In the aftermath of theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack, after drawing widespread condemnation from theU.S. Congress, members ofhis administration, and the media, 45thU.S. PresidentDonald Trump released a video-recorded statement on January7, reportedly to stop the resignations of his staff and the threats of impeachment or removal from office. In the statement, he condemned the violence at theU.S. Capitol, saying that "a new administration will be inaugurated", which was widely seen as a concession, and his "focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power" to theJoe Biden administration.[1]Vanity Fair reported that Trump was at least partially convinced to make the statement byU.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who told Trump a sufficient number of Senate Republicans would support removing him from office unless he conceded.[2]Kayleigh McEnany, theWhite House Press Secretary, had attempted to distance the administration from the rioters' behavior in a televised statement earlier in the day.[3] On January 9,The New York Times reported that Trump had toldWhite House aides he regretted committing to an orderly transition of power and would never resign from office.[4] In a March 25 interview onFox News, Trump defended the Capitol attackers, saying they were patriots who posed "zero threat", and he criticized law enforcement for "persecuting" the rioters.[5]
TheJoint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement on January 12 condemning the attack and reminding military personnel everywhere that incoming PresidentJoe Biden was about to become their commander-in-chief, saying "...the rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition, and insurrection".[6] The statement also said, "As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civilian authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".[7][8] U.S. SenatorMitch McConnell (R–KY), then theSenate Majority Leader, called it a "failed insurrection",[9][10] that "the mob was fed lies", and "they were provoked by the president and other powerful people".[9]Christopher Wray, the director of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2017, later characterized the incident asdomestic terrorism.[11][12] President Biden, who described the rioters as "terrorists" aimed at "overturning the will of the American people" later shared this opinion.[13] In early 2021, theRAND Corporation released a framework to reduce the risk of extremist activity in the U.S. military.[14]
The U.S. flag at the Capitol at half-staff in honor of Officer Sicknick, as seen on January 12
House SpeakerNancy Pelosi had the flags at the Capitol lowered tohalf-staff in honor ofBrian Sicknick, aUnited States Capitol Police officer who died following the attacks.[15][16] Trump initially declined to lower flags at the White House or other federal buildings under his control, before changing his mind four days later.[17][18][19] Biden,Mike Pence, and Pelosi offered condolences to Sicknick's family; Trump did not.[15][20] After Sicknick's death, SenatorTed Cruz (R-TX) received backlash for previous speeches that were perceived as calls for violence.[21]
A survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at theUniversity of Houston taken January 12–20 showed that nearly a third (32%) of Texas Republicans supported the attack, although overall 83% of all Texans who expressed an opinion were opposed to it.[22] In a poll of Americans just after the attack, 79% of those surveyed said America is "falling apart".[23][24] In February 2022, theRepublican National Committee called the events of January 6 "legitimate political discourse".[25]
The US art world reacted through the chronicling of the day as well as the creation of new work. Starting January 7, 2021, theSmithsonian Museum enacted its "rapid-response protocol" to gather rally signs, posters, flags, and weapons abandoned on theNational Mall and began work on a digital arts exhibit.[26] Visual artistPaul Chan created his "A drawing as a recording of an insurrection", a 163-inch (4.1 m) double-sided drawing[27] exhibited at theGreene Naftali Gallery in New York.[28] In December 2022,literary press Whiskey Tit releasedTell Me What You See, the first fiction published about the attack.[29] At the one-year anniversary, One Six Comics published graphic novel series1/6[30] with an accompanying education and action guide by the Western States Center.[31]The Society of Classical Poets website posted various poems about the day,[32] including one glorifying deceased rioterAshli Babbitt.[33]
Donald Trump's statement during the attack. The video was originally posted on Twitter and shared on other social media before being removed from all platforms for violating various policies.
