Even after nearly 1,000 of the Capitol rioters were charged with crimes, Donald Trump hailed them this week as “good patriots” and termed the prison “respectable”.
But he also insisted that “virtually nothing happened” during the January 6, 2021 uprising at the US Capitol, so it was no big deal.
The former president was asked on the right-wing cable program “The Real Voice of America” on Friday to say a few words to lift the spirits of “political prisoners” behind bars in the “gulag”.
“I think it’s a despicable thing to do,” Trump replied. “A lot of these people are good patriots, and what they’ve done. And then you see antifa and BLM [Black Lives Matter]. You see what happened there, with what they’ve done in various places for the last … two years, where they burned the city.
However, none of the cities were burned down by Black Lives Matter or antifa activists.
Trump also insisted the uprising was not “dead” – “nobody died” at the scene, except for Ashli Babbitt who was “good”, he added. Police officers shot a Trump supporter as he tried to climb through a broken window at the Capitol amid a crowd trying to reach lawmakers.
So, Trump noted, “virtually nothing happened” that day.
According to the records of the Department of Justice, 950 defendants who participated in the 2021 storming of the Capitol have been charged with crimes ranging from trespass and damage to theft of Capitol property to assault to carry deadly or dangerous weapons to seditious conspiracy. In addition, around 140 police officers were injured defending the building and the MPs inside.
Trump greeted the rioters even on days of violence, telling them, “we love you, you’re so special,” in a video address as he finally asked them to leave the Capitol. “I understand your pain,” he said.
Trump announced last September that he would “seriously” considerfull pardons – with an apology” for January 6 accused if he is again president. He also claimed when he “financially” supported some and asked for donations.