Barack Obama released a scathing statement on Donald Trump’s time in the White House on the anniversary of the Jan. 6. Capitol Hill riots.
It has been a year since Trump incited a mob to “fight like hell,” ahead of Biden’s swearing-in as president. An inquiry into the coup was held in July 2020. Republicans fought tooth and nail to prevent the Capitol Hill hearing from taking place.
“History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation,” the former President said. “But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise.”
“For two months now, a political party and its accompanying media ecosystem has too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth — that this was not a particularly close election and that President-Elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20,” Obama continued. “Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now we’re seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo.”
Since the riots, most of the GOP has refused to denounce Trump’s actions or hold him accountable for the astonishing acts of violence that left five dead.
Obama called on Republicans to be on the right side of history.
“Right now, Republican leaders have a choice made clear in the desecrated chambers of democracy. They can continue down this road and keep stoking the raging fires. Or they can choose reality and take the first steps toward extinguishing the flames. They can choose America,” he said.
President Joe Biden also called out his predecessor, accusing him of attempting “to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.”
“For the first time in our history, a President had not just lost an election. He tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob reached the Capitol,” Biden said in a speech from the U.S. Capitol. “But they failed. They failed. And on this day of remembrance, we must make sure that such an attack never, never happens again.”
He then took direct aim at Trump: His bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution, he can’t accept he lost.”
Trump responded to Biden, calling his remarks a “distraction.”
“Biden, who is destroying our Nation with insane policies of open Borders, corrupt Elections, disastrous energy policies, unconstitutional mandates, and devastating school closures, used my name today to try to further divide America,” Trump said per Axios. The Democrats want to own this day of Jan. 6 so they can stoke fears and divide America. I say, let them have it because America sees through [their] lies and polarizations.”
Former President Brack Obama echoed Biden’s speech in a lengthy statement posted to social media:
