Republicans don’t dare criticize Trump over Jan. 6. Their silence fuels his bid for the White House

By LISA MASCARO
AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Leader Mitch McConnell once vowed Donald Trump would have his day in court after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. McConnell said then Trump “didn’t get away with anything yet.” But as the defeated Republican ex-president prepares to appear in court Thursday on federal charges he orchestrated an effort to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, he faces no such dire warnings or recriminations. It’s a piercing silence from Republicans as Trump towers over the field of GOP contenders for the presidency. Gone are those who stood up to Trump. Instead, Trump’s party is turning its attention to attacking Biden and his son Hunter. Historians warn of the erosion of democracy.