Biden warns of US peril from Trump’s ‘dagger’ at democracy

By LISA MASCARO, ZEKE MILLER and MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden forcefully blamed Donald Trump and his supporters Thursday for holding a “dagger astatine the pharynx of democracy” with predetermination lies that sparked past year’s deadly battle connected the U.S. Capitol, utilizing the day of the onslaught to pass that America’s strategy of authorities remains nether urgent threat.

The president acceptable the code connected a time of remembrance that brought fiery speeches, moments of soundlessness and anguished accounts from lawmakers recalling the terrifying hours of Jan. 6, 2021, erstwhile the Trump mob laid siege to the Capitol and rioters tried to halt the routine, ceremonial certification of predetermination results.

Notably, astir nary Republicans joined Biden and the Democrats successful what immoderate hoped would beryllium a time of reconciliation. Instead, it was a caller and jarring show of a federation inactive profoundly torn by the lies that led to the riot, by its unsettled aftermath and Trump’s persisting grip connected a ample swath of the country.

“For the archetypal clip successful our history, a president not conscionable mislaid an election, helium tried to forestall the peaceful transportation of powerfulness arsenic a convulsive mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said. “You can’t emotion your state lone erstwhile you win.”

Biden’s disapproval of the defeated president was rife with condemnation for the battle that has fundamentally changed Congress and the nation, and has raised planetary concerns astir the aboriginal of American democracy.

His dependable booming astatine times, reverberating successful the ornate Statuary Hall wherever rioters had laid siege, the president called connected Americans to retrieve what they saw Jan. 6 with their ain eyes: the mob attacking constabulary and breaking windows, a Confederate emblem wrong the Capitol, gallows erected extracurricular amid calls to bent the vice president — each portion Trump sat astatine the White House watching connected TV.

“The erstwhile president’s supporters are trying to rewrite history,” Biden said, incredulous. They privation you to spot Election Day arsenic the time of insurrection and the riot that took spot present connected January 6 arsenic a existent look of the volition of the people. Can you deliberation of a much twisted mode to look astatine this country, to look astatine America? I cannot.”

Until the anniversary, Biden had mentioned the onslaught lone sparingly but helium aggressively weighed successful Thursday and coupled his connection with a telephone for voting rights authorities that Democrats person agelong been urging.

The president’s remarks drew a stark opposition with the mendacious narratives that persist astir the Capitol assault, including the continued refusal by galore Republicans to affirm that Biden won the 2020 election. Five radical died successful the Capitol siege and its contiguous aftermath.

“We indispensable beryllium perfectly wide astir what is existent and what is simply a lie,” Biden said. “The erstwhile president of the United States of America has dispersed a web of lies astir the 2020 election.”

Yet adjacent arsenic the president spoke, the vanquished Trump gave nary signs of letting go, a amusement of the part successful the state emphasized by the soundlessness and lack of astir Republicans to articulation Biden astatine the Capitol.

From Florida, Trump revived his unfounded onslaught connected the elections. He accepted nary work for sending the thousands of supporters to the Capitol that time erstwhile helium told them to “fight similar hell.” By Thursday evening, helium was sending retired a fundraising appeal.

Even among legislature Republicans who condemned the onslaught successful the days afterward, fewer spoke that mode present — immoderate joining successful Trump’s mendacious portrayals.

“What brazen politicization of January 6 by President Biden,” tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a sometimes Trump confidant who had initially said helium had abandoned Trump aft the riot lone to rapidly clasp him again.

Senate Republican person Mitch McConnell — who astatine the clip said Trump was “practically and morally” liable the onslaught — issued a connection that highlighted the gravity of that day, but besides said immoderate Democrats were trying to exploit it for different purposes. He was absent, with a contingent attending the ceremonial of erstwhile workfellow Sen. Johnny Isakson successful Georgia.

Rep. Liz Cheney, vice seat of the House committee investigating the onslaught and 1 of the fewer GOP lawmakers attending the Capitol ceremonies, warned that “the menace continues.” Trump, she said, “continues to marque the aforesaid claims that helium knows caused unit connected January 6.”

“Unfortunately, excessively galore successful my ain enactment are embracing the erstwhile president, are looking the different mode oregon minimizing the danger,” she told NBC’s “Today” show. “That’s however democracies die. We simply cannot fto that happen.”

She was joined by her begetter Dick Cheney, the erstwhile vice president and present a Republican Party elder. They were the lone members of the GOP seen for a infinitesimal of soundlessness connected the House floor.

Dick Cheney was greeted by respective Democrats and said successful a statement: “I americium profoundly disappointed astatine the nonaccomplishment of galore members of my enactment to admit the sedate quality of the January 6 attacks and the ongoing menace to our nation.”

Throughout Thursday, lawmakers shared their experiences of being trapped successful the House oregon rushed distant from the Senate, arsenic the siege raged for hours. Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan showed a shard of solid from 1 of the Capitol’s breached windows helium carries successful his pocket.

“January 6 is not over,” helium said, choking up. “The threat, and the prevarication that fuels that threat, continues to rear its head.” He said: To genuinely support our ideology we request truth.”

The House sheet investigating the insurrection plans to walk the coming months exploring and revealing what happened with nationalist hearings.

Biden and his medication person travel nether disapproval from immoderate successful his enactment for not adequately explaining however they judge ideology is astatine risk, oregon pushing Congress hard capable to walk predetermination and voting rights authorities that is stalled by a Republican filibuster successful the Senate.

Barack Obama, the erstwhile president, said “nothing is much important” connected the day than ensuring the close to vote.

“Our ideology is astatine greater hazard contiguous than it was backmost then,” Obama said successful a statement.

Biden’s address, and that of Vice President Kamala Harris who is starring the administration’s efforts connected the voting and elections legislation, appeared arsenic a nonstop effect to critics.

“We indispensable walk voting rights bills,” Harris said successful her address. “We cannot beryllium connected the sidelines.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew connected past with a anticipation that Americans would crook to their “better angels” to resoluteness differences. Lawmakers held an evening vigil connected the Capitol steps.

Other remembrances — oregon demonstrations — were fewer astir the country.

Biden’s crisp connection and the Republicans’ region from it travel arsenic lawmakers are adjusting to the caller mean connected Capitol Hill — the increasing tensions that galore interest volition effect successful much unit or, someday, a morganatic predetermination really being overturned.

A caller canvass from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 3 successful 10 Republicans accidental the onslaught was not violent. Around two-thirds of Americans described the time arsenic precise oregon highly violent, including astir 9 successful 10 Democrats.

The percent of Americans who blasted Trump for the riot has grown somewhat implicit the past year, with 57% saying helium bears important responsibility, up from 50% successful the days aft the attack.

Trump’s claims of wide predetermination fraud were rejected by the courts and refuted by his ain Justice Department.

An probe by the AP recovered less than 475 cases of elector fraud among 25.5 cardinal ballots formed successful the six battleground states disputed by Trump, a minuscule fig successful percent terms.

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Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Kevin Freking, Jill Colvin Alexandra Jaffe and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.