Jill (Duggar) Dillard and her husband Derick were among the many public figures to condemn the violent pro-Trump riots on Jan. 6 that breached the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden. While the two have been vocal in past elections as supporters of the Republican party, the Counting On alum condemned the riots as “unacceptable” and “an affront to democracy” on social media.
Jill took to her Instagram Story on Jan. 7 to speak out against the attack. “I’m all for freedom of speech but yesterday’s violent attack was unacceptable,” she wrote. “Despite our differences, we must be self-controlled and respect the process.” She urged her followers to “have values,” “seek justice,” “be thoughtful,” “pray often” and use their voices in a peaceful way. Dillard added his thoughts on Twitter, calling anything less than a “peaceful transition of power” decidedly “un-American.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
What we witnessed yesterday on Capitol Hill was shocking and an affront to democracy! Violence is not how we solve our problems! As Americans, one thing we should all agree on is the peaceful transition of power. Anything less is un-American. #CapitolRiots #democracy
— Derick Dillard (@derickmdillard) January 7, 2021
When one of Dillard’s followers pushed back against his condemnation of what he implied was something similar to the Revolutionary War, the law student responded, “From my understanding, the people rioting were not against the structure of our government at its core (I.e. our constitution), but rather how certain things are being handled. In that case peaceful protest and seeking new leadership is the solution, not violence.”
Many others who follow Dillard thanked him for condemning the actions of the rioters, especially coming from such a conservative background. “Thank you for saying this, more people need to recognize what actually happened yesterday,” one person commented. Another added, “Must say, I’m pleasantly surprised by both you and Jill expressing this sentiment.”
“We don’t agree on much but this we do agree on. That’s what this country SHOULD be about and what has been lacking heavily these last few months,” a third follower responded. “We have to find common ground and co-exist together.” Another person noted of the Dillards’ statements, “Even a simple tweet like this can require lots of courage.” In the days since the chaos at the Capitol, Jill has continued to share her usual content with her followers, including a recipe for homemade kombucha.
