February 13, 2021 - WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after voting to convict former President Donald Trump for inciting the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: 

“I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic – and today, I upheld that oath by voting to convict Donald Trump for inciting a violent and deadly insurrection at our nation’s Capitol. 

“Having served as California’s top elections official, I've been fighting back against Trump's ‘Big Lie’ and conspiracy theories about the integrity of our elections for years. This was a plot built up over years that resulted in an attack not just on Congress, but on our democracy itself.

“The case before us was abundantly clear, but sadly, too many of my Republican colleagues decided to maintain their loyalty to Donald Trump instead of follow their conscience and the truth of their first-hand experiences that day.

“While this trial may have ended, the work to defend and strengthen our democracy continues. As a member of the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Rules committees, I can assure Californians that I’ll work with my colleagues to conduct further investigations into the rise of white supremacy and domestic terrorism in our country, dangerous disinformation, security lapses at the Capitol, and broader voter suppression efforts in order to ensure this never happens again.”