A year after the January 6 attack, the United States is still traumatized. Journalist David Thomson was on site in Washington with protesters on the Capitol steps for RFI.
I remember the next morning of that totally surreal day, said our correspondent in the United States, David thomson. Washington wakes up completely groggy. The city is under curfew and at the front desk of the hotel where I am staying, two FBI agents were asking the receptionist for the names of the clients. In fact, the authorities were already beginning their meticulous work of identifying the hundreds of assailants who had taken over the Capitol and the demonstrators I passed in the hotel were keeping a rather low profile, contrary of course to their euphoric, brave and violent attitude. of the day before on the steps of the Congress, with their flag and their red Trumpist cap.
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I remember that those who left the Capitol after having sacked it were acclaimed as heroes by the crowd which remained agglutinated on the steps. All these people had just interrupted the democratic process at the instigation of the 45th President of the United States. They were therefore sure of their facts, and those with whom I have kept contact today still think that their action was legitimate sincethey are still convinced a year later of the reality of this myth of the stolen election created by Donald Trump.
The theory of ” the stolen election »Still alive among the conservatives
Because a year later, Donald Trump has not changed his speech. The former president still stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his defeat to Joe Biden. And they are a majority of Republicans to follow him.
In a church in Dallas, they are 3,500 supporters of Donald Trump, all gathered without masks to listen to one of the sons of the former president, Eric, once again hammer home the myth of the stolen election. ” In 2016, we won, as you know. And you know we won in 2020 too, right? “
In the audience, Laurie cheerfully applauds. A year after the election, this Missouri trader still refuses to recognize Biden’s victory. ” No no no ! He hasn’t stopped cheating. It is also written on my T-shirt: Jesus is my savior and Trump is my president! “
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Like her, three in four Republicans believe that Joe Biden was not legitimately elected. However, no fraud has ever been proven and the sixty lawsuits brought by Donald Trump’s lawyers have all been rejected by the American courts. But Laurie lost confidence in these judges. ” They came across left wing judges. Many of these judges had been appointed by Trump? “ Yes, but that’s because they were afraid of losing their job. “
Since the presidential election, Kevin and Laurie also curse Fox News. This very conservative news channel, according to them, betrayed Trump by confirming Biden’s victory. “ Now, we only listen to podcasts from real conservatives on the internet because we can no longer trust many people. », They explain.
Despite everything, this conservative still plans to vote in the 2024 presidential election, hoping that it will be for Donald Trump who remains, by far, the favorite candidate of Republican militants.