Pennsylvania Senate Democrats held a virtual news conference on Monday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot, when supporters of President-elect Donald Trump tried to overturn the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Although he was rarely mentioned by name, speakers alluded to Trump’s reelection and his attempts to reframe the events of January 6, 2021. During his 2024 campaign, Trump regularly attempted to downplay the events and violence of January 6, calling it “the day of love.” He also promised to grant clemency to people convicted of crimes stemming from their actions at the Capitol, though it is unclear whether that would include those accused of violent crimes against law enforcement.
Over 1,580 people were accused of participating in the riots, according to the United States Department of Justiceincluding several dozen from Pennsylvania.
“We need to make sure that we come back so that people understand that while we had an attempted insurrection, this was no walk in the park,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes (R-Philadelphia). “It was not a peaceful meeting. It was an attempted insurrection to overthrow the government of the United States of America.”
Sen. Nikil Saval (R-Philadelphia) made more direct references to Trump in his comments.
“Respect for our voices and democratic support for our decisions are among our most basic and necessary freedoms,” Saval said. “We are witnessing this in action in Washington today, as evidenced by the already certified election results of a man who, just four years ago, urged his supporters to overturn the will of the people.”
Saval added: “In the days, weeks, and years ahead, a multiracial United States rooted in justice, freedom, and equality will continue to fuel authoritarian tendencies.”
The press conference began just minutes after the US Congress finished certifying the results of the 2024 election, which Trump won. There was no opposition, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, presided over the Senate.
Trump’s election as president confirmed by Congress four years after the attack on the Capitol
Responding to a question from a Philadelphia-area KYW news reporter, Sen. Art Haywood (D-Montgomery), whose office organized the news conference, said it was not a “reactionary event” organized because of Trump’s victory.
“A hundred years from now, we should still be appreciating these individuals for everything they did,” Haywood said, referring to the law enforcement officers who responded to the riots and the lawmakers who certified the election anyway. “Our appreciation of these individuals will go far beyond what is or is not happening with the current administration.”
Pastor Alisa Wailoo, pastor of a church in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. At the time, she worked at a church near the Capitol and was deputy chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. She said many members of her church were involved in politics, including as public officials and campaign workers.
“Our church was red and blue, and while they did not agree politically on everything, they shared a deep respect… for the work entrusted to them and for the wide diversity of people whose needs they represented,” Wailoo said.
She recalled how numerous members of her congregation “on January 6, 2021, turned on my phone as these tragic events were unfolding.” For example, she was asked to call a member of her church’s husband, who had to barricade himself in the Capitol when rioters broke in.
Wailoo also recalls the shock she felt on the morning of January 7, 2021, when she saw members of the National Guard placing razor wire around her church neighborhood and being asked to explain to her children why the country had such ponderous militarized security.
“Jan. 6 reveals part of who we are and where we are as a nation at this moment,” Wailoo said. “By following the courage of public officials and officials, we too can be brave people and recognize some of these issues as a current American problem.”
No Republican lawmakers spoke at the event, though it is unclear whether they were invited. The event was organized by Haywood’s office along with Hughes and Saval. Wallace Weaver, a spokesman for Haywood, said that in previous years, Republican lawmakers had been invited to speak, although none of them ever did. This year, the invitation was sent only to members of the Philadelphia delegation, which consists entirely of Democrats in the Senate.
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