President Joe Biden delivered what he declared was the “God's truth” marking the first anniversary of the U.S. Capitol insurrection, the violent attack by Donald Trump's supporters that has fundamentally changed Congress and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy.

Biden's criticism was particularly blistering of then-President Trump and his violent supporters. “For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said. “But they failed.” “Democracy was attacked,” Biden said at the Capitol. “We the people endure. We the people prevailed.” The president and congressional Democrats started the day in Statuary Hall, one of several spots where rioters swarmed a year ago and interrupted the electoral count. Biden drew a contrast between the truth of what happened and the false narratives that have sprung up about the Capitol assault, including the continued refusal by many Republicans to affirm that Biden won the 2020 election.