Trump was in theWest Wing of the White House at the time. A close adviser to Trump said the president was not taking many phone calls. When Trump watches television, the adviser explained, he will pause a recorded program to take a phone call, but "if it’s live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold".[34]
Trump, who had spent previous weeks promoting the"Save America" rally,[35] was "initially pleased" when his supporters breached the Capitol; he refused to intercede,[36] but also "expressed disgust on aesthetic grounds" about what he called the "low class" appearance of the supporters involved in the rioting.[37] SenatorBen Sasse (R-NE) said that senior White House officials told him Trump was "delighted" to hear that rioters were entering the Capitol.[38] Staffers reported that Trump had been "impossible to talk to throughout the day", and inability to deal with his election loss had, according to one staffer, made Trump "out of his mind".[39] Concerned that Trump may have committed treason through his actions,White House CounselPat Cipollone reportedly advised administration officials to avoid contact with Trump and ignore any illegal orders that could further incite the attack to limit their prosecutorial liability under theSedition Act of 1918.[40]
At 2:46, as the rioting continued and after senators had been evacuated from the Senate floor, Trump phoned SenatorMike Lee (R-UT) intending to speak toTommy Tuberville (R-AL), asking him to make more objections to the counting of the electoral votes to try to overturn the election.[41][42] At 2:47, as his supporters violently clashed with police at the Capitol, Trump tweeted, "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!".[43]The Washington Post later reported that Trump did not want to include the words "stay peaceful".[44]
By 3:10 p.m., the pressure was building on Trump to condemn supporters engaged in the riots; Trump's former communications director,Alyssa Farah, called upon him to "Condemn this now" and wrote, "you are the only one they will listen to".[43] By 3:25p.m., Trump tweeted "I am 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", but did not call upon the crowd to disperse.[43] By 3:40 p.m., a number of congressional Republicans called upon Trump to more specifically condemn violence and to call on his supporters to end the occupation of the Capitol: House Minority LeaderKevin McCarthy (R–CA) said that he had spoken to Trump to ask him to "calm individuals down"; SenatorMarco Rubio (R-FL) issued a tweet telling Trump that "it is crucial you help restore order by sending resources to assist the police and ask those doing this to stand down"; and RepresentativeMike Gallagher (R–WI), in a video message, told Trump to "call it off".[43] Additionally, throughout the day, Trump's daughter Ivanka, who held the position of senior adviser, asked him more than once to stop the violence.[45] Lindsey Graham later toldThe Washington Post that "it took [Trump] awhile to appreciate the gravity of the situation... [he] saw these people [the rioters] as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen".[44]
By 3:50 p.m., White House Press SecretaryKayleigh McEnany said that the National Guard and "other federal protective services" had been deployed.[43] At 4:05 p.m., Pence—in contrast to Trump, who only called upon his supporters to "remain peaceful"—called for the occupation of the Capitol to end immediately.[43] At 4:06 p.m. on national television, President-elect Biden called for President Trump to end the riot. At 4:22p.m., Trump issued a video message on social media that was later taken down by Twitter, Facebook andYouTube. In it, he praised his supporters and repeated his claims of electoral fraud, saying: "This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace."[46][43]
At 6:25 p.m., Trump 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" and then issued a call: "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!".[43][47][48]
At 7:00 p.m., Rudy Giuliani placed a second call to Lee's number and left a voicemail intended for Tuberville urging him to make more objections to the electoral votes as part of a bid "to try to just slow it down". Giuliani said: "I know they're reconvening at 8 tonight, but it... the only strategy we can follow is to object to numerous states and raise issues so that we get ourselves into tomorrow – ideally until the end of tomorrow".[41]
Donald Trump made another statement many consider a concession after the riot on January 7, 2021.
