- Trump raged about Biden and the 2020 election in a lengthy statement on the Capitol riot anniversary.
- He claimed that Biden in his earlier speech "used my name" to "try to further divide America."
- But Biden didn't mention Trump's name once in his speech, instead calling him "the defeated former president."
Former President Donald Trump released a rambling statement on Thursday excoriating President Joe Biden's 25-minute speech commemorating the first anniversary of the deadly Capitol riot.
"Biden, who is destroying our Nation with insane policies of open Borders, corrupt Elections, disastrous energy policies, unconstitutional mandates, and devastating school closures, used my name today to try to further divide America," the statement began.
But Biden didn't mention Trump's name once in his speech, instead referring to his predecessor as "the defeated former president" and blaming him for the violence that unfolded at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Biden went on to say that Trump "can't accept he lost" the election "because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution."
"Even though that's what 93 United States senators, his own attorney general, his own vice president, governors, and state officials in every battleground state have all said he lost," Biden said. "That's what 81 million of you did when you voted for a new way forward."
Asked afterward why he didn't say Trump's name in his speech, Biden replied, "I did not want it to turn into a contemporary political battle between me and the [former] president."
Trump in his statement went on the attack the Biden administration's immigration policy, foreign policy, and COVID-19 plan, as well as the House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection.
He also continued to spread lies about the results of the 2020 general election, falsely claiming it was "rigged" and that it "is leading to our Country destruction."
Despite Trump and his allies' claims of widespread voter fraud and election malfeasance, bipartisan and nonpartisan election and cybersecurity experts confirmed that the 2020 election was in fact the safest and most secure in US history despite a huge influx of mail-in voting amid the pandemic.
Biden's victory was also certified by all 50 states and the Electoral College, and nearly every lawsuit the Trump campaign and Republicans filed contesting the results in battleground states resulted in a defeat or a dismissal.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
