By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
(NNPA Newswire) — Former President Donald Trump’s return to Capitol Hill on June 13 sparked significant backlash, with critics condemning his appearance at the site of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack—a violent insurrection by his supporters. Trump has refused to take responsibility for his actions on that day or his conduct generally, even though a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony criminal charges last month in connection with paying hush money to cover up an extramarital affair with an adult film star.
In total, Trump faces nearly 90 felony charges in four jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C.
Outside the Capitol, several protesters gathered, carrying signs with messages such as “Failed Coup” and “No One is Above the Law,” displaying some of the public’s lingering outrage over Trump’s actions and his return to the scene of the insurrection.
Democratic leaders were particularly vocal about Trump’s visit. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett expressed outrage, stating, “Three years after waging a continual war on our democracy, Donald Trump, a convicted criminal, returns to Capitol Hill to hang out with the very same MAGA extremists who acted as his proxies on January 6.”
She continued, “Trump and his cronies attacked our free and fair elections, they attacked our peaceful transition of power, and they attacked our Capitol – and the American people are fighting back at the ballot box to defend democracy.”
Crockett also emphasized the importance of the upcoming elections, advocating for Hakeem Jeffries as the next speaker to restore order in the House, and reaffirming support for President Joe Biden.
Former January 6 Select Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi echoed Crockett’s sentiments, expressing his dismay at Trump’s audacity to revisit the Capitol.
“After inciting a deadly insurrection that defiled the halls of Congress, how dare Trump show his face on these grounds?” Thompson said. He lambasted Congressional Republicans for allowing Trump’s visit and stressed that Trump remains a significant threat to democracy.
“Since January 6, Donald Trump, a twice-impeached convicted felon, has repeatedly doubled down on his disrespect for the rule of law and continues to sow hate and division,” Thompson said. “He still presents the same dire threat to our democracy that he did three years ago — and he’d be wise to head back to Mar-a-Lago and await his sentencing.”
California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff also decried Trump’s meeting with the “same MAGA Republicans who enabled his assault on democracy and supported his extremist policies and authoritarian agenda.”
“The American people can’t afford another four years of Trump and his allies destroying our democracy to maintain their grip on power,” Schiff protested. “Every Republican meeting today with Donald Trump – who has promised to be a dictator on day one if he’s elected and prophesied a bloodbath if he’s not – should commit today to accept the results of November’s free and fair election, but of course, they will not. Nothing means more to them than power — not oath, not truth, not decency, not democracy. Nothing. We must hope and pray that they do not reap the despotic whirlwind they attempt to sow.”
Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department. Five officers died after the attack.
Trump, whom a civil jury found responsible for sexually assaulting a writer and a separate court found liable for nearly $500 million in business fraud, still faces several serious charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. These include conspiracy to violate civil rights, conspiracy to defraud the government, corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
“Today, arrived at the scene of the crime and continues to throw fuel on the flame,” added Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California. “He inspired an angry mob to try to overturn our Constitution, and I wonder if the ex-president has even read the document himself. I learned during the January 6th investigation to take Mr. Trump at his word, and his unhinged comments about democracy and America’s future make it clear that he is a threat to our system of government.”
The post Trump’s return to Capitol Hill draws protests and Democratic criticism appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