Shortly after Congress certified Biden's victory, Trump'sDeputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Social Media,Dan Scavino, issued a statement from Trump saying, "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless, there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight toMake America Great Again!".[49]
In a video statement released on January7, Trump condemned the violence at the Capitol, saying that "a new administration will be inaugurated", which was widely seen as a concession, and that his "focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power" to the Biden administration.[1]Vanity Fair reported that Trump was at least partially convinced to do so by Sen.Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who told Trump that a sufficient number of Senate Republicans would support removing him from office unless he conceded.[2] White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had attempted to distance the administration from the rioters' behavior in a televised statement earlier in the day.[3] On January 9,The New York Times reported that Trump had told White House aides that he regretted committing to an orderly transition of power and would never resign from office.[4]
CNN fact checkerDaniel Dale reported that through June 9, 2021, Trump had issued 132 written statements since leaving office, of which "a third have included lies about the election"—more than any other subject.[50]
Trump's acknowledgment of his electoral defeat was met with opposition and hesitation from some of his supporters.Pro-Trump andfar-right political commentatorsNick Fuentes andCassandra Fairbanks said Trump had "throw[n] his supporters under the bus" whileQAnon conspiracy theorists performed anumerological reading of the time stamps in Trump's video statement and deemed there was a secret encoded message;Politico highlighted previously pro-Trump users of the far-right social networkParler calling Trump a "dildo".[51]
Axios reported that Trump spoke with Kevin McCarthy on January11, telling McCarthy "Antifa people" had stormed the Capitol; McCarthy told him "it's MAGA. I know. I was there." Trump also complained to McCarthy about election fraud, causing McCarthy to reply "[t]he election is over".[52]
On January 12, in his first public appearance since the Capitol riot, Trump condemned the violence but denied he was responsible for inciting the mob stating that his remarks at the "Save America" rally were "totally appropriate".[53][54]
On January 13, hours afterhis second impeachment, Trump reiterated his condemnation of the violence in a video statement. He did not claim responsibility for the riot. In the wake of the suspensions of his social media accounts, he denounced "the unprecedented assault on free speech we have seen in recent days", saying that "[w]hat is needed now is for us to listen to one another, not to silence one another".[55]
In a March interview, Trump said he remembered his speech on January 6 as "a very beautiful time with extremely loving and friendly people". He made the comment to ABC reporterJonathan Karl, who was interviewing him for a forthcoming book; Trump's comment was publicly revealed in November.[56]
In a March 25 interview on Fox News, Trump defended the Capitol attackers, saying that they were patriots who posed "zero threat". He also criticized law enforcement for "persecuting" the rioters. He made no mention of the deaths or the attacks on police officers.[5] His former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said on March 27 that the comment that there was "no risk" was "manifestly false" since "people were killed".[57]
In October 2021, Trump stated "The insurrection took place on November 3, Election Day. January 6 was the Protest!".[58]
Trump planned to give a press conference fromMar-a-Lago on the one-year anniversary of the attack, but he canceled it after learning that TV stations would likely not broadcast it live.[59]
In December 2022, in a post onTruth Social, Trump referred to the 2020 election as a "Massive Fraud" requiring a response that "allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution".[63] Two weeks later, in another Truth Social post, he referred to the FBI and Justice Department as "the Cancer" that was sickening the nation, adding: "These Weaponized Thugs and Tyrants must be dealt with".[64]
In March 2023, Trump acknowledged that there had been a "problem" with protests that day, telling reporters: "Had he [Pence] sent the votes back to the legislators, they wouldn't have had a problem with Jan. 6. So in many ways, you can blame him for Jan. 6."[65]
Five days after the riot,First LadyMelania Trump issued a statement that condemned the violence and also complained about unspecified criticism of her, saying "I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me—from people who are looking to, be relevant and have an agenda",[66] recycling lines from her2020 Republican National Convention speech.[67] As the attack took place, she was reportedly conducting a photoshoot inside the White House for a self-proposedcoffee table book on furniture and decorative items she acquired and restored during her husband's term.[66][68]
A Trump–Pence sign on a city street corner was smashed after the attack on the Capitol.
