Biden Marks 2nd Anniversary of Jan. 6 By Awarding 14 Presidential Medals - The New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Biden connected Friday honored 14 radical who stood against predetermination denialism successful 2020 and fought the convulsive mob astatine the Capitol 2 years ago, telling them successful a White House ceremonial that past “will retrieve your names, retrieve your courage, retrieve your bravery.”

Speaking from the East Room, helium awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 9 constabulary officers — 3 of whom died aft protecting the Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021 — and 5 section officials who were subjected to idiosyncratic unit but resisted unit to undermine the predetermination successful 2020.

Together, Mr. Biden said, the individuals helium honored represented the “extraordinary Americans” whose work to the state helped thwart the efforts of erstwhile President Donald J. Trump and his allies arsenic they sought to support Mr. Trump successful power.

“A convulsive mob of insurrectionists assaulted instrumentality enforcement, vandalized ineffable halls, hunted down elected officials, each for the intent of attempting to overthrow the volition of the radical and usurp the peaceful transportation of power,” Mr. Biden said. “All of it — each of it — was fueled by lies astir the 2020 election. But connected this day, 2 years ago, our ideology held due to the fact that we the people, arsenic the Constitution refers to us, we the radical did not flinch.”

A twelvemonth ago, connected the archetypal day of the onslaught connected the Capitol, Mr. Biden rejected the thought that Americans are “too bogged down by part to succeed,” though helium added a grim, cautionary note: “Believe me, I cognize however hard ideology is.”

On Friday, arsenic the president marked the 2nd anniversary, those divisions were connected afloat show successful Washington.

Twenty Republican lawmakers, astir of them anxious participants successful the predetermination lies that gave emergence to the Jan. 6 attack, person repeatedly failed this week to elite a speaker, bringing the proceedings of ideology to a halt successful the House.

Democracy, it seems, is arsenic hard arsenic Mr. Biden predicted a twelvemonth ago.

Mr. Biden’s archetypal code astir Jan. 6 was besides much focused connected Mr. Trump and his actions. Speaking from Statuary Hall successful the Capitol successful 2022, the president issued a scathing takedown of his predecessor and vowed to “stand successful this breach” to guarantee that nary 1 places “a dagger astatine the pharynx of our democracy.”

This time, Mr. Biden sought to gully attraction not to Mr. Trump, but to the radical who stood against the erstwhile president.

He began by honoring 9 constabulary officers, each of whom fought against the surge of unit connected Jan. 6 arsenic lawmakers met to certify Mr. Biden’s triumph implicit Mr. Trump.

He praised Daniel Hodges, a Washington constabulary serviceman who was injured during his archetypal sojourn to the Capitol, for his bravery amid the chaos.

“Sprayed with poison, pinned and crushed, oculus astir gouged retired — helium didn’t break,” Mr. Biden said of Mr. Hodges.

Mr. Biden honored Michael Fanone, a Capitol Police serviceman who helium said was “beaten, beaten, not pushed around, beaten” and yet “defended our ideology with implicit courage.” And Mr. Biden besides paid tribute to Caroline Edwards, the archetypal instrumentality enforcement serviceman injured by the rioters, saying she was knocked unconscious by rioters but “got backmost up to assistance clasp the line.”

Mr. Biden besides awarded the medal to Harry Dunn, a Capitol Police serviceman who faced radical slurs and harassment connected Jan. 6; Aquilino Gonell, a sergeant with the Capitol Police who was injured successful the attack; and Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police serviceman who led a pro-Trump mob distant from the entranceway to the Senate chamber.

Three officers Mr. Biden honored connected Friday died aft the Jan. 6 attacks: Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police serviceman who died of a changeable a time aft the attacks; Howard C. Liebengood, who died by termination 3 days aft the attack; and Jeffrey L. Smith, a Metropolitan Police serviceman who besides died by termination aft helping to support the Capitol.

Speaking to the household members of the honorees, who accepted the medals connected the men’s behalf, Mr. Biden offered condolences and a consciousness of knowing astir the grief they are inactive struggling to woody with.

“Boy is it hard,” helium said. “I cognize however arrogant I americium erstwhile my lad Beau is honored connected the day of his decease arsenic a effect of pain pits successful Iraq. But it brings everything backmost similar it happened that moment.

“I privation to convey you for having the courageousness to beryllium present today,” helium added.

In summation to the constabulary officers, Mr. Biden awarded the medals to 5 section officials, each of whom refused to bash the bidding of those who insisted that the predetermination had been rigged.

Two of them — Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who is her girl — received the awards for serving arsenic canvass workers successful Atlanta, wherever they were subjected to maltreatment by Trump supporters who falsely accused them of participating successful predetermination fraud.

“Both of them were conscionable doing their jobs, and they were targeted and threatened by the aforesaid peddlers of a prevarication that was fueling the insurrection,” Mr. Biden said. “They were virtually forced from their homes and faced despicable racist taunts.”

Mr. Biden besides praised Al Schmidt, who was a metropolis commissioner connected the Philadelphia County Board of Elections successful 2020, noting that helium “did not bend, helium did not bow, helium did not output to the governmental threats and pressure.” And helium hailed Jocelyn Benson, who served arsenic the Secretary of State of Michigan during the 2020 election, and Rusty Bowers, the Republican House talker successful Arizona. All 3 resisted unit from those seeking to overturn the results successful 2020.

Mr. Biden called Ms. Benson “a existent person successful our nation” and said Mr. Bowers shows radical “what integrity is each about.”

A twelvemonth ago, with the events of Jan. 6 looming successful the much caller past, Mr. Biden expressed greater interest astir the aboriginal of the country, saying that “as we basal present contiguous — 1 twelvemonth since Jan. 6, 2021 — the lies that drove the choler and madness we saw successful this place, they person not abated.”

But connected Friday, helium returned to the optimism that has often characterized his speeches.

“We’re not a onshore of kings and dictators, autocrats and extremists,” helium said. “As we spot successful today’s honorees, we’re a federation and we the radical that toughen our fiber, renew our religion and fortify our cause. There’s thing beyond our capacity, if we enactment together.”