Susan Rice

But I believe that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in surrendering our constitutional rights.

We're not interested in surrendering our right to free speech, to free assembly, to worship as we will, to exercise our legal right to vote.

And I don't think at the end of the day we will stand idly by and let all of those rights be taken away from us before our very eyes.

And the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota more broadly, when they are peacefully organizing and peacefully demonstrating to stand up for those very rights that we all need and cherish, are showing us the way.

No.

And I think, you know, when Donald Trump says I might invoke the Insurrection Act or when Stephen Miller says, you know, he can foresee the suspension of habeas corpus.

When Donald Trump says, if you vote for me this one time, you'll never have to vote again, as he did during the 24 campaign or when he questions why we need elections.

I don't think we should view those statements as idle threats.

Right.

I think, you know, if there's one thing that we ought to have learned by now,

It's that actually Donald Trump very often tells us exactly what he intends to do.

And we ought to have learned by now to take what he says seriously.

And we can't just look at what is happening today or yesterday.

We've got to think through the lens of those that seem to be willing to exercise power without constraint.

And have the imagination that they seem to have and to prepare accordingly.

And I think as citizens, what we must do is speak up.

What we must do is be unafraid.

What we must do is hold our leaders accountable, whether they're political leaders or corporate leaders or academic leaders, to speak.

stand up for the Constitution and the rule of law that has benefited them and benefited us every day since the inception of this country.

And that means being willing to organize peacefully and engage in sustained nonviolent mass protest.