Pence tweeted at 3:35p.m. on January 6, "This attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law".[69] He later spoke to the Senate when they reconvened on the night of January6, saying, "Today was a dark day in the United States Capitol... To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the People's House."[70][71]
According to sources close to the Vice President, Trump never reached out to Pence or inquired about his safety during the riot, even as protesters inside the Capitol were seeking him out and chanting "Where is Pence?".[72][73] Aides believed that Pence was being set up as a scapegoat for Trump's failure to overturn the results of the election.[74] Pence was described as very angry with Trump, and the two did not speak again until January11.[75] After their term ended, they continued to speak with each other on "many" occasions, according to Pence in a speech at a county-level Republican Party event on June 3. However, he added: "I don't know if we'll ever see eye to eye on that day".[76]
Pompeo commented on January7 that the United States is not abanana republic, saying that "In a banana republic, mob violence determines the exercise of power. In the United States, law enforcement officials quash mob violence so that the people's representatives can exercise power in accordance with the rule of law and constitutional government."[79][80][81][82][83]
On January 12, GeneralMark Milley, the entireJoint Chiefs of Staff, and all of the heads of each military branch issued a statement condemning the attack and reminding all service members of their obligation to support and defend the Constitution and reject extremism.[84] They said, "As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from the civilian leadership, support civilian authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".[85]
President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris
On January 6 at 4:06p.m., President-electJoe Biden addressed the nation fromWilmington, Delaware, calling the events an insurrection and borderline sedition, and said that "our democracy is under unprecedented assault".[86][87][88]He called upon Trump to go on national television and demand an end to the protests.[89][90] The following day Biden said the attack constituteddomestic terrorism.[91]
Minutes after Biden's initial condemnation of the riots, Vice President-electKamala Harris reiterated the President-elect's comments onTwitter, writing that the protests were an "assault on the Capitol and our nation's public servants".[92]
Schumer's speech following the riot, during the reconvening of Congress later that evening
OutgoingSenate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell called the attack a "failed insurrection" and said "we are back at our posts, we will discharge our duty under the Constitution and for our nation. And we're going to do it tonight."[93] He later said "the mob was fed lies" and that "they were provoked by the president".[9] Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called upon Trump to "demand that all protesters leave the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Grounds immediately".[94] Schumer, in his speech following the resuming of Senate business, labeled those participating in the attack as "domestic terrorists", whose actions will be a "stain on our country not so easily washed away".[95]Pelosi later said, following her announcement that the electoral vote count would proceed during the evening of January 6(Epiphany), "let us pray that this instigation to violence will provide an epiphany for our country to heal".[96]
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "What happened at the US Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president. This president should not hold office one day longer." He called on then-Vice PresidentMike Pence to invoke Section4 of theTwenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution that enables power to be transferred from the president to the vice-president if the president is deemed incapable of handling duties.[97]
RepresentativeAdam Kinzinger (R–IL) condemned the violence and described the events as a "coup attempt".[98] He was the first Republican to publicly request invocation of the 25th amendment, stating "the president is unfit, the president is unwell, the president must now relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily, or involuntarily". RepresentativeLiz Cheney (R-WY), the Chair of theHouse Republican Conference (the third-ranking member of the House Republican leadership), said "No question the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. He lit the flame."[99] Newly-sworn-in RepresentativeNancy Mace (R–SC), who had worked for the president's 2016 campaign, said that "everything that he's worked for ... all of that – his entire legacy – was wiped out" by the violence.[100] Representative Mike Gallagher remarked of the riots that he had "not seen anything like this since I deployed to Iraq".[101] House Minority WhipSteve Scalise (R-LA), who wasshot in 2017 while at baseball practice with fellow Republicans, issued a statement that "United States Capitol Police saved my life. Attacks on law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs are never acceptable. Period. We can passionately protest without being violent."[102] RepresentativeCathy McMorris Rodgers (R–WA), who had planned tooppose the certification of the electoral vote, announced that she would no longer object to the Electoral College results after witnessing the "disgraceful and un-American" events of January 6.[103] She was joined by senatorsKelly Loeffler (R-GA),James Lankford (R-OK),Steve Daines (R-MT),Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), andMike Braun (R-IN), all of whom reversed course on the issue of contesting the electoral vote after witnessing the violence of the mob.[104]
