Democrats Label Trump and His Allies as Anti-Democracy Ahead of Jan. 6 Anniversary

Meanwhile, Trump allies said Biden endangers democracy by targeting critics, activists, concerned parents, and his main political opponent.
Democrats Label Trump and His Allies as Anti-Democracy Ahead of Jan. 6 Anniversary
Then-President Donald Trump looks on during a rally in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)
Allen Zhong
1/5/2024
Updated:
1/5/2024
0:00

The Democratic Party spread a memo labeling President Donald Trump, his allies, and other Republican presidential candidates as anti-democracy, days before the Jan. 6 anniversary.

The memo by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Communication Director Rosemary Boeglin largely targeted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a hardcore Trump ally, for his efforts in seeking election integrity after the 2020 election.

Mr. Johnson led over 100 House Republicans in filing an amicus brief to support the Texas lawsuit challenging the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court of the United States in December 2020. In the failed attempt, Texas asked the Supreme Court to stop the four states from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump reportedly called Mr. Johnson after the filing.

“President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress. Indeed, ’this is the big one!'” Mr. Johnson wrote in a social media post at the time.

Beside Mr. Johnson, the Democratic Party’s memo also attacked Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, Trump’s rivals in the coming Republican primary.

“Election denialism is the defining litmus test for the GOP presidential field,” Ms. Boeglin wrote in the memo.

The Democratic Party alleged that denying the 2020 election results will cost the Republicans in 2024.

“We have never seen a slate of Republican presidential hopefuls openly and repeatedly undermine our nation’s democratic institutions like this before—and with Trump leading the way, election denialism has become a litmus test for this extreme Republican primary, with candidates from Nikki Haley to Ron DeSantis falling in line to erode our democracy. The MAGA Republicans in this race should remember that election denialism has been repeatedly rejected by voters at the ballot box, and it will be again in 2024,” Sarafina Chikika, DNC national press secretary, said in a separate statement.
The Epoch Times reached out to President Trump, Mr. Johnson, Mr. DeSantis, and Ms. Haley for comments.

More Attacks on the Way

Democrats are using the anniversary of Jan. 6 to accuse President Trump and his allies of acting against democracy.

More political attacks are expected in the coming days.

In an opinion piece published in The Atlantic on Friday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that the threat to democracy is “real, present, and urgent.”
President Joe Biden delivers a primetime speech at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 1, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden delivers a primetime speech at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 1, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is scheduled to give a speech in Valley Forge on Friday.

During his speech, President Biden is expected to intensify his criticism of his predecessor, President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.

President Biden’s campaign announced that the president is to speak at a college near Valley Forge, a location of great historical significance as it served as George Washington’s headquarters for the Continental Army during part of the Revolutionary War. In the winter of 1777–1778, Gen. Washington and his troops camped at Valley Forge, about 18 miles west of Philadelphia.

Biden campaign officials briefed reporters on Jan. 2 on some of the campaign’s strategies, one of which is depicting President Trump as a threat to democracy in the United States.

“The choice for voters next year will not simply be between competing philosophies of governing. The choice for the American people in November 2024 will be about protecting our democracy and every American’s fundamental freedoms,” said Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez.

Two Visions of Democracy

As part of his 2024 campaign strategy, Mr. Biden and other Democrats are trying to label President Trump, his allies, and his supporters as anti-Democracy and extremists.

The term “extreme MAGA Republicans” is frequently being used by Mr. Biden and other Democrats to describe President Trump and his supporters.

The move shows Democrats are trying to enshrine the authority of government by blocking any effort to challenge government institutions and election results, and weaponizing the government to target people who cast doubt on the authorities.

In response, the House Republicans established the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government under the House Judiciary Committee after they won the majority in the lower chamber.

The mission of the special panel is to probe the federal government’s expansive role in investigations on U.S. citizens and investigate how federal agencies communicate with private companies to collect information on Americans.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a Trump ally, leads the panel.

The Republicans’ vision of democracy puts more emphasis on individual freedom and protecting Americans from government overreach. They warned that President Biden and Democrats are endangering the principles of democracy by empowering the government and depriving individual freedom from Americans.

In a statement ahead of the Jan. 6 anniversary, Karoline Leavitt, Make America Great Again Inc. spokeswoman, said President Biden is a threat to Democracy.

“Since taking office, Joe Biden has taken actions that threaten our democracy and the American way of life. Biden has abused his power to target critics, activists, concerned parents, and his main political opponent, President Donald Trump. Americans will reject Biden’s divisive policies when they re-elect President Trump next November to make America safe, strong, and prosperous again,” the pro-Trump super PAC spokeswomen wrote.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment.

Emel Akan and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.