Trump says US was ‘respected all over the world’ on Jan 6 as he’s challenged by Biden over Capitol attack

Joe Biden confronted Donald Trump for the first time in person about his role on January 6, asking him to denounce the far-right Proud Boys gang and the other rioters who attacked the US Capitol.

In their first debate ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Trump refused to say whether he would condemn the deadly attack.

He failed to respond to questions about voters who are concerned that Trump violated his oath to accept elections as they prepare to cast their ballots in the next one.

CNN moderator Jake Tapper tried to ask him twice.

“Let me tell you about January 6,” said Trump, rattling off claims that “we had a great border” and “we were respected all over the world” on that day.

“And then he comes in and we’re not laughed at like a bunch of stupid people,” he said, referring to Biden.

Near the end of the 90-minute debate, moderator Dana Bash asked Trump three times whether he would accept election results.

Trump demurred and said that he’ll accept the results of a “fair, legal and good election,” then raised baseless claims of fraud that cost him the 2020 presidential election.

Earlier, he repeatedly falsely claimed that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Pelosi turned down National Guard troops that he had offered on January 6, 2021, which are under the command of the president. He claimed that Pelosi is on tape saying that she takes “responsibility,” but the clip he references includes the California lawmaker saying that she “takes responsibility for not having them just prepare for more” that day.

Trump also insisted that he told protesters to act “peacefully and patriotically.”

“What they’ve done to some people that are so innocent, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, what you have done,” he told Biden.

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