Kamala Harris is set to present her campaign’s “closing argument” on Tuesday at a significant location in Washington, a place that previously served as the scene for a rally led by Donald Trump, which escalated into the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
By choosing this site, Harris aims to highlight the stark differences between her plans for America and Trump’s persistent falsehoods regarding the 2020 election. She emphasizes the dangers she believes would arise if Trump were to reclaim the presidency.
In January 2021, Trump gathered thousands of his supporters at the Ellipse, located near the Washington Monument, where he addressed the crowd with fiery rhetoric, claiming the election had been taken from him.
“We will not take it anymore,” Trump declared, encouraging his followers to fight back against what he perceived as a stolen election. He characterized his defeat as an overwhelming loss, insisting it was anything but close.
“Fight like hell!” he urged, proclaiming that failing to do so could jeopardize the very existence of the nation.
The speech was the culmination of a series of unsuccessful attempts by Trump and his associates to challenge the election results in court, where they pushed unfounded theories of extensive voter fraud.
These allegations included dubious claims about voting machines linked to Venezuela, which were promptly dismissed even by judges appointed by Trump. Despite some members of Trump’s Cabinet stating that fraud was not widespread, these conspiracy theories remained popular among his supporters, contributing to ongoing tensions surrounding the election.
As Trump continued to rally his base, he utilized social media to incite turnout in Washington on the day Congress was set to certify electoral votes. On December 19, 2020, he tweeted, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
In his speech, Trump recounted his legal failures, imploring then-Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the election results during the congressional session. “I hope Mike is going to do the right thing,” he said, citing the need to protect the nation and uphold the Constitution.
Trump then redirected blame towards the “fake news media” and “radical-left Democrats.” He continuously insisted that the election result was a theft, proclaiming that those present would never concede to such injustices.
At the conclusion of his address, he instructed the crowd to March toward the Capitol to influence the Republican lawmakers, emphasizing the need for determination and action. “Let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue,” he urged.
Despite his call, Trump did not join the march. Congressional testimony revealed that he reacted indifferently when informed some attendees were armed, stating he was unconcerned for his safety. Subsequently, he returned to the White House while his supporters proceeded toward the Capitol.
As rioters stormed the Capitol, Trump was reported to be watching the mayhem unfold on television without attempting to quell the violence or contact law enforcement for assistance. Even his legal advisors urged him to intervene, but he remained passive.
While Pence was hiding just a short distance away from the rioters, the situation escalated dangerously, with a noose displayed outside and threats directed at him.
Around 4:15 PM, after hours of chaos, Trump finally tweeted a message urging his supporters to go home but continued to perpetuate the narrative that the election had been stolen from them.
The violence culminated in a prolonged attack on the Capitol, resulting in injuries to about 140 law enforcement officers and the deaths of seven individuals connected to the events of the day.
In the aftermath, over 1,500 individuals have been charged in relation to the Capitol riot. Trump has launched his campaign for the 2024 election, not only attempting to reconstruct the narrative surrounding that day but also leveraging it as a key element of his return to political life.
At a recent rally, he hailed the individuals prosecuted for their roles in the Capitol siege as “unbelievable patriots,” promising support for them should he regain power. In another instance, he referred to January 6 as a peaceful day, claiming it was a day of love and an overwhelming peaceful gathering.