WASHINGTON (AP) — In his first return to Washington since Joe Biden ousted him from the White House, former President Donald Trump vigorously repeated the false election-fraud claims that sparked the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In a dueling speech not far away, his former vice president, Mike Pence, implored the Republican Party to move on from Trump’s defeat.
The separate appearances marked an intensifying rivalry between the onetime partners as both eye potential presidential runs. And they put on clear display the party divisions between Trump loyalists who refuse to accept the results of the 2020 and other Republicans who believe the party should instead focus on the future.
Federal and state election officials from both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. The former president’s allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges he appointed.
But Trump continued to deny his loss as he made his first appearance in the nation’s capital since Jan. 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden was sworn into office despite Trump’s frantic efforts to remain in power.
WATCH: Republican divide widens as Trump, Pence take divergent paths
“It was a catastrophe that election,” Trump declared about a mile from the White House he once called home. He addressed a summit organized by a group of former White House officials and Cabinet members who have been crafting an agenda for a possible...
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