By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. capitol, leading Democrats and the president are setting out their talking points for this year’s elections.

Congressional Democrats hosted panels including several elected and former elected officials from Illinois Tuesday, evaluating the Jan. 6, 2021 protests.

Illinois U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, testified about being in the U.S. House chamber during it and criticized President Donald Trump pardoning Jan. 6 defendants when he took office for a second nonconsecutive term in January 2025.

“He let criminals loose in our country because he does not care for law and order unless it serves him,” Kelly said. “And his violent rhetoric has only gotten worse.”

Democrats, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Chicago, and others took part in the hours-long hearing. They said Trump incited the attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Speaking to congressional Republicans Tuesday, Trump said Democrats and the media are getting it wrong, and never fully quoted him.

“You know that the news never reported the words ‘walk or march peacefully and patriotically to the Capitol,’” Trump said. “You know, they never reported. A scandal. The Unselect Committee never reported that.”

Testifying to the panel hearing organized by Democrats in Congress Tuesday, former Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Trump was trying to sell a big lie before the Jan. 6, 2021, protests and storming of the U.S. Capitol.

“He wanted us to believe that the election was stolen, that there was widespread voter fraud,” Kinzinger said. “This has been unequivocally disproven.”

Kinzinger was on the committee Democrats formed to investigate the riots during the Biden administration. They’ve been given a pardon by former President Joe Biden.

Trump insisted the 2020 election was not above board.

“First of all, the election was rigged,” Trump told Republicans Tuesday. “You want to have voter ID. You want to insist on it. You want to insist on it.”

Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump said Republicans have the best policies, but Democrats are fierce.