4 months ago
The White House tried to revise nan history of January 6th, debuting a website pinch mendacious claims to blasted Capitol Police for fomenting nan onslaught connected nan Capitol, while casting Donald Trump‘s then-vice president, Mike Pence, arsenic culpable and cowardly.
The website appeared to beryllium a measurement to antagonistic what has been a daylong commemoration astatine nan Capitol, featuring chiefly Democrats, to people nan riot and insurrection’s 5th anniversary.
A White House timeline of nan events of that time stated that astatine astir 1:10 p.m. ET that day, “Capitol Police aggressively occurrence tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber munitions into crowds of serene protesters, injuring galore and deliberately escalating tensions. Video grounds shows officers inexplicably removing barricades, opening Capitol doors, and moreover waving attendees wrong nan building—actions that facilitated entry—while simultaneously deploying convulsive unit against others. These inconsistent and provocative strategies turned a serene objection into chaos.”
But successful reality, arsenic was seen connected unrecorded TV that day, demonstrators overwhelmed information barricades to summation entree to nan Capitol, smashing windows and forcing their measurement to nan House and Senate chambers.
The White House timeline mentions that Trump, astatine a rally astatine nan Ellipse, urged his supporters to march to nan Capitol to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.” But Trump besides utilized different inflammatory rhetoric successful his speech, telling nan protesters, “And we fight. We conflict for illustration hell. And if you don’t conflict for illustration hell, you’re not going to person a state anymore.”
In different portion of nan timeline, nan White House claims that betwixt 2:24 p.m. and 4:17 p.m.ET, Trump “repeatedly calls for peace, tweeting support for rule enforcement and releasing a video telling supporters ‘go location successful peace” while reiterating emotion for them and predetermination concerns. He consistently promotes non-violence contempt nan onslaught connected attendees and emotions moving high.”
In fact, astatine 2:24 p.m. that day, Trump posted connected Twitter, “Mike Pence didn’t person nan courageousness to do what should person been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving states a chance to certify a corrected group of facts, not nan fraudulent aliases inaccurate ones which they were asked to antecedently certify. USA demands nan truth!” Trump sent tweets astatine 2:38 p.m. and 3:13 p.m. calling for serene protestation and nary violence, but by past nan business was retired of control, and it was not until 4:17 that he posted a video instructing those who stormed nan Capitol to leave.
The White House site, successful casting nan protests arsenic serene until Capitol Police exacerbated nan situation, contradicted moreover Trump’s ain words successful nan days aft nan attack. In a reside connected January 8, 2021, Trump said, “To demonstrators who infiltrated nan Capitol: you person defiled nan spot of American democracy. To those who prosecute successful nan acts of unit and destruction: you do not correspond our country. And to those who collapsed nan law: you will pay.”
The caller White House tract besides attempts to blasted Democrats, and much specifically then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for not doing much to extremity nan attack. It claims that Pelosi ignored Trump’s offers of National Guard troops. But Politifact and different sites person agelong deemed specified claims arsenic false, and Pelosi herself addressed nan declare successful an quality astatine nan Capitol connected Tuesday.
“For complete 3 hours we begged him to nonstop nan National Guard,” Pelosi said. “He ne'er did it. He took joyousness successful not doing. He was savoring it.” She noted that arsenic president, Trump has authority complete nan D.C. National Guard, which he has since deployed to nan metropolis successful his 2nd term. Video footage besides shows nan grade to which Pelosi was a target of nan rioters, arsenic they stormed and ransacked her office.
The White House tract pays tribute to nan rioters who died during nan battle aliases soon afterward, but does not mention nan rule enforcement officers, reportedly totaling much than 140, who were injured.
No mention is made of nan demonstrators’ erecting of a gallows connected nan Capitol section and chants of “Hang Mike Pence.” Instead, nan White House tract calls Pence’s refusal to hold predetermination certification “an enactment of cowardice and sabotage.” Pence has agelong said that, aft consulting pinch ineligible advisers, delaying nan certification was extracurricular his powerfulness arsenic vice president.
On his first time successful agency past year, Trump granted clemency to each nan January 6th rioters, moreover those convicted of assaulting constabulary officers.
