WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released a statement marking the one year anniversary of the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In the full statement, which can be read below, King reflects on the dangers of that day and the continued threats to America’s democracy fueled by demonstrably false claims about the 2020 Presidential election. Citing the need to defend democracy for the next generation, King urged his colleagues from both parties to “tell the truth”:  

“One year ago today, I sat in a dark basement room in the U.S. Capitol and watched American citizens attack the seat of our democracy. These insurrectionists ransacked the Capitol, threatened the lives of elected officials, and injured many of the brave Capitol Police officers who put their lives on the line every day to defend Congress. These insurrectionists gathered on that specific day, at that specific place, with the clear goal of interfering with a sacred democratic process – and they were egged on every step of the way by the sitting President of the United States and his allies, who repeatedly told them that the election was illegitimate, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. It’s important to remember they weren’t there to protest the election, they were there to “stop the steal” as the rally on the Ellipse unequivocally made clear. On that day, we saw that words have consequences – and, as former President Trump stayed quiet for hours while Congress was under attack, we saw that silence has consequences, too.

“The Capitol is not under attack today, but the assault on America’s democracy continues. A recent poll shows that nearly 75% of Republicans doubt that President Biden was legitimately elected President in 2020. These doubts have no merit, full stop. Over the last year, nonpartisan judges, bipartisan elected officials, and even overtly partisan exercises like the Maricopa County recount have examined these claims and found zero evidence to justify any accusations that the election was stolen. The “Stop the Steal” advocates had no facts – they were fueled by misinformation and mistruths, amplified by the bully pulpit of the Oval Office.

“America’s representative government has endured for nearly 250 years – but it remains an anomaly in the scope of human history. As my colleague Senator Romney said one year ago, the way to protect this perilously fragile system is simple: we must all tell the truth, even to our constituents, supporters, and friends who may not want to hear it. Allowing this lie to fester only further undermines trust in democracy itself and threatens the peaceful transfer of power which has been the hallmark of the American system. On this solemn anniversary, I urge my colleagues of all parties to speak the truth. If we want to preserve the American experiment for the next generation, silence is not an option.”

On the day of the January 6th attack, Senator King condemned the violent insurrection at the Capitol, and called for all of his colleagues to “speak the clear and honest facts” and no longer enable President Trump’s attempts to undermine faith in America’s elections. Days before the attack, he called efforts by Congressional leaders to spread President Trump’s dangerous disinformation “one of the most serious assaults upon our country’s democratic system in American history”.

Since the insurrection, through his roles on the Senate’s Rules and Administration Committee, the Intelligence Committee, and the Armed Services Committee, Senator King has pushed for accountability and improvements from U.S. Capitol and military leadership. In a hearing just over a month after January 6th, King questioned former and current top law enforcement officials on their failures. A few weeks later, he questioned National Guard leadership on the specific failures that led to the U.S. Capitol Police being left without the backup of the D.C. National Guard for 3 hours and 19 minutes. Last month, he stressed the need for the Capitol Police to “think the unthinkable” in order to better prepare for future threats.