Former Officer Who Defended Capitol Insists That Trump Is A Threat To U.S. Democracy

0
1324

Harry Dunn, who as a Capitol Police officer on January 6, 2021, helped defend the U.S. Capitol complex amid that day’s violent attack in the name of lies of a stolen presidential election, participated Tuesday in a press conference outside Donald Trump’s trial courthouse in New York City, condemning the ex-president-turned-criminal defendant.

Though Trump is criminally charged in four separate cases at federal and state levels, he remains the presumptive presidential nominee for this year’s election from the Republican Party.

“Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy and the safety of communities across the country today,” Dunn argued at a gathering convened by Biden’s campaign. “He has encouraged, and continues to encourage, political violence. We’ve been called traitors — just today. We were all called traitors on January 6 for doing our job. And yes, we protected Republicans. We protected Democrats alike. It’s not about the story that we don’t agree with. Political violence is never acceptable, but you have a presidential candidate that champions it, that encourages it, that supports it.”

Dunn unsuccessfully ran for Congress in a recently concluded primary.

President Joe Biden already has actually shared a message similar to Dunn’s remarks on Tuesday. In an interview with Spanish-language media, Biden characterized Trump — against whom the incumbent is expected to run again in this year’s general election — as the greatest threat currently faced by democracy in the United States. Biden argued that Trump has seemed to get behind Capitol riot defendants, promising pardons and other legal assistance in the event that he regains power. Many of the defendants who’ve faced charges were accused specifically of violence against police officers, and a large portion of those accused of that kind of behavior already either pleaded guilty or have been convicted.