Trump marks Jan 6 anniversary with 'rigged election' claim and attacks on Biden's signature
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump used his remarks at the House Republican retreat on Tuesday, January 6, to once again challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 election, choosing the fifth anniversary of the Capitol riot to re-ignite claims of systemic voter fraud and institutional corruption.
Delivering a wide-ranging speech marked by his trademark rhetorical “weave,” Trump moved fluidly between grievances about election security, suspicions about former President Joe Biden’s decision-making, and broader attacks on Democratic-run states. While the date carried heavy symbolism on Capitol Hill, Trump focused squarely on what he described as a broken electoral system, declaring that American elections remain “crooked as hell.”
Trump again mocks Biden's use of ‘autopen’
Before turning to the 2020 election itself, Trump launched into an extended critique of Joe Biden’s alleged reliance on an autopen to sign official documents, reviving a long-standing conservative suspicion about the former president’s authority.
“You can always tell an autopen,” Trump told GOP lawmakers. “One thing, it has two little tiny dots. Do you know what that’s from? Two pins.”
Trump insisted that Biden was never legitimately authorized to use the device and claimed that “95 percent” of Biden’s official documents were signed mechanically rather than personally.
He mocked the idea of a distant staffer operating the machine, alleging the individual “barely knew” Biden and had only spoken with him “twice about the weather.”
“The only thing he signed - which is nice - was Hunter’s pardon,” Trump added. “Most of it he didn’t sign.”
‘Crooked as hell’: Trump revives stolen-election claims
Trump then pivoted to the 2020 election itself, bluntly declaring, “First of all, the election was rigged.”
He framed voter identification laws as the central dividing line between fair elections and systemic cheating, arguing that resistance to voter ID requirements is itself evidence of wrongdoing.
“The only reason somebody doesn’t want that is because they want to cheat,” Trump said. “Our elections are crooked as hell.”
Recounting past exchanges with Democrats, Trump claimed they become “very embarrassed” when pressed on voter ID. He referenced debating the issue with Biden, saying, “I said it a couple of times with Biden, and he just won,” a remark that appeared to conflate debate-stage exchanges with the election outcome itself.
California singled out as the symbol of election chaos and corruption
Trump zeroed in on California as the epicenter of what he described as election dysfunction, portraying the state as hostile to even basic identity verification at polling places.
“Can you imagine, in California, they not only don’t have voter ID, but if an official at the voting booths even asks somebody for voter ID… they put him in jail for tampering with the election,” Trump claimed. “We’ve got to straighten this out before it gets too crazy.”
He then drew a comparison to Minnesota, asserting, “California is more corrupt than Minnesota, and I won Minnesota,” directly contradicting certified election results. Trump followed with a cryptic aside about state leadership, adding, “Well, Tom’s gone,” appearing to reference and misidentify a political departure as validation of his claims.
‘You want to insist on it’: Trump demands voter ID and mocks faith in election software
Trump closed his election-focused remarks by forcefully reiterating his belief that voter ID laws are non-negotiable, dismissing alternative arguments about election security.
“You want to have voter ID. You want to insist on it,” he told the room.
He also expressed skepticism about reliance on election technology, recalling an adviser once telling him, “We got to win software.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Trump replied. “I did great there three times. I was surprised three times that those elections are corrupt.”
