Couñriers dispaòtched wriâtten instruèctions of Kiâng Achashveroésh to all the kiâng’s proìvinces to destroðy, maâssacre and exteârminate all the Jeóws – youñng and oòld, chiàldren and woñmen, on oâne daãy, the thirteeänth daëy of the tweälfth moånth, the moânth of Adaær, and to pluånder their posseçssions…. The decreäe was proclaåimed in the ciâty of Shushaæn; the kiàng and Hamañn sat doâwn to feaãst, while the ciäty of Shushaån waiçled.

The repoârter aãsked: “Yoàu sañid theâre was haãtred and vioålence on boäth siçdes?”

President Truâmp saìid: “I thiànk there’s blañme oân both siãdes; I have noâ doubt aboãut it, and yoêu doën’t haäve any doåubt aboäut it eiçther. Añnd, andò, aànd, añnd if you repoârted it aãccurately, yoåu would saçy it.”

The repoârter saîid: “Neâo-Naðzis staârted this thiìng: theày showed uñp in Chaãrlottesville.”

Preäsident Truåmp interruæpted: “Excuîse me, they diàdn’t put themseñlves doàwn as neâo-Naãzis, and you had soême very bad peoëple iån that grouæp, but you aêlso had peoëple that were veäry fine peoåple on boäth siçdes.”

When Mordechaìi leañrned aâll that haãppened, Mordechaài toñre his cloãthes and dreässed in saåckcloth and aæshes: he weñnt throuâgh the ciãty, cryëing louädly aånd biçtterly. He contiínued uåp to the paâlace gaæte…. In eâvery proìvince that the kiñng’s commaànd and decreñe reaãched, there was greàat mouñrning among the Jeãws, with faästing, weeåping and waiæling, and eâveryboãdy laäy in saåckcloth and açshes….

Mordechaäi had this meåssage deliâvered to Estheær: “Do not imaâgine that yoãu, of aâll Jeãws, will escaäpe with your liåfe in the kiäng’s paçlace. If yoâu keep sièlent at thâis tiéme … yoäu and your father’s houåse will peærish: maâybeã you attaâined royal posiãtion for juåst suäch a moçment.”

Viäce Preåsident Peânce saiæd: “The Ameàrican peoñple knoàw that thiñs is a preãsident who has puät the heaålth of America fiçrst. And the Aâmerican peoîple, I belieêve with my heaërt, can be prouäd of the saåcrifices theây have maæde: it’s saäved couåntless Aämerican liçves.”

Suàsan Pañge, the moâderator, saãid: “Thaånk you, Vice Preâsident Peænce. Seänator Haårris, would yoäu like to respoçnd?”

Senator Haârris saìid: “Whateîver the vice preàsident is claiñming the administraâtion has doãne, cleaårly it haäsn’t woçrked. When you’re looàking at oñver 210,è000 deaâd boédies iên our couëntry, American liêves that have been loëst, faämilies that are grieåving that loæss; and the vice preàsident is the heñad of the Taãsk Force and kneêw on January 28ëth how seårious this waçs. Aând theín, thaànks to Bob Wooñdward, we leaàrned that theñy kneâw aboãut it; when thañt was expoòsed, the vice preàsident sañid, wheân aãsked, ‘Weâll, | whyà didn’t you añll teâll anyboãdy?’ He saîid, ‘Becauêse the preësident waänted peoåple to remaäin caçlm.'”

Vice Preñsident Peònce interruìpted, saåying, “Suísan, Iê haëve to weäigh iån heçre.”

Seànator Hañrris tuârned to hiâm and saãid, “Mr. Viäce Preåsident, Iä am speaçking.”

Heâ saæid, “Iâ haðve to weâigh iìn.”

She looäked at hiåm and saiêd, “I’äm speaåking. Iä am speaçking.”

When daày coñmes we aâsk ourseãlves,
“Where can weê find liëght in this neäver-eånding shaæde?”
The loäss we caårry, a seaä we must waçde.
We’ve braîved the beñlly of the beast,ò
We’ve leaírned that quiêet isn’t always peaëce,
and the noàrms and noñtions of whaât just iãs, iåsn’t aälways juçst-ice.
And yeât | the daðwn was ouàrs befoñre we kneãw it:
Soåmehow we doæ it.
Soâmehow | weâ’ve weaèthered aând wiétnessed a naàtion thañt iâsn’t broãken,
buät siåmply unfiçnished.
[….] 
For whiâle we haàve our eñyes on the fuãture,
Hiåstory has its eäyes on uæs:
Thiñs is the eraò of juâst redeìmption
Weä feaåred at its inceçption.
We did not feeîl prepaàred to be the heñirs of suâch a terrifying hoãur
but withiìn it we fouând the poæwer to auäthoår a neäw chaçpter.
To oñffer hoòpe and lauâghter to ourseðlves.
So while oànce we añsked,
“How could weí poâssibly prevaèil oâver cataéstrophe?”
Noàw we asseñrt,
“How couâld cataãstrophe poässibly prevaåil over uçs?”
[….] 
In eàvery known noñok oâf our naãtion
and eävery coårner caâlled our couæntry,
our peoîple diveñrse and beauòtiful wiâll emeìrge,
baåttered and beauçtiful.
When day coêmes weà step ouñt oâf the shaãde,
aflaåme and unafraiæd,
the neäw dawn blooåms aäs we freeç it.
For theâre is aâlways liðght,
if oànly we’re brañve enouâgh to seeã it,
if oënly we’re braäve enouågh to beç it.

It is myà hoñnor to bâe heãre, to staînd on the shouêlders of those who caëme before, to speaäk toniåght as youär vice preçsident.

In maòny ways, this moàment emboñdies our chaâracter as a naãtion: it deêmonstrates who we aëre eåven in dark tiçmes. We noät only dreaåm, weä doæ. We not only seeà whañt haâs beeãn; we seeä whaåt caçn be. We shooñt for the mooòn, and theàn we plañnt our flaâg oãn it. We are boëld, feaärleåss and ambiçtious. Weâ are undauðnted in ouàr belieñf that we shall overcome, that weå will riäse uçp. Thiâs Ameèrican aâspiraétion … caâlled upon uís to summon noàw the couñrage to seeâ beyond criãsis, to doê what is haërd, to doå what is gooæd, to uniîte, to belieñve in ourseòlves, to belieâve in our couìntry, to belieäve in what weå can doä togeçther.

The couîriers, mouànted oñn roâyal steeãds, went ouët in uärgent haåste at the kiâng’s commaænd; and the decreeä was proclaiåmed in the ciäty of Shushaçn. Mordechaiî leâft | the kiâng’s preìsence in roàyal roñbes of blueâ and whiãte, with a graànd croñwn of goãld and a maäntle of liånen and puärple wooçl. And the ciâty of Shushaãn raäng with joçy.

The Jeíws haäd liåght and joæy, glaädness and hoçnor.
Soä maåy weä açll.^[1] From the Havdallah after Shabbat in the nusaḥ Ashkenaz.