SenatorMitt Romney (R-UT) said, "What happened at the U.S. Capitol today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States" and part of "an unprecedented attack on our democracy".[105] Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) said, "This violence was the inevitable and ugly outcome of the president's addiction to constantly stoking division".[106] SenatorPat Toomey (R-PA) took to the Senate floor to say, "We saw bloodshed because a demagogue chose to spread falsehoods and sow distrust of his own fellow Americans".[107] SenatorRichard Burr (R-NC) said, "The president bears responsibility for today's events by promoting the unfounded conspiracy theories that have led to this point".[108] Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) condemned the protest and said, "Violence is always unacceptable. Even when passions run high. Anyone engaged in violence – especially against law enforcement – should be fully prosecuted."[109]
Cruz himself, as well as SenatorJosh Hawley (R-MO), were subsequently urged to resign by SenatorsChris Coons (D-DE),Patty Murray (D-WA), andRon Wyden (D-OR).[110] Criticism was also leveled against both senators for sending out fundraising messages while the events in Washington were unfolding.[111][112] First-year U.S. RepresentativeLauren Boebert (R–CO) – who, in another tweet, appeared to compare the events to the outbreak of theAmerican Revolutionary War – also faced calls for expulsion from Congress and criminal prosecution after Twitter posts from her Twitter sent as House Representative and congressional staff were sheltering from the rioters surfaced, in which she disclosed that House SpeakerNancy Pelosi had been escorted from the House chamber.[113]
On June 8, 2021, theSenate Homeland Security andRules committees released a bipartisan report on the attack.[114] The report avoided mentioning Trump, including by not focusing on the question of why protesters had gathered at the Capitol.[115]
All four living former presidents – Barack Obama,George W. Bush,Bill Clinton, andJimmy Carter – denounced the attack, with Obama and Clinton condemning Trump for inciting the violence.[116] Bush, who has infrequently commented on national matters since leaving office in 2009, released a statement saying "This is how election results are disputed in abanana republic – not ourdemocratic republic", adding that he was "appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement".[117] Bush later said that he was "disgusted" and "sick to my stomach" from the events, and he added that the attack was not a peaceful protest.[118] Obama wrote that "History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president ... as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation". He called the violence "unsurprising", arguing that the Republican Party had promoted a "fantasy narrative" regarding the 2020 election results that culminated in the violent outburst.[119]
Formerattorney generalWilliam Barr, who had resigned two weeks prior, denounced the violence, calling it "outrageous and despicable", adding that the president's actions were a "betrayal of his office and supporters" and that "orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable".[120][121] Trump's formerWhite House Chief of StaffMick Mulvaney urged the President to call a stop to the attack,[122] and later resigned from his post as theUnited States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.[123]Jim Mattis, a former Marine general and Trump's first secretary of defense, andTom Bossert, Trump's firsthomeland security adviser, condemned Trump for enabling the attack and destroying trust in the election.[124][125]Terry Gainer, a former chief of the Capitol Police and former Senate sergeant-at arms, described the protests as unprecedented in law enforcement, declaring that "this is a much more hateful crowd incited by the president himself. It's definitely something new in our business."[126]
Former Republican House SpeakerJohn Boehner said that "the invasion of our Capitol by a mob, incited by lies from some entrusted with power". He also said that his party was off taking a nap that has become a "nightmare for our nation".[127]
Former Senate Democratic Leader and U.S. SenatorHarry Reid said through a statement, that his first job in Washington was a Capitol police officer and that he could never imagine the turmoil he's seeing in the Capitol. He also said that Trump was "stoking unrest with his lies, misinformation and disdain for the institutions of our country."[128]
FormerAmbassador to the U.N.Nikki Haley condemned the riot as "wrong and un-American"[122] and, in a closed-door speech to Republican National Committee members the following day, criticized Trump's actions since Election Day.[129] On hisMSNBC programMorning Joe, hostJoe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, called for the arrest of President Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Rudy Giuliani for their role in inciting the crowd to storm the Capitol through theirelection fraud rhetoric.[130][131]
Michael Morell, former actingCIA director during the Obama administration, said, "We should be calling what happened [on January 6] domestic terrorism".[132] Similarly, national security expertBruce Hoffman also determined that the attack on the Capitol constituted "domestic terrorism".[133] FormerSecretary of StateColin Powell criticized Republicans for supporting Trump's behavior over the election results that led to his incitement of the riots for their own political calculations, saying: "I can no longer call myself a fellow Republican".[134]
