The Facts
To mark the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, Pres. Joe Biden on Friday awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the US, to several individuals who either performed acts of heroism that day or aided to protect the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick received a posthumous award. He died of natural causes in the days after the riots, but according to a medical examiner, he suffered multiple strokes in the aftermath of that day.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
These honorees showed exceptional courage – and in some cases put their lives on the line – to defend democracy from the Trump-inspired mob and those elsewhere who were trying to illegally change the election result. It’s important to recognize these people for their efforts as US democracy continues to be challenged by Trump and his acolytes.
Republican narrative
The second anniversary of the riots, and this award ceremony, are self-made opportunities for Democrats to stir up their hate of Trump and sell overblown tales of "insurrections" and "coups" to the public. Their desire to attack Trump, and more importantly his followers, is a thinly-veiled attempt to distract the electorate amid soaring inflation and diplomatic crises across the globe.
