“The real insurrection”: White House marks Jan. 6 anniversary with page attacking Democrats, Pence
Rioters stormed the Capitol to protest Donald Trump‘s loss of the 2020 presidential election five years ago today. The White House marked the occasion with a page attacking Capitol police for their role in the unrest and accusing the Democratic Party of an “insurrection.”
President Trump has never backed away from his claim that the 2020 election was rigged in favor of Democrats. Though Trump controlled the federal government at the time of the election, he’s maintained that the results were illegitimate. In the web page that went live on Tuesday, Trump’s White House said that Democrats “masterfully reversed reality” to place Joe Biden in the Oval Office.
“In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities, and weaponizing federal agencies to hunt down dissenters, all while [California Rep. Nancy] Pelosi’s own security lapses invited the chaos they later exploited to seize and consolidate power,” the side reads. “This gaslighting narrative allowed them to persecute innocent Americans, silence opposition, and distract from their own role in undermining democracy.”
A timeline of events on the bottom of the page goes after former Vice President Mike Pence for his role in certifying the election results. Under a heading of “betrayal of the president,” the White House accused Pence of “cowardice and sabotage.”
“[Pence] had the opportunity to return disputed electoral slates to state legislatures for review and decertification under the United States Constitution,” the White House wrote. “Instead…[he undermined] President Trump’s efforts to address documented fraud and ending any chance to correct the election steal.”
The White House also railed against Capitol police, saying that law enforcement “deliberately [escalated] tensions” by firing tear gas and rubber bullets at “peaceful protestors.” The page called out Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd, who fatally shot Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken window in the Capitol building.
“No weapon was found on her, and she posed no threat. Byrd faced no charges,” the page states.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shared on social media that he would “never allow extremists to whitewash their treachery.
“Five years ago today, a violent mob brutally attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Their mission was to overturn a free and fair election,” he wrote, alongside clips of the rioting and news coverage.
In a statement shared on Tuesday morning, Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the riots an “attempted coup.”
“We must speak plainly,” she wrote. “It was an effort to nullify millions of lawful votes and subvert the will of the American people. But the attack failed because of the courage of public servants who gave proof through the night that our flag was still there by refusing to bend to pressure, threats, or intimidation. On that day, the Constitution held and we kept the Republic.”
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