Republican senator Mike Lee, of Utah, sparked a fierce backlash on Thursday after tweeting a series of attacks on democracy.
Lee, who is in self-isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus, says he’ll return from quarantine to vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Nov. 3 election, which he appeared to question repeatedly on Twitter while watching the vice presidential debate.
“We’re not a democracy,” he claimed in one of his tweets after declaring that the term does not appear in the constitution.
“The word ‘democracy’ appears nowhere in the Constitution, perhaps because our form of government is not a democracy,” he claimed. “It’s a constitutional republic. To me it matters,” he added.
He then claimed that democracy can “thwart” liberty, peace, and prosperity.
Lee’s tweets triggered an avalanche of responses, with people blasting him over the remarks.
The word “democracy” appears nowhere in the Constitution, perhaps because our form of government is not a democracy. It’s a constitutional republic. To me it matters. It should matter to anyone who worries about the excessive accumulation of power in the hands of the few.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 8, 2020
We’re not a democracy.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 8, 2020
@KamalaHarris here’s why you should agree that we’re not a democracy: the whole point of a constitution is to tell majorities what they can’t do, regardless of how badly the majority wants them. Free speech protections? Totally anti-Democratic.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 8, 2020
Democracy isn’t the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 8, 2020
Here are some of the responses:
This is the kind of comment you can imagine coming from Putin or Erdogan.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 8, 2020
What are you talk about? What drugs are you on?
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) October 8, 2020
Can't wait to vote for literally *ANYONE* against you in primary or general election in 2022.
— Jake Smith (@CodeMonkey76) October 8, 2020
Scariest tweet ever. https://t.co/Po9GIzOt2s
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) October 8, 2020
Any senator who doesn't believe that our liberty, peace and prosperity are founded on – and fundamentally tied to – democracy, doesn't deserve to be in public office.
— Craig Hartsough (@CraigHartsough) October 8, 2020
You want Trump to be a dictator & your party to permanently rule. You repeat what an authoritarian thug would say https://t.co/jnmskMGW2y
— Stephen Wolf (@PoliticsWolf) October 8, 2020
We are a representative democracy, whose leaders represent the will of the people, and are constrained by the rights granted in the constitution.
NOWHERE in the constitution does it tell majorities what they "can't do". It outlines the rights granted to all.
— PurpleDragon (@PurpleDragn) October 8, 2020
Meanwhile Trump thinks the rules and law don’t apply to him EVER!! Blatantly ripping up the constitution, only referring to it when it works for him. Free speech? Trump thought that was meant for him in the debate and stole it from Biden. Open your eyes, let the scales fall away!
— Chelsey Cardon (@chelseycstowell) October 8, 2020
We are a Constitutional republic established as a representative democracy. If you intend to replace our democracy with some other form of government, you'll have to tear up the Constitution. I should remind you, Senator, that you swore an oath to uphold the Constitution.
— Michael Skotnicki (@MSkotnicki) October 8, 2020
That's why I'm voting for Biden. He will make America a democracy again.
— foundersrolling🌊🌊🌊 (@miss1to44) October 8, 2020
