Former President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and said they posed 'zer...
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and said they posed 'zero threat' despite five people dying.
Lawmakers had assembled there to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Joe Biden's victory in the presidential race while rioters who stormed the Capitol chanted 'Hang Mike Pence.'
Trump complained to Fox News' Laura Ingraham that law enforcement was 'persecuting' the Capitol rioters, while 'nothing happens' to left-wing protesters.
Trump did acknowledge that those who stormed the Capitol 'went in and they shouldn't have done it.'
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters before they rioted at the United States Capitol
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC on January 6
Supporters of former President Donald Trump hold Trump 2020 flags as they riot outside the U.S. Capitolon January 6
A worker removes razor wire from a security fence on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 20
But he added: 'Some of them went in and they're, they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards. You know, they had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in and then they walked in and they walked out.'
More than 300 people have been charged in connection to the riot. Authorities have said they believe at least 100 more could face charges.
The Jan. 6 riot followed a fiery Trump rally outside the White House, in which he urged a mob of his supporters to 'fight like hell' for him at the Capitol.
A week later, the House impeached Trump for the second time, but the Senate eventually acquitted him on the charge of inciting the attack.
Last month, it was revealed that Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola, who was pictured smoking a cigar in the Capitol, talked about killing former Vice President Mike Pence.
Seattle Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean, who was also charged by the FBI, had uploaded a video on Parler encouraging his fellow members to 'Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us' in the days before the siege.
Last week, the FBI has released a slew of 10 new videos showing MAGA rioters at the U.S. Capitol dousing cops with bear spray, grabbing gas masks and beating officers as they breached the Capitol.
That same day, it was revealed that a former Special Forces soldier in the U.S. Army had been charged with assaulting four police officers with a flag pole after vaulting it 'similar in fashion to throwing a spear.'
Jeffrey McKellop, of Virginia, faces up to 20 years imprisonment after he threw the flag pole at one of the officers, leaving a bloody gash near the cop's left eye, according to the FBI in an unsealed criminal complaint.
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