Obama says 'democracy is at a greater risk' on January 6 anniversary

• Obama says democracy in the US remains fragile after the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021.
• His warning echoes both Biden's and Jimmy Carter's words about the first anniversary.

Former President Barack Obama warned that the very foundation of the US's democracy "remains at risk" on the first anniversary of the deadly Capitol insurrection.

"One year ago, a violent attack on our Capitol made it clear just how fragile the American experiment in democracy really is. And while the broken windows have been repaired and many of the rioters have been brought to justice, the truth is that our democracy is at greater risk today than it was back then," Obama said in a statement on Thursday.

"Although initially rejected by the many Republicans, the claims that fanned the flames of violence on January 6th have since been embraced by a sizeable portion of voters and elected officials — many of whom know better," he continued.

—Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 6, 2022

Like President Joe Biden, Obama did not explicitly name former President Donald Trump in his lengthy statement marking the anniversary. Instead, he called on the Republican Party writ large, arguing that the US cannot assume its traditional mantle of promoting democracy abroad if the basic block and tackling of elections is under threat at home.

"We can't set an example when our own leaders are willing to fabricate lies and cast doubt on the results of free and fair elections," Obama wrote.

Former President Jimmy Carter struck similar themes in his New York Times op-ed, saying that the American experiment is at stake.