Trump Blames January 6th on Nancy Pelosi: ‘They Shot Ashli Babbitt!’
Former President Donald Trump rejected the idea that the January 6 Capitol riot constituted an insurrection on Thursday at a press conference held shortly after the Supreme Court held oral arguments in the Colorado ballot ban case, submitting that “there were no guns, there were no anything except they shot Ashli Babbitt.”
Asked by a reporter to respond to the arguments that Trump was responsible for the riot, including those made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the immediate aftermath of the riot, the former president cut the reporter off to say he “got the gist.”
The first part of Trump’s answer was obscured by the sound of what sounded like a nearby plane, but he later made his point in an extended rant.
“I think it was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi. This was an insurrection, if it was an insurrection, which, there were no guns, there were no anything, except for the fact that they shot Ashli Babbitt. Somebody from, at least four, shot Ashli Babbitt. So unnecessary, so sad, so horrible. But there were no guns. There were no anything,” began Trump.
Babbitt was shot by a police officer after breaching the Capitol Building and as she attempted to climb through a shattered window toward the officer during the riot. Notably, January 6th defendants have admitted in court to carrying guns into the Capitol that day.
Trump continued:
But if you take a look at my words right after, you take a look at my speech from the Rose Garden, which was very shortly after, or you take a look at my — I’m only on Truth [Social] now, but at that time we were tweeting and I was on Twitter — if you take a look at those 5 or 6 weeks, you will see very beautiful, very heartwarming statements. Go home. The police are doing their job, etc. etc.. Beautiful statements. If you see my statement made in the Rose Garden, I think you have to watch that. Cause today they said the words of Trump.
“I said ‘peacefully and patriotically.’ The speech was called peacefully and patriotically. It’s peacefully and patriotically,” concluded Trump, referring to a line in the speech he delivered right before the rioters headed over to the Capitol Building.
Trump did not act to stop the violence during the initial stages of the riot, instead tweeting, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!” Moments before that tweet, Pence was evacuated in order to protect him from the mob threatening to hang him.
Hours later, Trump urged his followers to “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!” and announced that he was “asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue” well after the riot was underway.
Later that same evening, he tweeted:
These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!
Watch above via Fox News.
