Biden to call out Trump on Capitol riot anniversary

US President Joe Biden, pictured on January 4, 2022, will give a speech from inside the Capitol's Statuary Hall on the anniversary of the Capitol riot

President Joe Biden will turn the screws on Donald Trump by calling him out Thursday for "singular responsibility" in provoking the mayhem on January 6 last year, when the outgoing Republican leader's supporters stormed Congress.

Biden's decision to use his speech on the anniversary to squarely blame Trump and Republican allies for their role in the unprecedented attack on US democracy will mark a sharp escalation in his approach to Trump and the riot.

But in a speech from inside the Capitol's Statuary Hall -- where exactly a year ago a Trump mob rampaged through to try and stop certification of Biden's election win -- the Democratic president will firmly blame his predecessor, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

"President Biden has been clear-eyed about the threat the former president represents to our democracy," she said.

Earlier Wednesday, the Capitol police chief, Thomas Manger, said his forces would not be caught unprepared again, as they were last year.

- Senior Republican skips anniversary -

Underlining the stunning partisan split, senior Republicans appear set to skip commemorations organized by the Democratic-led Congress on Thursday, including Biden's speech and a prayer vigil.

In an opinion piece on Fox News, Republican Senator Josh Hawley, a leading supporter of false claims that Biden's 2020 victory was suspect, referred to January 6 as a "demonstration" that "some demonstrators" marred.

Trump himself continues to push the lie that the 2020 election was stolen by Biden -- a conspiracy theory dismantled in multiple court findings and vote recounts. 

Writing in The New York Times, former Democratic president Jimmy Carter said the United States "now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss. Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late."

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also called for a profound look at the state of the nation in the wake of the ugly episode.

In his speech, Garland said the authorities had so far arrested and charged about 725 people across the country in connection with the attack. 

"We resolve more straightforward cases first because they provide the evidentiary foundation for more complex cases," he said.

"Such conduct disrupts the peace of our public spaces and undermines our democracy. We are all Americans. We must protect each other," he said.

...

Originally published as Biden to call out Trump on Capitol riot anniversary