On the 1-Year Anniversary of the US Capitol Riot, Biden Says "He Pushed the Mob to Attack"

Criticism of Trump Using Third-Person Speech and Former President References
Republicans Boycott Memorial Event... Showing the Reality of U.S. Division

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the first anniversary of the unprecedented storming of the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden pointed to former President Donald Trump as responsible for the violent incident and criticized him. Despite the passage of one year since the event, the Republican Party's absence from the memorial ceremony held at the Capitol that day revealed the ongoing division in American society that remains unhealed.

In a speech on the 6th (local time) at Statuary Hall in the Capitol in Washington D.C., where the rioters had broken in, President Biden referred to former President Trump in the third person, criticizing him by saying, "For the first time in American history, a president who lost an election incited rioters to storm the Capitol to obstruct a peaceful transfer of power."

President Biden claimed that former President Trump "pushed the rioters to attack." He directly condemned Trump, saying, "He sat in the White House watching all these scenes on television, and even as police were attacked, lives were threatened, and the Capitol was besieged, he did nothing for hours."

President Biden expressed concern that "a former U.S. president is spreading lies related to the 2020 election," emphasizing, "One year ago today, I did not want this fight, but I will not back down. I will protect the country and will not tolerate anyone holding a blade to the throat of democracy."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained at a briefing that the reason President Biden did not mention Trump's name directly was, "There has been only one president in our history who incited a rebellion to seize control of Congress," adding, "Everyone knows who that is."

Regarding judicial proceedings related to the incident, Psaki said, "President Biden wants the Department of Justice and the Attorney General to act independently."

The memorial event held at the Capitol that day to remember the first anniversary of the riot clearly showed that the Democratic and Republican parties remain divided.

According to the political media outlet The Hill, the Republican Party boycotted the memorial event organized by the House of Representatives. The event became one attended only by Republican Representative Liz Cheney, who supported Trump's impeachment, and Democratic lawmakers.

As President Biden assessed, this reflected the atmosphere among a significant portion of Trump supporters and the Republican base who claim the last election was the result of fraud and refuse to accept defeat, serving as an example that the wounds of division have yet to heal.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, "As we recall that darkest day, we remember that the insurrection was not only an attack on this building but an assault on democracy itself."

The Senate event was no different from the House situation, with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell absent. McConnell issued a statement condemning the violence but accused the Democrats of exploiting the event to push voting rights legislation.

He criticized, "I am stunned that some Democrats are using the attempt by rioters to subvert the country's norms and institutions as justification to discard our norms and institutions."

Far-right Representatives Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene held a press conference repeating election conspiracy theories. Greene made baseless claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) incited the riot, raising her voice, "Why was the government involved?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.