Donald Trump is making the January 6th Capitol attack a central part of his campaign for the 2022 presidential election.
At a recent rally, Trump praised the rioters as “patriots” and “unbelievable” and vowed to pardon them if elected.
This revisionist history of January 6th has become a cornerstone of Trump’s bid to regain the presidency.
Trump’s allies are also installing election deniers to the Republican National Committee, further pushing the false claims that led to the attack.
“They were unbelievable patriots,” Trump said.
Trump then made a promise to help them “the first day we get into office.”
Critics warn this consolidation of power around Trump and normalization of the insurrection threatens democratic norms.
However, many Republicans are ignoring or downplaying the issue of January 6th in order to endorse Trump’s candidacy.
“Listen to Trump,” Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley said.
“When a coup against the democratic regime happens and it’s not punished, that is a very strong indicator of the end of the rule of law and the victory of that authoritarian movement,” he said.
“Americans have a hard time understanding that what happens
“She should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!” Trump said of Liz Cheney.
“If your response to Trump’s assault on our democracy is to lie & cover up what he did, attack the brave men & women who came forward with the truth, and defend the criminals who violently assaulted the Capitol,” Cheney said. “You need to rethink whose side you’re on. Hint: It’s not America’s.”
“I was there on January 6th. I have no doubt in my mind … that some people were caught up in the moment,” former vice president Mike Pence said.
“But the assaults on police officers, ultimately an environment that claimed lives, is something that I think was tragic that day,” Pence said. “And I’ll never diminish it.”
