"Today, a year ago, democracy was attacked. The will of the people came under assault. And our constitution faced the gravest of threats."
US President Joe Biden wrote it on Twitter, recalling the assault on the Capitol in Washington, seat of the United States Congress, carried out by supporters of Donald Trump exactly one year ago, on January 6, 2021.
An unprecedented event in American history, which took place a few days after Biden himself took office in the White House and for many fomented by outgoing President Donald Trump, who with his posts and fiery statements on alleged presidential fraud in the previous autumn he would have invited his supporters not to recognize the victory of the Democratic candidate and to rebel. For some, even, it would have been a sensational attempt to carry out a real coup d'état .
In the course of the unrest that shook the inner sanctum of American democracy, there were also five deaths and hundreds of arrests. And investigations continue to clarify the actual responsibilities of Trump, who in those dramatic hours - from what has emerged in recent days - was also invited by his daughter Ivanka to intervene personally to calm the spirits. An appeal, however, remained unheard.
Trump himself, on the eve of the anniversary of the assault, had announced a personal press conference, called from his residence. But his staff subsequently announced the cancellation of the counter-speech of the former president, who remains "exiled" from social networks after the bans from the main platforms remedied precisely for the accusation that he used the web to spread false news, capable of stirring up the violent protest.
In his speech, Biden did not fail to point the finger, directly, at his predecessor: "January 6 was an armed insurrection and Donald Trump sought to overturn free elections, subvert the constitution and stop a peaceful transfer of power. through a group of thugs, the whole world has seen with his own eyes ", the harsh words of the number one in Washington." Not even during the civil war this thing happened ", added Biden." In this sacred place democracy was attacked , a brutal attack, but the people resisted, democracy held ". Still, Biden commented, "the truth is that a former president created a web of lies around the 2020 elections" and "put his interests above those of the country".
For his part, Trump did not take long to reply to the harsh accusation of his successor: "Joe Biden's speech to Congress - thundered The Donald - is only political theater to distract Americans from his failure".
(Unioneonline / lf)