United States of America

Trump, Biden Mark Jan. 6 Anniversary With Campaign Speeches

JAN 7 2024·Updated FEB 21 2024

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The Facts

On Saturday, the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, 2024 Republican presidential nomination frontrunner and former Pres. Donald Trump in a speech in Iowa urged the release of those who have been jailed for their involvement in the incident — referring to them as "hostages” — and classified the crisis at the US southern border as the "real" insurrection.
ap
Meanwhile, Democratic Pres. Joe Biden in a post on X, formerly Twitter, wrote that American democracy was tested that day, softening the message of his Friday re-election speech, which had compared Trump's rhetoric to Nazi Germany and claimed that America was "nearly lost" on Jan. 6, 2021.
New York Post
This comes as polling shows a divided country relating to the riots, with a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finding that Biden voters and Democrats overwhelmingly say Jan. 6 events must "never be forgotten," while most Republicans and Trump supporters argue that too much has been made of the incident and that it's "time to move on."
wapo
Also on Saturday, authorities announced the arrest of Jonathan Pollock, Olivia Pollock, and Joseph Hutchinson — a trio wanted on multiple charges related to the riots. They are set to appear Monday in federal court in Ocala, Fla.
Newsmax
The three defendants were part of a group of some 80 suspected rioters who officials are continuing to track down because statutes of limitations for many charges will expire on Jan. 5, 2026. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 1,265 defendants since Jan. 6, 2021, and secured 467 prison sentences.
ABC News
Also on Friday, former US Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, one of the most prominent and outspoken figures in the aftermath of the riots, confirmed he’s joining the Democratic race for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District.
CNN

Sources Split

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

Ahead of a likely rematch with Biden, Trump hasn't bothered to hide his willingness to sacrifice American democracy if it helps him return to office. As if it wasn't scandalous enough that he calls Jan. 6, 2021, a "beautiful day" and refers to those arrested in connection with the riots as "hostages," he has also called for suspending the Constitution and vowed to persecute his rivals.

nytimes

Republican narrative

Multiple polls indicate Trump has a strong lead in an expected rematch, so Biden has resorted to focusing on three-year-old events to try to demonize Republicans and pitch fear in the country about a dictatorship if his political nemesis regains control of the White House. But the Biden administration has failed to tackle inflation and the migrant crisis — and swing voters want to look past Jan. 6 hyperbole into the future.

The Washington Examiner