Former President Donald Trump hit back at President Joe Biden after the president gave a speech looking back on the January 6‚ 2021‚ Capitol riot‚ and attacking Trump and his supporters. Trump took the stage at a campaign event in Sioux City‚ Iowa‚ Friday night and responded to Biden’s event‚ which took place earlier in the day near Valley Forge‚ Pennsylvania. In the president’s speech‚ Biden focused on the January 6 Capitol riot‚ celebrating the prosecution of hundreds of his chief political rival’s supporters while calling Trump a “loser.” “Since that day‚ more than 1‚200 people have been charged for their assault on the Capitol‚ and nearly 900 of them have been convicted or pled guilty. Collectively to date‚ they have been sentenced to more than 840 years in prison‚” Biden said to the applause of the crowd. “What’s Trump done? Instead of calling them criminals‚ he’s called these insurrectionists ‘patriots’ … and he promises to pardon them if he returns to office‚” Biden added. “Trump said they’re was a lot of love on January 6. The rest of the nation‚ including law enforcement‚ saw a lot of hate and violence.” Trump called Biden’s speech a “pathetic fearmongering campaign event‚” adding‚ “Joe Biden’s record is an unbroken streak of weakness‚ incompetence‚ corruption and failure‚” The Hill reported. Following Biden’s Friday afternoon speech‚ Trump told Fox News that the president and his administration are the “true threat to democracy.” “Joe Biden is the worst president in the history of the United States — he is incompetent‚ he is crooked‚ and in many respects‚ he is Benedict Arnold‚” Trump said. “He is destroying our country like no one else has done before.” The former president also fired back at Biden’s claim that Trump supported insurrectionists on January 6 and in the days following. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “The only insurrection is the insurrection that is taking place at our border where he is allowing millions of people from parts unknown to invade our country at a level far worse than even a military invasion‚” Trump added. Trump‚ the leading candidate in the Republican primary‚ faces multiple federal charges in a case related to January 6. In an indictment unsealed by special prosecutor Jack Smith‚ Trump is charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights‚ conspiracy to defraud the government‚ corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding‚ and conspiracy to carry out such obstruction.

On the eve of the third anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot‚ a federal court ruled against a pro-Trump demonstrator‚ saying that even though he was “neither violent nor destructive‚” he could still be convicted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to a year in prison. Russell Alford was sentenced on February 23‚ 2023‚ to a year in prison after being found guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds‚ disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds‚ disorderly conduct in a Capitol building‚ and parading‚ demonstrating‚ or picketing in a Capitol building. Alford challenged “the reasonableness of his sentence and the sufficiency of the evidence to support two of his convictions‚ both of which charged him with engaging in ‘disorderly or disruptive conduct.’” But D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote Friday that the court affirmed his convictions‚ The Hill reported. “The trial evidence indicated that‚ during Alford’s brief time within the Capitol‚ he was neither violent nor destructive‚” wrote Henderson‚ a George H.W. Bush appointee. “Nevertheless‚ we affirm his convictions because a jury could rationally find that his unauthorized presence in the Capitol as part of an unruly mob contributed to the disruption of the Congress’s electoral certification and jeopardized public safety.” “[I]t is equally clear from caselaw that even passive‚ quiet and nonviolent conduct can be disorderly‚” the judge added in her ruling. Immediately following the storming of the Capitol‚ the FBI began a years-long investigation into those who were present or participated in the massive demonstration on Capitol Hill as Congress met to vote on certification of the 2020 election. Since then‚ the Department of Justice has charged 452 people with assaulting‚ resisting‚ or impeding officers or employees‚ which includes 123 people “who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.” The vast majority of the charges — 1‚186 — are for “entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds.” Some who weren’t even present at the Capitol on January 6 have also been sentenced. Former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years behind bars‚ the longest January 6 sentence to date‚ after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Meanwhile‚ federal officials are still looking for a suspect as they investigate two pipe bombs that were planted outside the Democratic and Republican National Committees’ offices in Washington‚ D.C.‚ on January 6‚ 2021. A bulletin issued by the FBI on Thursday said a $500‚000 reward‚ which would be given in exchange for information leading to an individual’s arrest and conviction‚ “remains in effect.” Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

The Biden administration waited until Friday to announce that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized on Monday‚ a delay of several days that alarmed the Pentagon press corps. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided a brief update on Austin in a statement that was released by the Department of Defense (DoD) at around 5 p.m.‚ or the close of business‚ right as the weekend was getting underway for many in the country. “On the evening of January 1‚ Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications following a recent elective medical procedure‚” Ryder said. “He is recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today. At all times‚ the Deputy Secretary of Defense was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary‚ if required‚” he added. Members of the media‚ some with decades of experience covering the Pentagon‚ voiced shock and concern in response to the announcement that some billed as a “Friday night news dump.” The Pentagon held a press briefing as recently as Thursday‚ and made no mention of Austin’s health scare. Barbara Starr‚ a former Pentagon correspondent for CNN‚ said in a thread on X that the “lack of disclosure that Sec Def was ill is a huge strategic failure. As of tonight I do not see a way forward for believing the Pentagon tells the truth on anything. Reporters are always skeptics but this goes far and deep beyond that always professional skepticism.” While Starr wished Austin well and noted “there was a desire for patient privacy‚” she also said “this is now a fundamental change in a DOD that claims it supports the press with disclosure and truthfulness.” “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt said the Pentagon “refuses to say how serious his condition was or why he was not able to perform his duties.” Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since New Year's Day but the Biden admin didn't disclose it until tonight. Biden admin "refuses to say how serious his condition was or why he was not able to perform his duties."pic.twitter.com/ChfSfktNcv — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 6‚ 2024 ABC News senior Pentagon reporter Luis Martinez said in a post to X‚ “Lots of questions being asked why it took the Pentagon so long to acknowledge this.” The board of directors of the Pentagon Press Association‚ of which Martinez currently serves as president‚ sent a letter to DoD public affairs officials requesting a meeting on the “troubling situation as soon as possible.” The Pentagon Press Association’s letter to Chris Meagher and Major General Ryder in response to the public not being made aware that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since Monday. pic.twitter.com/4i1fywpBPo — Task &; Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) January 6‚ 2024 The letter‚ which called the late notice an “outrage‚” said the Friday announcement “falls far below the normal disclosure standards that are customary by other federal departments when senior officials undergo medical procedures or are temporarily incapacitated.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “The public has a right to know when U.S. Cabinet members are hospitalized‚ under anesthesia or when duties are delegated as the result of any medical procedure. That has been the practice even up to the president’s level. As the nation’s top defense leader‚ Secretary Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation‚” the letter added. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine‚ it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader‚” the letter said.

'I will be devoting my time and energy to my recovery'

'Trump didn’t even own the hotels while he was president'

'An international health organization could just end the First Amendment in the United States?'

'You know the code of conduct'

There will be renewed calls to pack the bench‚ done with an appetite only satiated by success