Minnesota's elected officials on Thursday marked the first anniversary of last year's violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that saw a mob of Donald Trump's supporters breach the halls of Congress.
One year on, Democrats continue to push for a deeper understanding of the siege that came after Trump's false attacks on the 2020 presidential election following his loss. Minnesota Republicans did not comment in the leadup to the anniversary, although GOP Rep. Tom Emmer's office posted a comment online Thursday.
Reaction from federal and state officials:
- Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a statement: "When an angry violent mob staged an insurrection on January 6th and desecrated our Capitol — the temple of our democracy — it was not just an attack on the building, it was an attack on our Republic itself. Yet thanks to the heroism of the Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers, we were able to resume our work and every state's certified electoral votes were counted. Under unimaginable circumstances, democracy prevailed."
- Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said in a tweet: "There's no getting around what happened. On January 6, there was a violent attack on the United States, led by insurrectionists whose goal was to overthrow the free and fair election of President Biden. This happened because Donald Trump incited them to violence."
- Republican Rep. Tom Emmer said in a statement: "One year ago, we saw an unacceptable display of violence that runs counter to everything we stand for as a country. Those responsible for the violence must continue to be held accountable, and Congress must focus on providing our men and women in law enforcement around the Capitol — and across the nation — with the resources, training, and support they need to ensure something like this never happens again."
- Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said in a statement: "Today marks a somber anniversary of one of the darkest days in our country's history. Future generations can never forget the actions that took place in the U.S. Capitol one year ago and the bravery required to preserve our democracy."
- Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said in a statement: "With each passing day, it becomes more and more clear that the outgoing President of the United States planned and executed the coup attempt, refusing a peaceful transition of power, pressuring election officials and his own administration to overturn results, and organizing a rally and march on the seat of government when his other efforts failed. I know personally what happens when a government fails, civil strife takes hold, and people are displaced. And I know that coup attempts are rarely one-time affairs."
- Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum said in a statement: "After the House of Representatives concludes its investigation into the events surrounding January 6, I strongly believe all individuals responsible for planning, inciting, and carrying out the attack must be indicted, prosecuted, and if found guilty, sentenced to prison time. This includes the former president and senior officials in the Trump administration."
- Democratic Rep. Angie Craig tweeted: "A year ago today, our democracy came under attack by violent extremists seeking to undermine the will of the American people. Today, I'm more dedicated than ever to defending our democracy and ensuring that the events of that day are neither normalized nor forgotten."
- DFL Gov. Tim Walz tweeted: "A year ago, we witnessed an assault on our democracy when the U.S. Capitol building was stormed during an attempted insurrection. Today, we must protect and uphold our democratic ideals by ensuring this never happens again."
- DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan tweeted: "One year ago today, our country witnessed a violent insurrection in the halls of the United States Capitol. In order to protect our democracy, we must continue to tell the truth about the terror that occurred that day. We cannot let it happen again."
