Pelosi introduces Hamilton cast for song to mark one year from attack on US Capitol

The anniversary of the Capitol insurrection on 6 January 2021 has been chock full of poignant reflection, thoughtful analysis and confounding questions about the state of democracy in America.

President Joe Biden kicked off the day of remembrance with a speech in which highlighted the importance of dispelling Donald Trump’s “big lies” before the nation can truly heal from the worst attack on the Capitol since the 1814 Burning of Washington. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recalled his own harrowing experience running to safety and solemnly read out the names of people who lost their lives that day.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the nation from the House floor next, thanking the hundreds of law enforcement officers who risked their lives to protect the seat of American democracy from the mob.

And then, a moment of levity erupted through the solemn cloud hanging over the Capitol as Ms Pelosi announced a surprise guest.

“To begin the conversation, we’re privileged to have a contribution from one of the great creative talents of our time - Lin-Manuel Miranda,” she said. “May his beautiful words be an inspiration to us.”

Quoting the Hamilton song Dear Theodosia, she said: ​​”We’ll make it right for you. If we lay a strong enough foundation, we will pass it on to you, and we will give the world to you.”

Cut to a pre-recording of Mr Miranda, who said: “We are all stewards of the American experiment. We should never take our rights and liberties for granted, but we must remain committed to finding a way forward together.

“That’s what I wrote about in the song Dear Theodosia from Hamilton. I believe no challenge is worth abandoning our efforts to unite as Americans. We’ll keep working, generation after generation, until we reach that someday.”

The video then cut to Mr Miranda and the Hamilton cast performing Dear Theodosia, which centres around a desire to better the world for one’s children, at a MoveOn event in 2018.

The unexpected performance sparked uproar on Twitter as users shared their bewilderment over the bizarre programming choice.

One commenter summed up the general consensus, writing: “SNL could never write a more ridiculous parody than Nancy Pelosi, in the middle of a session of Congress about an attempted coup, being interrupted by a performance of Hamilton.”

After the performance, Ms Pelosi returned to the stage to say: “Somehow the arts have a way of saying things in a way that connects, that we cannot do any other way.

“That’s why I thought it was really important for us to have the arts lead us in this discussion.”