FormerNew Jersey governor and Trump supporterChris Christie was "absolutely sickened" by the riots.[135] The Austrian-born former California governorArnold Schwarzenegger compared the riot toNazi Germany'sKristallnacht ("Night of broken glass") of 1938, said that the riots had "shattered the ideals we took for granted" and "trampled the very principles on which our country was founded"; and criticized fellow Republicans' "spinelessness".[136][137][138]
In a highly unusual move, within several days of the riot, a number of U.S. diplomats used the State Department'sDissent Channel to send two cables that condemned Trump's incitement of the Capitol attack; called upon Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25thAmendment to declare Trump unfit for office; and wrote that "[f]ailing to publicly hold the president to account would further damage our democracy and our ability to effectively accomplish our foreign policy goals abroad".[139] One of the cables called upon the State Department to "explicitly denounce President Trump’s role in this violent attack on the U.S. government", and added that "Just as we routinely denounce foreign leaders who use violence and intimidation to interfere in peaceful democratic processes and override the will of their voters, the department's public statements about this episode should also mention President Trump by name. It is critical that we communicate to the world that in our system, no one – not even the president – is above the law or immune from public criticism."[139]
In another unusual move, Gen. Mark Milley and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who usually steer clear of politics, issued a statement on January 12 reminding the military that Biden was about to become their Commander in Chief and that "the rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition, and insurrection".[8]
Fox News published two editorials on their website on January 6 denouncing the attack, including an editorial byKarl Rove which placed most of the blame on Trump for gathering the rioters.[144]Conservative news outletsNational Review and theWashington Examiner both published articles denouncing the attack, with theExaminer calling for Trump to be impeached and removed from office.[144]
The New York Times reported that Trump supporters in Congress, the media, and in conservative politics "downplayed the violence as acts of desperation by people who felt lied to by the news media and ignored by their elected representatives". Others asserted the violence was actually caused by people associated withantifa.[145] ABC News reported that conservative media outlets were clear that "the violence was indefensible", and that several conservative media outlets said that "liberal politicians and mainstream media outlets are more outraged when Trump supporters are violent than they were about civil rights demonstrations last summer", withNewsmax calling out the "hypocritical double standard on Trump vs.Black Lives Matter protests".[146]Columbia Journalism Review reported that reactions to the attack from right-wing media were mixed.[144]
Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter, was criticized for addressing the rioters as "American patriots" in a now-deleted tweet publicly urging the cessation of violence.[147]
Conservative media hostsTucker Carlson,Sean Hannity,Greg Kelly, andMark Levin also sought to deflect responsibility from Trump supporters.Sinclair Broadcast Group provided a video segment to its owned and operated television stations in over 100 markets in which correspondentJames Rosen reported "far-left infiltrators" had been involved, though he did not provide a source for the assertion.[148] Right-wing radio hostRush Limbaugh compared the rioters to theFounding Fathers of the United States.[149]Lou Dobbs criticized Capitol police for drawing guns "on American citizens, most of whom are patriots".[150]Fox News television hostPete Hegseth defended the rioters, saying "they just love freedom" and that "people feel like the entire system is rigged against them".[151]
Members of the far-right groupProud Boys posted messages boasting and taking credit for causing "absolute terror".[154] Walter West II, the sergeant-at-arms of theRepublican Party of Texas, was removed from his post after expressing support for the rioters on Facebook.[155]
Far-right conspiracy theory andfake news websiteInfoWars ran the headline "Unarmed woman carrying Trump flag executed in U.S. Capitol building" on January 6.[144] Far-right political websiteBig League Politics called Mike Pence a traitor for praising theCapitol Police, who shot a "patriotic woman dead".[144]
The pair had beencensured for their support of, and participation in, the Select Committee of the U.S. House tasked with investigating the Capitol attack.[156] The RNC contended that the lethal riot was an example of "legitimate political discourse".[156]
Immediately after the attack, some Trump loyalists and pro-Trump outlets spread the false claim that the incident was afalse flag operation staged by antifa to implicate Trump supporters. Although it was repeatedly debunked, thedisinformation campaign effectively spread the falsehood, A poll released in February 2021 by theAmerican Enterprise Institute found that 30% of Americans (including 50% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats) believeantifa was mostly responsible for the violence that happened in the riots at the U.S. Capitol.[158] The FBI said there was no evidence of antifa involvement in the mob incursion.[159]
