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Nancy Pelosi leads prayer vigil to mark one year anniversary of January 6 Capitol riot: House Speaker holds moment of silence to 'patriotically honor the heroes' who defended lawmakers

  House Speaker   Nancy Pelosi   led a small group of bicameral lawmakers in a moment of silence for those who died in last year's Capit...

 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a small group of bicameral lawmakers in a moment of silence for those who died in last year's Capitol riot on Thursday. 

A day full of reflection and solemn remembrance to mark one year since the deadly January 6 insurrection culminated in a prayer vigil on the Capitol steps. 

For roughly 10 minutes, what appears to be less than 100 mask-clad members of Congress stood outside holding candles where exactly a year ago, Donald Trump's supporters were overwhelming law enforcement and storming the Capitol, some reportedly hunting for specific lawmakers and other chanting 'Hang Mike Pence.'

Alongside Pelosi, top Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer were also in attendance.

'On behalf of the distinguished Democratic leader of the Senate, all of our colleagues from the House and Senate, we prayerfully mark one year since the insurrection, and patriotically honor the heroes who defended the Capitol and our democracy that day,' Pelosi began her brief remarks.

'Let us all here join in a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives and sacrificed so much for our democracy that day.'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made brief remarks during a prayer vigil marking one year since the January 6 Capitol attack on Thursday evening

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made brief remarks during a prayer vigil marking one year since the January 6 Capitol attack on Thursday evening 

Lawmakers stood on the steps where just a year ago, Trump supporters broke through barricades and overwhelmed law enforcement in a bid to stop the certification of the 2020 election results

Lawmakers stood on the steps where just a year ago, Trump supporters broke through barricades and overwhelmed law enforcement in a bid to stop the certification of the 2020 election results

Top Congressional Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer were in attendance

Top Congressional Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer were in attendance


She was preceded by Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop over the Episcopal Church, who led lawmakers in a prayer asking for guidance for a 'traumatized' country.

'We come before you because we need your help. We need your help in these troubled times. We need your help for this beloved nation,' Curry said.

'We need your help for those who have been traumatized and troubled by the painful events of one year ago and all that has continued since.'

It's not clear if Rep. Liz Cheney, who was the only sitting Republican lawmaker on the House floor during Pelosi's earlier moment of silence, was in attendance. 

Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, were the only GOP politicians who participated in the House's observance today. 

President Joe Biden tore into former President Donald Trump for watching TV while a mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, mocked his 'bruised ego' and accused him and his supporters of holding a 'dagger in the throat of democracy' in a speech on Thursday.

No more than 100 lawmakers appeared to be present at the vigil, which also included a prayer for the nation by Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop over the Episcopal Church

No more than 100 lawmakers appeared to be present at the vigil, which also included a prayer for the nation by Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop over the Episcopal Church

The vigil was open to members of the public, many of whom showed up with signs urging Congress to do more for voting rights in light of the attack on democracy

The vigil was open to members of the public, many of whom showed up with signs urging Congress to do more for voting rights in light of the attack on democracy

It's not clear if Rep. Liz Cheney, who was the only sitting Republican lawmaker on the House floor during Pelosi's earlier moment of silence, was in attendance

It's not clear if Rep. Liz Cheney, who was the only sitting Republican lawmaker on the House floor during Pelosi's earlier moment of silence, was in attendance


In his most searing attack on his predecessor to date, Biden called Trump a 'defeated former president' and criticized him for 'refusing to accept he lost' the November 2020 in remarks on the one-year anniversary of the attack alongside Kamala Harris.

'We saw with our own eyes rioters menace these halls, threatening the life of the Speaker of the House. Literally erecting gallows to hang the vice president of the United States of America,' Biden recalled. 'What did we not see? We didn't see a former president, who just rallied the mob to attack, sitting in a private dining room off the Oval Office in the White House watching it all on television and doing nothing for hours.'    

Biden went after the MAGA mob saying: 'This wasn't a group of tourists. This was an armed insurrection.' 

He did not mention his predecessor by name but - 16 times - referred to him as 'the former president,' accusing Trump of creating and spreading 'a web of lies about the 2020 election.'

Before Biden spoke, Kamala Harris compared January 6 to 9/11 and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, wrongly called America the 'oldest democracy in the world' and slammed the 'extremists' who stormed the Capitol.

Trump called Biden's speech 'political theater' and a distraction for his failures in a statement shortly after Biden finished, and doubled down on his false claim he won the 2020 election and the result was rigged.

Biden's speech was filled with descriptive phrases: Trump's 'bruised ego' and 'web of lies.' He decried the rioters for 'ransacking the capitol, destroying property, literally defecating in the hallways?'

After his remarks, Biden told reporters in the Capitol that he was concerned about a new attitude in politics of it's all about it me.

'That's the thing that bothers me most about the sort of attitude that seems to be emerging to some degree in American politics. It's not about you, it's about me. That's how it's viewed. But it's not about me,' he said. 

And he told DailyMail.com he didn't mention Trump by name because he didn't want to start a 'contemporary political battle.'

'I did not want to turn it into a contemporary political battle between me and the president. It's way beyond that. It's way beyond that,' he said.

But Biden made his remarks at the start of 2022, the year of a midterm election where Republicans are looking to retake control of Congress and Trump is playing a kingmaker role in that party. 

