Biden memoir excerpt accuses Trump over Jan. 6 insurrection

In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Joe Biden accuses President Donald Trump of damaging American democracy and weakening institutions through policies that, in Biden’s view, deepen divisions and reverse his administration’s work. Biden says Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack should remain central to his legacy, describing the attack as an insurrection and rejecting the characterization of rioters as peaceful protesters. He also condemns Trump’s pardons of more than 1,500 people charged or convicted in connection with the attack, including people who assaulted police officers. Biden recounts that Trump was unusually friendly during their post-election Oval Office meeting, but says Trump focused on world leaders’ personalities rather than the major international issues Biden was trying to discuss. Biden says the encounter reinforced his concern that Trump would undo his administration’s policies and leave his legacy vulnerable to political reversals.