‘Another Bloodbath’ Would Have Happened If Harris Had Won, Democratic Senator Says

The attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, may be receding into history, but on its four-year anniversary Monday, Democrats tried to make sure no one forgets it.

On the same day a joint session of Congress formally certified President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory, many Democrats on social media and in person marked the day in somber and sometimes bitter terms.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said the expected quiet at the U.S. Capitol Monday, under heavy security measures as well as a blanket of overnight snow, should not be taken for granted.

“It’s because today in America, tragically, only one party respects elections. The other party uses and justifies violence to keep power,” he said in a post.

“Had Harris won, today likely would have been another bloodbath.”

Another Connecticut lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, echoed Murphy.

“I’m feeling angry about the fact that this is going to be strawberry ice cream and puppies because Trump won, and if Trump had lost we’d be in body armor and protected by the 82nd Airborne right now,” Himes told HuffPost.

“And that tells you something about the difference between the two parties.”

Trump has promised to free at least some of the convicted Jan. 6 attackers, even though, according to a HuffPost analysis, more than a majority of those in jail assaulted a police officer, and 83% of those serving a year or longer sentence were convicted of a violent attack.

While Trump has described the attack on the Capitol as peaceful, the Justice Department has charged more than 1,500 people for crimes on Jan. 6, 2021, and in the days and weeks leading up to it.

“Four years ago today, our nation watched in horror as a terrorist mob stormed the Capitol grounds and desecrated our Temple of Democracy in a violent attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who led the House at the time of the 2021 insurrection, said in a statement.

She thanked law enforcement for protecting lawmakers and the Capitol from the attackers and said she and her colleagues did the right thing by going back into session to certify Joe Biden’s election later that day and into the evening.

“The parable of January 6th reminds us that our precious democratic institutions are only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with their care. On January 6th, we gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there by returning to the Capitol to certify the election results and demonstrate to America and the world that our Democracy prevailed,” she said.

Asked by HuffPost about the contrast between the calm heading into Monday’s proceedings and the atmosphere of Jan. 6, 2021, Pelosi’s successor, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), said simply, “Speaks for itself.”

Jeffries had riled up House Republicans Friday when, during a ceremonial observance of Speaker Mike Johnson being reelected to his post, he said Democrats acknowledged that Trump had won legitimately, but added a qualifier after Republicans gave him a standing ovation.

“Thank you for that very generous applause,” Jeffries said. “It’s OK. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.”

That line saw House Republicans sit down and Democrats stand up.

Other Democrats took to social media on Monday to post their personal experiences of the attack, in which several said they feared for their lives.

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) posted a picture showing himself sheltering behind a row of seats in the gallery overlooking the House floor when police officers urged lawmakers to take cover as the attackers made their way into the Capitol.

“Four years ago today, I was trapped in the House Chamber as insurrectionists stormed the Capitol & tried to overturn election results,” Soto wrote.

“Today, I will return to the House Chamber to certify the 2024 results. House Democrats honor the Constitution & accept the will of the people.”

“I was here, in the Capitol — even after most members were evacuated, I was locked down in my office. I heard the insurrectionists storming the building, shouting ‘kill the infidels,’ and banging on my door trying to get in,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a post.

“Our democracy is only as strong as our commitment to it. If we want to stay a country where our voices and our votes — not brute force — determine our future, then we have to defend the right to vote and our democratic institutions,” she said.

Former members of Congress who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 also posted.

“4 years ago I was in the house gallery holding a gas mask in my hands, crawling under brass railings and lying on the floor as a gunshot rang through the air. I feared I would die in our temple of democracy,” posted Jackie Speier, a former Democratic representative from California.

“We can never forget what happened on 1/6 was an attempted coup,” she said.

Arthur Delaney contributed reporting.