Theodore Roosevelt wrote,

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important, to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone else.”

Understanding this statement by Roosevelt is most important in our age today. As Americans, our loyalty is to our Constitution. Not to individuals. As we watch the January 6 hearings, remember that the people you see are loyal to the Constitution. No one serving our government owes the President or any other office holder their silence. We always owe the office holder and the American people the truth.

As a historian, history will look up the souls of those who have stood for the truth against those who knowingly defied the Constitution and the spirit of the Constitution. History will honor them.