Illinois politicians recall US Capitol riot on eve of anniversary
CHICAGO - Senator Tammy Duckworth on Wednesday recalled January 6, 2021.
"But I’m sitting in an office that on January 6th was covered in broken glass. There's a door behind me they tried to break through with a battering ram," she said.
Thursday marks one year since the deadly clash.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the Jan. 6th riot, top Democrats focused on the human toll: 5 dead, including a policeman, with 138 officers injured. And they focused on the man they blame, former President Donald Trump.
"He was ready to pull the White House and the People's House — this United States Capitol — down around him in order to overturn an election which he had lost," Sen. Durbin said.
While some Democrats demand Trump face criminal charges related to January 6th, Attorney General Merrick Garland gave no hint of that during Wednesday’s update on the Justice Department's investigation.
"As of today, we have arrested and charged more than 725 defendants," Garland said.
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Durbin is following the federal investigation closely.
"It’s anticipated that another 300 will be charged. Some with even more serious crimes," he said.
Republican allies of President Trump complain congressional Democrats are "weaponizing" investigations of January 6th to gain political advantage.
Illinois Sen. Duckworth says her goals include rolling back recent election law changes approved by Republican lawmakers in about 20 states, energized by Trump's claim that President Biden’s 2020 win was fraudulent.
"That’s not good for our democracy. And we have to fight these efforts around the country," Duckworth said.
But Americans don't agree on the meaning of the chaos at the Capitol, one year later. The lessons they draw from it have become intensely politicized.