Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, November 8th, 2016 -- yet another date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America’s disrupted election was the fruition of more than a year's deliberate cyberattack by forces of Russia as directed by Vladimir Putin and the Empire of Trump.
The United States was at diplomatic peace with that nation until it, at the solicitation of Trump, Manaforte and Flynn, who in collusion with the foreign government, promoted its aspiring puppet to disrupt the maintenance of Americans’ peace, prosperity, energy security and climate stability. They have mounted an unprecedented assault on global democracy, rule of law, and economic order.
Indeed, six months after Russian intelligence group Fancy Bear and its hackers delivered to the campaign manager of our former Secretary of State Clinton a phishing attack, it seems inappropriate to continue the existing electoral college process and elections certifications, until threat or hint of war and verification or rescission of the election result can be resolved.
It will be recorded that the hacking and trolling of multiple US social media and election sites from Russia makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many months or even years ago by Russian diplomatic and Trump campaign officials. During the intervening time, the Trumpanese Gibbon has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for locking up Hillary.
Trumputin has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive of lies, propaganda and disinformation extending throughout the internet and political process. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The divided and sometimes enlightened people of the United States have already formed their opinions and most well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander in Chief of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, chief executive over the CIA, DIA, FBI, NSA, NOAA and FEC and FCC, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, at times and places of our choosing, by any and all means at our disposal. Always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion of our sacred free electoral process and domestic cyberspace, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory and no less than restoration of truth and Jeffersonian democracy.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery, by oligarchs allied with a foreign power to deceive an embittered minority of the American electorate, shall never again endanger us.
There is no blinking at the fact that the freedom and sovereignty of our people, our United States, our elections, institutions and interests are in grave danger, even if greater international hostilities never exist.
With confidence in our armed forces, our international and domestic security services, with a resilient technology infrastructure in service to, but not in place of, our productive citizens, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph over the conspiracy of the pretender Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Russian intelligence service members and their cronies behind this invasion of our democracy -- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Trumputin on and before November 8th, 2016, a state of war has existed between the United States, Russia and the entire Trumpanese corporate shadow empire.
In some quarters, with this rude awakening has come fear, bordering on panic. It is said that we are defenseless. It is whispered by some that only by abandoning our freedom, our ideals, our way of life, can we build our defenses adequately, can we match the strength of the aggressors.
I did not share those illusions. I do not share these fears. Today we are now more realistic. But let us not be calamity howlers and discount our strength.
There is nothing in our present emergency to justify a lowering of the standards of employment. Minimum wages should not be reduced. It is my hope, indeed, that the new speed-up of production will cause many businesses which now pay below the minimum standards to bring their wages up.
There is nothing in our present emergency to justify a breaking down of old age pensions or of federal assistance for healthcare and unemployment insurance. I would rather see the systems extended to other groups who do not now enjoy them.
There is nothing in our present emergency to justify a retreat from any of our social objectives—from conservation of natural resources, assistance to agriculture, housing, and help to the under-privileged.
Also, our present emergency and a common sense of decency make it imperative that no new group of billionaires shall come into being in this nation as a result of the struggles at home and abroad. The American people will not relish the idea of any American citizen growing rich and fat in an emergency of blood and slaughter and human suffering.
Today's threat to our national security is not a matter of our free media, information security, and military weapons alone. We know of new online methods of social infiltration and attack.
The Trojan Horse. The Fifth Column that betrays a nation unprepared for treachery.
Spies, saboteurs, propagandists, agents provocateurs, money launderers, financial thieves and traitors are the actors in this new strategy. With all of these we must and will deal vigorously.
But there is an added technique for weakening a nation at its very roots, for disrupting the entire pattern of life of a people. It is important that we understand it.
The method is simple. It is, first, a dissemination of discord. A group—not too large- a group that may be sectional or racial or political—is encouraged to exploit its prejudices through false slogans and emotional appeals. The aim of those who deliberately egg on these groups is to create confusion of counsel, public indecision, political paralysis and, eventually, a state of panic.
Sound national policies come to be viewed with a new and unreasoning skepticism, not through the wholesome political debates of honest and free men, but through the clever schemes of foreign agents.
As a result of these new techniques, established bipartisan programs and progress may be dangerously delayed. Singleness of national purpose may be undermined. Men can lose confidence in each other, and therefore lose confidence in the efficacy of their own united action. Faith and courage can yield to doubt and fear.
The unity of the State can be so sapped that its strength is destroyed.
This is no imaginary delusion. It has happened time after time, in nation after nation, during the last two decades. Previously, American men and women were not so easily duped.
Campaigns of group hatred or class struggle have never made much headway among us, but are making headway now. New political forces are being unleashed by Greed, Obstructionism, and Partisan disruption of established national priorities due to the effects of unlimited donor money after failure of Campaign Finance reform since the 1980's, and the disastrous Supreme Court decisions such as Citizens United. Deliberately crafted propagandas divide and weaken us in the face of danger as few other nations have been weakened before.
The dividing forces of American Fascism and Totalitarianism under the guise of regressive tax reform and Libertarianism are undiluted poison against our general welfare and tranquility. They must not be allowed to spread in our New World as they once did in the Old.
Our morale and our mental defenses must be raised as never before against those who would cast a smoke screen across our visions of equality and democracy.
For more than three centuries we Americans have been building on this continent a free society, a society in which the promise of the human spirit may find fulfillment. Commingled here are the blood and genius of all the peoples of the world who have sought this promise.
Our forebears in this country have built well. We must continue their efforts to bring the blessings of a free society, of a free and productive economic system, to every family in the land. This is the promise of America.
It is this that we must continue to build—this that we must continue to defend.
It is the task of this and every generation, yours and mine. But we build and defend not for ourselves alone. We defend the foundations laid down by our fathers and mothers. We build a life for generations yet unborn. We defend and we build a way of life, not for America alone, but for all mankind. Ours is a high duty, a noble task.
Day and night I pray for the restoration of peace in this mad world of ours. It is not necessary that I, the President, ask the American people to pray in behalf of such a cause—for I know you are praying with me.
I ask that out of the heart of every man, woman and child in this land, in every waking minute, an humble supplication goes up to Almighty God; that all of us beg that suffering, starving, envy, death and destruction may end—and that peace, generosity, stewardship, knowledge and justice may return to the world.
In common affection for all mankind, may your prayers join with mine—that God will heal and restore the wounds, hearts, and morality of humanity.
I have directed the Justices of the Supreme Court and the heads of the Intelligence Agencies to meet with myself, the leaders of the House and Senate, as to how to proceed in this unprecedented time of election tampering by a foreign power in conspiracy with candidate Trump and his campaign. I have asked the US Attorney General for the appointment of a special prosecutor to be confirmed by the Congress and for full investigations. A meeting of the UN Security Council is scheduled for later this week to discuss sanctions and the eviction of substantial numbers of Russian military and diplomatic personnel from the US.
Further information will be released when it is developed. Thank you, may God be with us. That is all.