January 11, 2021

Washington, D.C. - The National Council of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) calls for the resignation or removal of Donald J. Trump as president. Should the president not resign his office immediately, it urges in the strongest possible terms that the vice president, secretaries of cabinet departments and members of the House and Senate use every means at their disposal to achieve the same result.

The U.S. Constitution charges the president of the United States, through his oath of office, to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic." President Trump has concretely and egregiously violated this oath. The Council condemns his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, as he exhorted a mob to disrupt the constitutionally mandated certification of the Electoral College vote. His efforts have fomented civil unrest and undermined another essential element of our democracy—the electoral process—through false and baseless claims of election fraud, pressures on public servants to commit election fraud and much more. This pattern has cast a dark pall on our judicial system, the work of state and local governments' election officials and now on the work of Congress, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

The president's actions are unprecedented and deserve a swift response. Indeed, they fly in the face of a strong, robust democracy, for which free speech and peaceful protest are essential. Violence, harm against other persons and destruction of property are antithetical to it. They are criminal acts and those responsible for them must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

ASPA expresses its appreciation to those dedicated public servants who have worked tirelessly to protect our electoral and judicial processes and our institutions themselves. During these dark days for our country, we urge our members, partners and friends—so many of whom serve at all levels of government—to look forward to the peaceful transition of power and work together for an increased respect for public servants and newfound gratitude for the work they do. Yours is a noble calling and your efforts are invaluable to our nation. We commend you.