The attorneys general from 47 states and three US territories urged people to remain peaceful and to preemptively “condemn any acts of violence” related to the results of the presidential election.
The statement, released Tuesday, was signed by chief prosecutors from every US state except Indiana, Montana and Texas. Attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and US Virgin Islands also signed.
“We call upon every American to vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process,” they wrote. “Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.”
Fears of election violence persist nearly four years after Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump supporters rioted at the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the election certification.
Rather than condemning the violence during his campaign, Trump has celebrated the rioters, pledging to pardon them and featuring a recorded chorus of prisoners in jail for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack singing the national anthem.
