Former President Donald Trump barely mentioned the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol during his recent rally in Iowa. Instead, he focused on countering President Joe Biden’s argument that the riot and his broader efforts to overturn the 2020 election pose a serious threat to democracy.
While Biden accuses Trump of endangering democracy, Trump turned the tables, stating, “He’s a threat to democracy…You know, you can be grossly incompetent and be a threat to democracy.” Trump’s own actions, including his campaign to stay in office and the subsequent attack on the Capitol, have resulted in federal election interference charges.
During his 113-minute speech, Trump only made one reference to the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack. However, it’s clear that Trump sees a political necessity in fighting on the same ground Biden has chosen. Trump’s advisor believes that if they can bring the argument to a draw, it would be considered a win.
Trump repeated the falsehood that he won the 2020 election, rather than dwelling on his failed attempt to overturn the results. He accused Biden of using law enforcement to interfere in elections and claimed that Biden would do the same in 2024.
While Biden has made Jan. 6 a central part of his campaign against Trump, the former president dismissed Biden’s remarks as “ridiculous.” Trump, however, did not attempt to defend his own actions on that day, when he encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and failed to call for an end to the violence for hours.
Despite the significance of Jan. 6, many Trump supporters would prefer not to revisit the events of that day. They believe it has been blown out of proportion.
Trump also took the opportunity to attack his top Republican rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, accusing them of wanting to impose sales taxes, raise the retirement age for Social Security, and failing to secure the U.S. border with Mexico.
The rally took place just before the Iowa caucuses, where Trump currently leads in the polls. Additionally, Trump is due to appear in a federal appellate court in Washington to argue for immunity from prosecution for his attempts to overturn the election.
Source: F5 Magazine