Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol when thousands of protestors marched from the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., to the Capitol at the direction of former President Trump and participated in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle reacted to the attack, and what has happened in the three years since, in posts online on Saturday.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took time to reflect on the attack in nearly identical posts online, asserting that American democracy actually won that day.
“Three years ago, a violent mob fueled by lies attacked the U.S. Capitol,” Biden posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our democracy was tested. But it held because We the People prevailed.”
“It’s up to us to prove – for all its imperfections – American democracy is still a beacon to the world and a promise to be kept,” he added.
Harris posted a similar message, denouncing the insurrection and attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results that put both her and Biden into the White House.
“On January 6, we were reminded that we still have work to do to protect our democracy and our fundamental freedoms,” she said.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who wrote an op-ed Friday about her experience, posted online calling for Americans to do their part in preserving democracy.
“Three years ago, a violent mob stormed the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. It was not just an attack on Congress, but on our fundamental freedom,” Pelosi wrote. “Today, we all much do our part to preserve American Democracy, which Lincoln called ‘the last best hope of earth.’”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) posted online and said “January 6th was very real.”
“I was within 30 feet of the insurrectionists who invaded the Capitol,” Schumer said. “They were not peaceful.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an outspoken critic of Trump, said the day is a reminder that “politics is more than a debate over ideas.”
“It’s about whether we maintain democracy against those who propagate authoritarianism,” he said. “We can and must create a vibrant democracy where the voices of the people are heard and their needs are addressed.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also posted about the insurrection. In a post on X, Jeffries said “every single person responsible for the violent insurrection on January 6 must be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
As of Friday, the Department of Justice said it had convicted almost 1,000 people for crimes ranging from felonies like seditious conspiracy and assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officers to misdemeanors such as trespassing. Nearly 80 people are still wanted and need to be identified for their role in the attack, prosecutors said.
Many other Democratic lawmakers posted online to provide thoughts about the insurrection. The House Democrats account on X recalled the attack on “this somber anniversary.”
“We thank the officers who protected us, remember those who lost their lives and recommit to safeguarding our democracy,” the post said.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who was the chair of the committee investigating the attack, released a statement about the work that many members have tirelessly done to “uncover and guard against the threats to American democracy that interrupted the peaceful transfer of power.”
Thompson said the country is still in peril three years later. He thanked the law enforcement officers who “held the line when American democracy was under threat.” He said he hopes the anniversary serves as a call to action for the preservation of democracy for generations to come.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who also was on the committee, called out members of Congress who “continue to deny what took place” that day.
“Our democracy is still fragile – and we must constantly work to defend it,” he said.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), also on the committee, said the anniversary is a “solemn reminder” that American democracy “can’t be taken for granted.”
“Today, we honor the officers who lost their lives and reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law,” Aguilar said.
Former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), who sat on the committee, said the mob was directed by Trump and “fueled by his election lies.”
“He then did nothing to stop it for 187 minutes,” she said. “Trump must be held accountable.”
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who was on the committee and has become an outspoken critic of Trump and the role he played that day, posted many times online calling out the former President and fellow Republican colleagues for their actions that day and in the years since.
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans criticized Democrats for their treatment of those found guilty in the years since.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted a series of posts online Saturday that likened the insurrection to the damage caused by the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the country.
“Patriotic pretrial J6 defendants are rotting away in jail, many being held in solitary confinement, and Joe Biden brags about it!” Greene posted. “Meanwhile, most BLM rioters who caused billions of $’s in damages and set our country on fire haven’t spent a single day in jail.
“The media loves to propagandize the events of J6 to villainize peaceful Trump supporters,” she said.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) told followers to “never forget the way that Joe Biden has treated and is still treating the political prisoners from that day.”
“Our country cannot claim a moral high ground any longer when it comes to political prosecutions and political prisoners due to what has stemmed from that day,” Boebert posted. “I will fight for justice to be restored to America and for these wrongs to be made right!”