The US president Joe Biden addressed the nation from inside the Capitol building on Thursday, commemorating the one year anniversary of the attack on the said building.

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Since the attack was a culmination of efforts to sway the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the United States, in which incumbent Republican Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, there were anticipations that Biden might bring up Trump in his speech.

The President did not for once mention his predecessor in his speech. Neither did his second-in-command, Kamala Harris. 

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They both spoke in references that clearly indicative of the former President.

President Biden took aim at previous President Donald Trump’s “lies” and lack of action to stop the insurgency as it unfolded in front of the world in remarks marking one year since the deadly insurgency on the US Capitol.

He also went into detail about what Trump did throughout the uprising without naming him.

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“We saw with our own eyes rioters menace these halls, threatening the life of the speaker of the house, literally erecting gallows to hang the vice president of the United States of America. What did we not see? We didn’t see a former president, who had just rallied the mob to attack, sitting in the private dining room off the Oval office in the White House, watching it all on television and doing nothing for hours as police were assaulted, lives at risk, the nation’s capitol under siege,” Biden said.

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Following his remarks at Statuary Hall, President Biden reflected on the occasion, telling reporters in the Capitol that he did not mention former President Trump during his speech because he did “not want to turn it into a contemporary political battle.”

“It’s not about me, it’s not about whether I’m President or she’s vice president. It’s about the system and somebody who decides to put himself above everything. And so – but I did not want to turn it into a contemporary political battle between me and the President. It’s way beyond that,” he stated.

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While Biden did not mention Trump by name in his speech, he did make 16 references to “the former president,” including lines accusing him of “losing,” “failing,” and “lying.”

Biden deflected a question about his statements potentially dividing rather than uniting people.

“The way you have to heal, you have to recognize the extent of the wound. This is serious stuff… You’ve gotta face it. That’s what great nations do, they face the truth, deal with it, and move on,” he explained.