WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — President Joe Biden marked the anniversary of the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump who tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Biden condemned Trump’s election “big lie” that sparked the deadly breaching of the building and continues to motivate deep national division. He also declared he will fight for “the soul of America.” 

Trump on Thursday responded, accusing Biden of invoking his name in remarks to divide the nation further.

Biden “used my name today to try to further divide America,” Trump said in a written statement following Biden’s speech. “This political theater is all just a distraction.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “What brazen politicization of January 6 by President Biden. I wonder if the Taliban who now rule Afghanistan with al-Qaeda elements present, contrary to President Biden’s beliefs, are allowing this speech to be carried?”

Meanwhile, other reactions are pouring in on the first anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: “I’m pleading with Republican voters, Republican people across the country: Do not follow the Big Lie. Your ideology doesn’t have to be the same as ours. We can disagree respectfully, but we cannot follow a big lie.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell: “January 6th, 2021, was a dark day for Congress and our country. The United States Capitol, the seat of the first branch of our federal government, was stormed by criminals who brutalized police officers and used force to try to stop Congress from doing its job.”

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, Vice-Chair of the House Jan. 6 Committee: “Our institutions held, but they only held because of the people who were willing to stand up against the pressure from former President Trump. The threat continues. Former President Trump continues to make the same claims that he knows caused violence on Jan. 6.”

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, House Jan. 6 committee member: “I’m really disappointed today. I’m sad … mostly because we haven’t made progress … as the American people, particularly as Republicans, I think we’re almost in a worse position than we were the day after Jan. 6.”

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney: “We ignore the lessons of Jan. 6 at our own peril. Democracy is fragile; it cannot survive without leaders of integrity and character who care more about the strength of our Republic than about winning the next election.”

Former President Barack Obama: “Historically, Americans have been defenders of democracy and freedom around the world – especially when it’s under attack. But we can’t serve that role when leading figures in one of our two major political parties are actively undermining democracy 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.”

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howie Liebengood died in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack. His family said in a new statement: “Howie’s death was an immediate outgrowth of those events. Every officer who worked that day, as well as their families, should have a better understanding of what happened. Uncovering the facts will help our nation heal and may lessen the lingering emotional bitterness that has divided our country.”

NewsNation reporter Joe Khalil, who was barricaded in the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection for more than 12 hours, said Thursday that the riot’s anniversary has memories “flooding back” for many who were there.

“I talked to one member of Congress who said that he had heard from Afghan war vets and Iraq war veterans who are now Capitol police officers, that it was a more intense situation last year than they had experienced in combat,” Khalil said. “A lot of officers took that with them over the past year. And as we reported this morning, 153 officers have actually quit or resigned since last year.”