Global InformationDomestic reactions to the January 6 United States Capitol attack information
| January 6 United States Capitol attack |
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In the aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, after drawing widespread condemnation from the U.S. Congress, members of his administration, and the media, 45th U.S. President Donald Trump released a video-taped statement on January 7 to stop the resignations of his staff and the threats of impeachment or removal from office. In the statement, he condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol, saying that "a new administration will be inaugurated", which was widely seen as a concession, and his "focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power" to the Joe Biden administration.[1][2] Vanity Fair reported that Trump was at least partially convinced to make the statement by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who told Trump a sufficient number of Senate Republicans would support removing him from office unless he conceded.[3] Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, had attempted to distance the administration from the rioters' behavior in a televised statement earlier in the day.[4] On January 9, The New York Times reported that Trump had told White House aides he regretted committing to an orderly transition of power and would never resign from office.[5] In a March 25 interview on Fox News, Trump defended the Capitol attackers, saying they were patriots who posed "zero threat", and he criticized law enforcement for "persecuting" the rioters.[6]
The Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement on January 12 condemning the attack and reminding military personnel everywhere that incoming President Joe Biden was about to become their commander-in-chief, saying "... the rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition, and insurrection".[7] The statement also said, "As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civilian authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".[8][9] U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R–KY), then the Senate Majority Leader, called it a "failed insurrection",[10][11] that "the mob was fed lies", and "they were provoked by the president and other powerful people".[10] Christopher Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2017, later characterized the incident as domestic terrorism.[12][13] President Biden, who described the rioters as "terrorists" aimed at "overturning the will of the American people" later shared this opinion.[14] In early 2021, the RAND Corporation released a framework to reduce the risk of extremist activity in the U.S. military.[15]
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the flags at the Capitol lowered to half-staff in honor of Brian Sicknick, a United States Capitol Police officer who died following the attacks.[16][17] Trump initially declined to lower flags at the White House or other federal buildings under his control, before changing his mind four days later.[18][19][20] Biden, Mike Pence, and Pelosi offered condolences to Sicknick's family; Trump did not.[16][21] After Sicknick's death, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) received backlash for previous speeches that were perceived as calls for violence.[22]
A survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston taken January 12–20 showed that nearly a third (32%) of Texas Republicans supported the attack, although overall 83% of all Texans who expressed an opinion were opposed to it.[23] In a poll of Americans just after the attack, 79% of those surveyed said America is "falling apart".[24][25] In February 2022, the Republican National Committee called the events of January 6 "legitimate political discourse".[26]
The US art world reacted through the chronicling of the day as well as the creation of new work. Starting January 7, 2021, the Smithsonian Museum enacted its "rapid-response protocol" to gather rally signs, posters, flags, and weapons abandoned on the National Mall and began work on a digital arts exhibit.[27] Visual artist Paul Chan created his "A drawing as a recording of an insurrection", a 163-inch (4.1 m) double-sided drawing[28] exhibited at the Greene Naftali Gallery in New York.[29] In December 2022, literary press Whiskey Tit released Tell Me What You See, the first fiction published about the attack.[30] At the one-year anniversary, One Six Comics published graphic novel series 1/6[31] with an accompanying education and action guide by the Western States Center.[32] The Society of Classical Poets website posted various poems about the day,[33] including one glorifying deceased rioter Ashli Babbitt.[34]
- ^ Durschlag, Jack (January 8, 2021). "Trump calls for healing, smooth transition after 'heinous attack' on Capitol". FOX news. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021.
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NYTPIIPIIwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Ray, Siladitya (March 26, 2021). "Trump Defends Capitol Rioters In Fox News Interview, Claims They Posed 'Zero Threat'". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ "READ: Military Joint Chiefs statement condemning 'sedition and insurrection' at US Capitol". CNN. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Macias, Amanda (January 12, 2021). "Top military leaders condemn 'sedition and insurrection' at Capitol, acknowledge Biden win". CNBC. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Choi, David (January 12, 2021). "Top military officers condemn the Capitol Hill riots and tell troops to 'stay ready'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Wolfe, Jan (January 20, 2021). "'Mob was fed lies': Mitch McConnell accuses Trump of 'provoking' riot". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Senate Debate on Arizona Electoral College Vote Challenge, Part 2". C-SPAN. January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Goldman, Adam (March 2, 2021). "Live Updates: F.B.I. Director Warns Senators That Domestic Terrorism Is 'Metastasizing Across the Country'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ Wolfe, Jan (June 10, 2021). "FBI director suggests 'serious charges' coming in probe of Capitol attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Jan 6 a 'violent attempt' by 'terrorists' to hold 'power': Biden". Al Jazeera. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ Posard, Marek N.; Payne, Leslie Adrienne; Miller, Laura L. (September 16, 2021). "Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military". Rand Corporation. doi:10.7249/PEA1447-1. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Haberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (January 9, 2021). "Trump has not lowered flags in honor of an officer who died from injuries sustained amid the riot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
While the flags at the Capitol have been lowered, Mr. Trump has not issued a similar order for federal buildings under his control. ... 'Mr. Trump has not reached out to Mr. Sicknick's family, although Vice President Mike Pence called to offer condolences,' an aide to Mr. Pence said.
- ^ Elis, Niv (January 8, 2021). "Pelosi orders flags at half-staff for Capitol officer who died". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie (January 10, 2021). "After refusing to do so, Trump orders flags to be flown at half-staff". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
Despite widespread criticism, Mr. Trump had refused to lower the flags, but relented on January 10.
- ^ Diamond, Jeremy; LeBlanc, Paul (January 10, 2021). "White House orders flags lowered to honor late police officers who responded to US Capitol breach". CNN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ "White House advisers: Trump has no intention of resigning". KOBI-TV. January 8, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Fitzsimons, Tim (January 11, 2021). "Father of slain Capitol officer hopes son's death brings end to 'lunacy'". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Rolli, Bryan (January 8, 2021). "After Capitol police officer dies, #TedCruzKilledACop trends over Cruz inciting rioters". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Political Attitudes and Evaluations" (PDF). University of Houston. Hobby School of Public Affairs. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Allen, Mike (January 14, 2021). "Republicans and Democrats agree – the country is falling apart". Axios. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ Castronuovo, Celine (January 14, 2021). "4 in 5 say US is falling apart: survey". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Pengelly, Martin (February 4, 2022). "Republican party calls January 6 attack 'legitimate political discourse'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Hilbig, Valeska; Machado, Melinda (January 3, 2022). "Smithsonian Continues Collecting Artifacts From Jan. 6 Capitol Attack". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "One Year On, Artist Paul Chan Discusses the Insurrection—And the Drawing That It Inspired—With His 10-Year-Old Daughter". Vogue. January 6, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Chan: A drawing as a recording of an insurrection". Greene Naftali. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Strand, Karla J. (December 6, 2022). "December 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us". Ms. Magazine. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "What if Jan. 6 attack succeeded? Graphic novel explores grim alternate outcome". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Jenkins, Alan; Golan, Gan; Western States Center (January 17, 2024). "1/6: The Graphic Novel: What if the Attack on the U.S. Capitol Succeeded?". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "A Poem on the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Hill Protest, by Bruce Dale Wise". Society of Classical Poets. January 5, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "A Poem Commemorating January 6th and Ashli Babbitt, by Monika Cooper". Society of Classical Poets. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.