Photo: Leah Millis/Reuters

I joined Pakistan’s PTV World on Friday to analyze Joe Biden’s speech on the first anniversary of the Trumpist attack on the US Capitol.

Going beyond the headlines about Biden’s references to the “former President”, I explain why the address should be seen as far more than a confrontation of Donald Trump’s role in the assault. This was a call on the American people to defend their system and democracy in what may be the greatest challenge at home since the Civil War.

The other guest is Anwar Iqbal, the long-time Washington DC correspondent for Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.

This was an American version of a coup attempt, though it did not succeed.

Joe Biden was talking about Trump and his “web of lies”, inciting supporters to act. But there’s something bigger: because this is not just a challenge from Trump or his supporters, it’s a challenge from Republican-controlled state legislatures who are restricting voting rights and who are trying to manipulate elections by redrawing constituencies and disenfranchising some voters.