US President Joe Biden speaks in Statuary Hall on the first anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 6, 2022. (Reuters photo)

US President Joe Biden has accused his predecessor, Donald Trump, of posing a continuing threat to democracy.

Biden was speaking on Thursday at the US Capitol on the anniversary of the brief January 6 occupation of that building by a large crowd of Americans protesting the outcome of the disputed 2020 election.

The Democratic president accused Trump of creating a web of lies to pursue power over principle.

We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. Here’s the truth: A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He’s done so because he values power over principle, Biden said.

One year ago today in this sacred place, democracy was attacked. Simply attacked, Biden said. The will of the people was under assault. The Constitution, our Constitution, faced the gravest of threats.

Biden added that for the first time in our history a president had not just lost the election he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

Biden condemned Trump for watching the protest on television and doing nothing for hours.

On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters occupied the US Capitol while lawmakers were in the process of reviewing the certification of state electors which indicated Biden’s victory. Some Trump supporters had hoped that this process could have resulted in some of the electors being disqualified, thus overturning the outcome of the presidential election.

It is claimed by some that the demonstrators were infiltrated and incited by provocateurs from US intelligence agencies, who orchestrated the false flag operation in order to get rid of Trump.

Some among the crowd clashed with police, and some made threats to beat up a number of Democratic lawmakers. Some also inflicted damage on parts of the Capitol building.

Trump has been casting doubt on the outcome of his loss by insisting it was the result of fraud. He has said that the 2020 presidential election was the greatest Election Hoax in history.

Trump’s claims have significantly delegitimatized the democratic process in the United States. A recent poll has found that at least 50 percent of Republican voters surveyed believe their vote will not be counted accurately the next time they cast a ballot.