast majority of American people-Democrats, Republicans, and independents-reject armed insurrection and violence as a new way of doing business in America.” “I’m not going to lose my son at the end of 2020 and lose my republic in 2021,” Raskin sternly replied. “That trauma on top of trauma just seems so debilitating to me.” “You just lost your son and now you’re in Congress worrying about your daughter and your other daughter’s husband because of these terrorists who had attacked the Congress,” the State of the Union host said. There was an attack on our people.”Īfter Raskin said the president “did nothing” about the riot for hours, instead just continuing to “watch it on TV and enjoy their insurrection tailgate party,” Tapper expressed his condolences to the congressman. “These events are personal to me, Jake,” he continued. “In between them and me was a rampage, an armed mob that could have killed them easily and was banging on the doors where they were hiding under a desk with my chief of staff.” “When we went to count the Electoral College votes and it came under that ludicrous attack, I felt my son with me and I was most concerned with our youngest daughter and my son-in-law, who is married to our other daughter, who were with me that day who got caught in a room off the House floor,” he told anchor Jake Tapper. Turning to the tragedy of his son’s death, Raskin delivered a moving tribute, discussing Tommy’s lifelong passion for “human rights for every person” before saying he accepted Pelosi’s request to lead the impeachment trial because of him. “They built a gallows outside of the Capitol of the United States,” he added. “There was an assassination party hunting for Nancy Pelosi.” “You don’t need a six-month investigation to figure out what happened,” Raskin said. Furthermore, he noted that a lengthy investigation and impeachment trial isn’t necessary. Following the violent riot that left at least five dead, Raskin helped draft the articles of impeachment against Trump and was tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to manage the Senate trial.ĭuring an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning, the Democratic congressman first spoke at length about the perilous situation members of Congress faced as the MAGA mob invaded the Capitol on Jan. Raskin found himself hiding alongside his House colleagues as a seditious mob stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election. On New Year’s Eve, the Maryland lawmaker’s 25-year-old son, Tommy-who was a Harvard law student, poet, and animal rights activist-took his life, writing an apology to his parents and telling them: “Please look after each other, the animals and the global poor for me.”Ī day after burying Tommy, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) paid tribute to his late son on Sunday while contrasting that tragedy with the insurrectionist riot incited by President Donald Trump, emotionally declaring, “I’m not going to lose my son in 2020 and lose my republic in 2021.”
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