Former President Donald Trump marked the fifth anniversary of the Capitol attack by reiterating his baseless claims of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Trump, speaking at the House Republicans’ annual retreat, criticized Democrats, particularly targeting former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden. He asserted that the election was rigged and called for voter ID laws, insinuating that those against such laws are dishonest.
The White House has previously criticized the vote-by-mail system in certain states, citing a voter fraud case in California. However, there is no substantial evidence of widespread fraud. Experts emphasize that rigging an election would necessitate illegal actions on a large scale.
Trump’s unfounded allegations of voter fraud have been linked to inciting the Capitol riot in January 2021. Despite this controversy, Trump addressed various topics in a lengthy speech to House Republicans, touching on issues like crime, border security, taxes, healthcare, and transgender athlete participation in sports.
In a separate development, Trump’s administration captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, prompting an upcoming briefing to the Senate. Democratic lawmakers plan to commemorate the Capitol attack anniversary with a congressional hearing, focusing on threats to fair elections and examining Trump’s pardons for individuals involved in the attack.