5 Immediate Actions for Companies to Respond to the January 6th Insurrection

Business leaders across the country are standing up for our democracy. Below is a selection of urgent actions for business leaders and government affairs teams to consider in order to create accountability for the January 6th insurrection.

  1. Issue a public statement supporting our democratic institutions, recognizing the threats posed by President Trump and the importance of impeaching him, or invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him immediately (as the National Association of Manufacturers has called for). If those fail to move forward, then pursue immediate censure of the President by both the Senate and House of Representatives.

  2. Withhold financial support from elected officials in Congress and state capitols who deliberately undermined our democracy by objecting to the Electoral vote count and bolstering unsubstantiated claims of fraud which led to the violent insurrection — including the 8 Senators and 139 members of Congress.

  3. Ensure that those who enabled the President’s attempt to undermine democracy will have no opportunity for future employment with your company. (see Forbes commitment to create accountability)

  4. Pull advertising dollars from media channels, platforms, and individuals that spurred the insurrection.

  5. Counter disinformation and conspiracy theories by engaging with and informing your employees, customers, and communities. The profound damage to democracy posed by a “big lie,” and its historical precedents, is discussed here.

These actions are urgent. But experience from history and other nations tells us that business leaders also need to play a significant role in safeguarding our democracy from threats over the longer-term. This includes supporting a proactive agenda, including legislation, to shore up democratic institutions, protect voting rights, and advance racial equity.


Leadership Now Project is a coalition of business leaders dedicated to protecting and renewing American democracy. Please feel free to repurpose this content and share it with your colleagues. Contact laxmi@leadershipnowproject.org to stay up to date on related efforts or share information on your plans. Read here our full statement on the January 6th insurrection.