President Biden said the attack on the Capitol “reminded us that democracy is fragile”. Above, Biden speaks during a Thursday visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Evan Vucci / AP
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Evan Vucci / AP
President Biden said the attack on the Capitol “reminded us that democracy is fragile”. Above, Biden speaks during a Thursday visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Evan Vucci / AP
President Biden responded to the Senate acquittal by Donald Trump on Saturday, reminding Americans that the truth must be defended and saying the former president’s impeachment is a clear example of the danger that lies, misinformation and extremism pose to democracy.
And Biden said that while Trump was acquitted, his actions leading up to the January 6 uprising were not “controversial”.
“This sad chapter in our history reminded us that democracy is fragile,” said Biden in a statement. “That it must always be defended. That we must always be vigilant. That violence and extremism have no place in America. And that each of us as Americans, and especially as leaders, has the duty and responsibility to defend and defeat the truth. ” the lies. ”
A majority of Senators voted to find Trump guilty of incitement to riot, but the 57-43 record fell short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction by 10 votes. A total of seven Republicans voted in favor of condemning the former president and voted on Saturday the most bipartisan in impeachment proceedings against the president in US history.
“While the final vote did not result in a conviction, the content of the charges is undisputed,” said Biden. “Even those who oppose conviction, like Senate minority leader McConnell, believe Donald Trump was guilty of ‘shameful negligence’ and was ‘practically and morally responsible’ for provoking the violence unleashed in the Capitol.”
Until his comments on Saturday, Biden had largely remained silent about the impeachment of his predecessor. tell reporters last week that he didn’t even intend to watch the process. He did not fully support or reject the House of Representatives vote last month on the indictment against Trump, saying he would leave the matter to Congress. He also declined to say whether the Senate should move on to sentencing.
In his statement, Biden paid homage to the Capitol Hill police officer Brian Sicknick – one of the five people who died in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th – and said he thinks “of all those who have lost their lives, all those whose lives have been threatened, and all those who still live with today. ” Terror they experienced that day. ”
The president said the nation’s job is to follow the example of those who “have shown the courage to protect the integrity of our democracy”.
“In this way we end this civil war and heal the soul of our nation,” he said. “That is the task ahead. And we must take on this task together. As the United States of America.”
