23 SU instructors join open letter calling for Trump’s removal from office

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Twenty-three Syracuse University instructors are among more than 2,000 political scientists from across the country who’ve signed an open letter calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office. 

Two doctoral candidates, one postdoctoral fellow and 19 professors from SU have signed the letter as of 4 p.m. Friday, calling for Trump to be removed through the impeachment process or by invoking the 25th Amendment. The call comes after an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, which Trump incited.  

The signatories of the letter claim that Trump’s actions “threaten American democracy.” The group cites the president’s baseless claims that the November election was stolen and that he has encouraged state legislatures to ignore their states’ votes and change their Electoral College delegates in his favor.

They also cite Trump’s recent phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which Trump pressured Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” after the state certified its election results in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.

“Our profession seeks to understand politics, not engage in it, but we share a commitment to democratic values,” the letter reads. “The President’s actions show he is unwilling or unable to fulfill his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.” 

The signatories from SU are listed below:

Shana Gadarian
Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science

Seth Jolly
Associate Professor, Political Science

Robert Shaffer
Postdoctoral Associate, Political Science

Steven White
Assistant Professor, Political Science

Maraam A. Dwidar
Assistant Professor, Political Science

Stuart Thorson
Professor Emeritus, Political Science

Chris Faricy
Associate Professor, Political Science

Mark Rupert
Professor, Political Science

Ryan D. Griffiths
Associate Professor, Political Science

Yael Zeira
Associate Professor, Political Science

Brian D. Taylor
Professor, Political Science

Daniel McDowell
Associate Professor, Political Science

Thomas M. Keck
Professor, Political Science

Erin Hern
Assistant Professor, Political Science

Margaret Susan Thompson
Professor, Political Science and History

Colleen Dougherty Burton
Ph.D Candidate, Political Science

Jenn M. Jackson
Assistant Professor, Political Science

Emily Thorson
Assistant Professor, Political Science

Sarah Pralle
Associate Professor, Political Science

Nathan Carrington
Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science

Renée de Nevers
Associate Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs

Sarah Pralle
Associate Professor, Political Science

Claire Sigsworth
Ph.D Candidate, Political Science