Pres. Joe Biden Avoided Naming Donald Trump in Speech Marking Capitol Riot Anniversary, Here's Why

President Joe Biden has revealed why he did not mention former President Donald Trump's name in his speech marking the first anniversary of the Capitol riot.

After his speech on Thursday, Biden told Daily Mail that he did not mention Trump by name as he did not want to begin a "contemporary political battle."

"I did not want to turn it into a contemporary political battle between me and the president. It's way beyond that," Biden noted.

The president said he was concerned about a new attitude "that seems to be emerging to some degree in American politics," which is all "about me."

He noted that the nation needs to look to move one, adding that the way to heal is to recognize "the extent of the wound."

"You can't pretend. This is serious stuff... You gotta face it. That's what great nations do. They face the truth. Deal with it. And move on," Biden said.

In his remarks, the president mentioned his predecessor 16 times, but he never said Donald Trump's name. He only referred to him as the "former president."

Donald Trump Reacts on Joe Biden's Capitol Riot Anniversary Speech

In a statement, Donald Trump has called Joe Biden's speech "political theater" and said it was a distraction for his failures.

He also reiterated his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, and the result was rigged.

Trump said the Democrats wanted to own the day of January 6 "so they can stoke fears and divide America."

"I say, let them have it because America sees through theirs [sic] lies and polarizations," he noted.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki brushed off Trump's response to Biden's remarks. Psaki said she was glad that the former president heard Biden's speech and maybe learned something from it.

Joe Biden's Speech on January 6 Capitol Attack Anniversary

In his speech at Statuary Hall outside the House chamber, Joe Biden said that for the first time in U.S. history, "a president not just lost the election, he tried to prevent a peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol, NPR reported.

The president noted that the nation should make sure that it will never happen again. Biden said that Trump, without mentioning his name, "values power over principle," and his "bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy." He added that the "defeated former president" could not accept he lost.

The president further noted that Trump continued with the lie that he won the election because "he sees his own interest as more important than his country's interest, than America's interest."

Joe Biden added that Trump only sat in the White House while watching the event unfold on television, "doing nothing."

The president also decried the rioters for ransacking the Capitol and destroying property. Biden said he would defend the country and would not allow anyone "to place a dagger at the throat of democracy."

Speaking to reporters later, Biden told them that he wanted to "face the truth" in his speech in order to heal.

Biden also appealed for a bipartisan unity against the politics of last year's Capitol riot and recognized Republicans who condemned the attack. However, he did not spare any words against the former president for the attack.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted that the speech was a "brazen politicization of January 6" by the president. On the other hand, Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff praised the president's tone during his speech.

Schiff said that he hopes it will lead to an "awakening" about the danger he believes Trump still poses, NBC News reported.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris said she has faith that justice will be served when the January 6 committee ends its investigation of the Capitol attack.

Harris noted that from what she has witnessed from the outside, the select committee is exercising great diligence while being guided by facts and law.

The select committee has ramped up its investigation, with interviews from hundreds of individuals who have knowledge about what happened on January 6, including some Trump administration officials.

However, the inquiry could be dissolved, and the committee could cease to exist if Republicans regain control of the House after the November midterm election.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Watch Biden's Full January 6 Anniversary Speech - From Washington Post