Republicans have already attacked Biden and the Democrats for turning the one-year anniversary of the January 6th riot into a political event and accused them of trying to use the occasion to jam through legislation on voting rights.  GOP Senator Lindsey Graham accused Biden of 'brazen politicization' and called the speech an 'effort to resurrect a failed presidency.


President Joe Biden tore into former President Donald Trump for watching TV while a mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, mocked his 'bruised ego' and accused him and his supporters of holding a 'dagger in the throat of democracy' in a speech on Thursday

President Joe Biden tore into former President Donald Trump for watching TV while a mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, mocked his 'bruised ego' and accused him and his supporters of holding a 'dagger in the throat of democracy' in a speech on Thursday 

In his most searing attack on his predecessor to date, Biden called Trump a 'defeated former president' and criticized him for 'refusing to accept he lost' the November 2020 in remarks on the one-year anniversary of the attack. He spoke from Statuary Hall, which rioters breached 12 months ago

In his most searing attack on his predecessor to date, Biden called Trump a 'defeated former president' and criticized him for 'refusing to accept he lost' the November 2020 in remarks on the one-year anniversary of the attack. He spoke from Statuary Hall, which rioters breached 12 months ago 

Before Biden spoke, Kamala Harris compared January 6 to 9/11 and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, called America the 'oldest and greatest democracy in the world' and slammed the 'extremists' who stormed the Capitol

Before Biden spoke, Kamala Harris compared January 6 to 9/11 and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, called America the 'oldest and greatest democracy in the world' and slammed the 'extremists' who stormed the Capitol 

President Joe Biden wipes his eyes as Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on the one year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

President Joe Biden wipes his eyes as Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on the one year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

Biden did not mention his predecessor by name but - 16 times - referred to him as 'the former president,' accusing Trump of creating and spreading 'a web of lies about the 2020 election'

Biden did not mention his predecessor by name but - 16 times - referred to him as 'the former president,' accusing Trump of creating and spreading 'a web of lies about the 2020 election'

Biden mocks Trump's 'bruised ego' and the fact he 'can't accept he lost'

In his remarks, Biden essentially called the former president a 'loser,' which will likely infuriate Trump. 

'Because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution,' Biden stated. 'He can't accept he lost.' 


He also charged that Trump continues the lie he won the election 'because he values power over principle. Because he sees his own interest as more important than his country's interest, than America's interest,' Biden said.  

Trump said in his response: 'Biden is working hard to try and deflect the incompetent job he is doing, and has done, on the horrible Afghanistan withdrawal (surrender), the Borders, COVID, Inflation, loss of Energy Independence, and much more. Everything he touches turns to failure. That's what you get when you have a rigged Election.' 

In his speech, delivered in a nearly empty room, Biden spoke at length about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, offering his most detailed defense to date of his victory, which comes as Trump has continued to spout the so-called 'big lie,' that he lost out on a second term due to widespread election fraud. 

'The big lie being told by the former president and many Republicans who fear his wrath is that the insurrection in this country actually took place on election day November 3, 2020,' Biden noted. 

The president said that Trump and his supporters are trying to 're-write history.' 

'That the riot that took place on January 6 is a true expression of the will of the people. Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America?' Biden asked. 'I cannot.'   

'Over 150 million Americans went to the polls and voted that day. In a pandemic. Some at great risk to their lives. They should be applauded not attacked,' the president added. 

He briefly mentioned Democrats' voting rights push, pointing out how 'new laws are being written not to protect the vote, but to deny it.' 

Biden will travel to Georgia on Tuesday to give a broader voting rights address. 

'The former president and his supporters, the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections,' Biden said. 'It's wrong. It's undemocratic, and frankly, it is un-American.' 

The 'second big lie,' Biden continued, was Trump telling his supporters the results of the 2020 election can't be trusted. 

'The truth is that no election, no election in American history, has been more closely scrutinized or more carefully counted,' the president pointed out.   

'He was just looking for an excuse, a pretext to cover for the truth,' Biden said. 'He is not just a former president, he is a defeated former president.' 

'Defeated by a margin of over 7 million of your votes. In a full and free and fair election,' Biden continued. 'There is simply zero proof the election results were inaccurate.'   

A 'third big lie,' Biden said, came when Trump and his supporters called the MAGA mob who stormed the Capitol 'the nation's true patriots.' 

'Is that what you thought when you looked at the mob ransacking the capitol, destroying property, literally defecating in the hallways?' the president said. 'Going through the desks of senators and representative. Hunting down members of Congress.' 

'Patriots?' Biden asked. 'Not in my view.' 

Biden said the true patriots were the country's voters, the election workers and law enforcement who defended the Capitol on January 6. 

'You can't love your country only when you win,' he said. 'You can't obey the law only when it is convenient. You can't be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies.' 

Biden: I didn't mention Trump because I didn't want to make it a 'contemporary political battle' 

Biden never used Trump's name during the Thursday morning address, instead referring to him as 'the former president.' 

'I didn't want to make it a contemporary political battle,' Biden told reporters after he concluded his speech.  

In a statement after Biden's speech, Trump again called the election 'rigged' and repeated 'the Big Lie was the Election itself.' 

'This political theater is all just a distraction for the fact Biden has completely and totally failed,' Trump added, pointing to inflation, Afghanistan, the migrant crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border and the continued coronavirus pandemic, including school closures. 

The Capitol building was quiet Thursday morning as Democrats prepared to spend the day in remembrance. 

There was a heavy police presence and several metal interlocking barricades surrounding the building. 

Snow was on the ground from the storm earlier in the week. 

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