Biden campaign tries to keep Jan. 6 top of mind with voters. Will it work?

When Vice President Kamala Harris dropped by a run agency successful Madison, Wisconsin, successful March, those who attended were handed immoderate poster committee and asked to constitute down why they're supporting President Joe Biden's reelection.

Democratic elector Frank Pohlkamp wrote, "because populist matters."

"There was rather a spot of readying [from Trump's side] that went into nan thought of nan transportation of power," Pohlkamp said of nan play betwixt nan 2020 predetermination and nan Jan. 6, 2021, attacks connected nan U.S. Capitol. "That is concerning to me. The norm of rule and populist matters to nan United States."

Former President Donald Trump has placed Jan. 6 astatine nan halfway of his statesmanlike campaign, arsenic some he and different Republicans downplay nan severity of nan onslaught and nan baseless claims of predetermination fraud that inspired it.

Mr. Biden believes reminding voters again astir this rhetoric from Trump, and coating him arsenic a "threat" to populist is simply a important opposition to highlight. It's a variety connected nan taxable of his 2020 campaign, which he referred to arsenic a conflict for nan "soul of nan nation," and 1 that he returned to during nan 2022 midterm elections.

But beyond Democratic guidelines voters for illustration Pohlkamp, it remains to beryllium seen whether a attraction connected Jan. 6 is an effective statement successful nan rematch against Trump, since voters whitethorn beryllium facing much contiguous concerns, specified arsenic nan system and costs of living.

"Absolutely we person to attraction connected pocketbook issues," said Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is moving for reelection successful nan battleground authorities of Wisconsin. "But if you don't person your democracy, those whitethorn ray successful comparison astatine immoderate constituent successful nan future." 

Trump has said 1 of his "first acts" if elected this November would beryllium to free January 6 "hostages." At a March rally successful Ohio, he saluted a rendition of nan "Star-Spangled Banner" performed by a choir of men imprisoned for their alleged engagement connected Jan. 6. He has said if he doesn't triumph successful November, he doesn't deliberation location will beryllium "another predetermination successful this country."

Last Friday, Trump held a property conference pinch GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson astatine his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence to denote a caller "election integrity" measure that would require impervious of citizenship to registry to vote, though it has been forbidden for non-citizens to ballot successful national elections for decades. 

While a CBS News January poll showed Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of nan attacks connected Jan. 6, polling reveals a mixed image of who voters deliberation would beryllium "better" for democracy, contempt Trump's domiciled successful creating and spreading predetermination denialism.

In a March CBS News poll of voters successful nan battleground authorities of Georgia, wherever Trump is being investigated for alleged attempts to overturn nan 2020 election, much group thought Trump would make populist stronger (48%) than Biden (43%). An April New York Times/Siena College poll of apt voters recovered that 46% believed Mr. Trump is "bad for democracy" while 39% said nan aforesaid astir Mr. Biden.

Congressional Democrats impulse Biden to stress democracy, Jan. 6 connected run trail

"You gotta necktie it successful pinch different challenges," New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who was pictured cleaning up debris successful nan Capitol aft Jan. 6, said astir really nan Biden run should run connected democracy. 

Abortion has been nan biggest opposition rumor for nan Biden campaign, which has directed its governmental musculus and sizeable rate astatine highlighting really Trump's assignment of Supreme Court justices led to nan overturning of nan federal correct to an abortion and successful nan aftermath of that, to much restrictive abortion bans successful Republican-led states. 

But Jan. 6 has its domiciled successful nan president's reelection effort, too. For Mr. Biden, it's a testament to characteristic and a marker of nan binary prime betwixt him and Trump. 

"Are location challenges that we woody pinch each day, whether it beryllium nan challenges of ostentation that we're still battling aliases nan challenges of world conflict? Absolutely. But those will ray successful comparison to nan awesome challenges that we will look arsenic a crumbling America, should Trump beryllium elected," said Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Biden run co-chair.

"Whether populist is still America's ineffable origin is nan astir urgent mobility of our time. And it's what nan 2024 predetermination is each about," Mr. Biden said successful Blue Bell, Pa., successful January, connected nan 3rd day of nan Jan. 6 riots. 

In April, nan Biden run held a property convention pinch 2 constabulary officers who were astatine nan Capitol during nan Jan. 6 assault. Former Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilno Gonell based on voters should beryllium worried astir threats to populist because "if you don't person democracy, past your occupation is astir apt gonna go; your liberties are astir apt gonna go."

"As President Biden said, Donald Trump's run is obsessed pinch nan past, not nan future. He's consenting to sacrifice our populist to put himself successful power," said Biden run spokesperson James Singer. "Our run will proceed to underscore nan prime successful this predetermination and take sides nan truth against Donald Trump's Big Lie." 

Now little than 7 months retired from Election Day, Trump's baggage from Jan.6 — and nan Biden campaign's maneuver of highlighting it — isn't going away. 

"Their full communicative is simply a lie, and Americans cognize that Joe Biden is nan existent threat to populist arsenic he continues to let an penetration of our borders, his weakness is starring our state consecutive into World War III, and he weaponizes our justness system," said Trump run property caput Karoline Leavitt.

Yet immoderate Republicans don't look to beryllium worried. Asked by CBS News if Jan. 6 is simply a vulnerability for Trump connected nan run trail, Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said, "That issue's been truthful litigated, and I deliberation group person made up their minds astir it completely." 

"What is location near to opportunity that hasn't been said? And what governmental advantage is location near to wring from it that Democrats person shamelessly not yet attempted to wring," said Hawley, who was among much than 100 Republicans successful Congress who objected to certifying Biden's triumph successful 2 plaything states aft nan attack. 

California Rep. Mike Garcia, a battleground territory Republican whose spot will apt beryllium captious arsenic nan GOP tries to clasp its mini mostly this fall, said he didn't for illustration what happened connected Jan. 6 — and neither do voters. At nan aforesaid time, he dismissed it arsenic an ineffective run rumor for Mr. Biden. 

"If this president is trying to resurrect that rumor and tally connected that – past it's an denotation that he's grounded to execute things successful nan past 3 and a half years of his presidency," based on Garcia, who voted against certifying Mr. Biden's triumph successful 2 battleground states successful nan hours aft nan attack.

There are applicable contradictions successful Trump's run rhetoric, though. He has attempted to champion constabulary and nan request for rule and order. But connected Jan. 6, a mob of his supporters fought pinch constabulary and injured complete 100 people successful rule enforcement. 

The Department of Justice announced recently connected its website that adjacent to 500 group "have been charged pinch assaulting, resisting, aliases impeding officers aliases employees, including astir 129 individuals who person been charged pinch utilizing a deadly aliases vulnerable limb aliases causing superior bodily wounded to an officer." 

That unit doesn't get overmuch attraction from Trump and his astir ardent allies. 

Still, location are immoderate who are intelligibly uncomfortable pinch nan friends tenor Trump is taking pinch group who attempted to upset nan serene transportation of powerfulness complete 3 years ago. 

"Jan. 6 is not going to beryllium a bully trading constituent to nan American nationalist agelong term," South Dakota GOP Sen. Mike Rounds said. 

Jacob Rosen contributed to this report. 

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• Joe Biden
• Donald Trump