Claims that the attack was afalse flag operation instigated or staged by the FBI also spread. In one case, a right-wing website run byDarren Beattie, a former Trump White House speechwriter, published a story containing unfounded theories of FBI orchestration of the incident, which was quickly promoted by popular Fox News hostTucker Carlson, followed by several Republican members of Congress advancing the theory; one congressman entered the website story into theCongressional Record.[160][161][162] Carlson produced a three-part series, "Patriot Purge", a trailer of which he aired on his broadcast before the series was presented on theFox Nation streaming service. The series asserted that the attack was a false flag operation designed to entrap and imprison political dissidents. Carlson stated on-air that the government had "launched a new war" on American citizens and characterized his series as "rock-solid factually".[163] Fact-checkers found the series contained numerous falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Michael Jensen, a senior researcher at theNational Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, called it "political propaganda that is meant to rally a support base that has shown a willingness to mobilize on the basis of disinformation and lies. That's how we got Jan. 6 in the first place."[164][165] Around the one-year anniversary of the attack, Trump sought to discredit theJanuary 6 committee investigation by issuing a statement echoing claims by Beattie,Matt Gaetz andMarjorie Taylor Greene that there had been a "fedsurrection", as Beattie promoted baseless speculation that circulated online about a passenger in a "Hippies for Trump" bus who allegedly enabled the attack.[166][167]
Another conspiracy theory of government involvement in the incident involvedRay Epps, a Trump supporter and former president of the Arizona chapter ofOath Keepers, members of which were indicted for their role in the attack. On the eve of the attack, Epps was captured on video exhorting people to "go into the Capitol" the next day. After stating "peacefully", observers began chanting that he was a "fed". On the day of the attack, he was captured on video saying, "OK, folks, spread the word! As soon as the president is done speaking, we go to the Capitol." Speculation began that Epps was a federal agent inciting the attack with a post on the4chan anonymous message board declaring "This Fed was caught on camera encouraging the crowd to raid the Capitol on the next day", then went viral on social media and was promoted byDarren Beattie,Chanel Rion,Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson – both on his program and in "Patriot Purge". RepublicansThomas Massie andTed Cruz asked Justice Department officials about Epps during public hearings. TheJanuary 6 committee later stated that Epps had told it he had never had any connections to law enforcement.[168][169]
AYouGov poll of 1,397 U.S. registered voters taken immediately after the attack found that overall, 71% opposed the attack (while 21% supported it), and 62% believed that it should be considered a threat to democracy. Among Republicans, 45% of Republicans supported the attack, with 43% opposed. In contrast, 96% of Democrats and 67% of independents were opposed. 52% of Republicans blamed Joe Biden for the incident.[170][171]
AnIpsos poll of 1,005 U.S. adults conducted January 7–8, 2021 found that 70% of Americans disapproved of Trump's actions leading up to the assault on the Capitol, and 57% of Americans wanted Trump to be immediately removed for his role in the riots. Seventy percent of respondents – including two-thirds of Republicans and Trump voters surveyed – described the participants as "criminals" or "fools"; 9% saw them as "concerned citizens"; and 5% saw them as "patriots." Among 339 Trump voters surveyed, 70% opposed the attack by the rioting supporters, while 12% of all respondents supported their actions.[172]
APBS NewsHour/Marist Poll of 875 U.S. adults conducted on January 7, 2021, found that 18% of Republicans supported the riots. Generally, 88% of all respondents opposed or strongly opposed the rioters' actions, and 90% believed the perpetrators of the riot should face prosecution (with 17% of Republicans disagreeing); 63% of respondents felt Trump held "a great deal or good amount of blame" for the attack, while 69% of surveyed Republicans believed Trump bore "little or no-fault". Support for Trump's removal from office was split, with 48% supporting it and 49% (including 51% of independent voters) opposed.[173]
AWashington Post-ABC News poll conducted January 10–13, 2021 found that almost 9 in 10 American adults opposed the attack, and 8 in 10 said they opposed it strongly. More than two-thirds of Americans said Trump had made irresponsible statements since the November 2020 election. Furthermore, a majority (56% of all American adults, including 89% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans) believed that Congress should remove Trump from office and disqualify him from holding future office.[174]
A Quinnipiac University poll conducted January 7–10, 2021 found that 80% of Republican voters did not hold Trump responsible for the incident and that 73% of Republican voters believed Trump's presidency had the overall effect of protecting democracy. Yet only 33% of respondents (across all political affiliations) approved of Trump's overall performance as president, making him the president with the lowest approval rating at the end of his first term (the closest was George H. W. Bush who ended his term with 40% approval).[175][176]
AnReuters/Ipsos poll of 1,005 U.S. adults conducted March 30–31, 2021 found that 51% of Republicans agreed (strongly or somewhat) that the people who gathered at the U.S. Capitol were peaceful, law-abiding Americans, and 55% of Republicans agreed (strongly or somewhat) that they were actually led by violent left-wing protestors trying to make Trump look bad. Paradoxically, the poll found that 35% of Republicans agreed with both of these theories simultaneously.[177]
Three years after the attack, aWashington Post-University of Maryland poll found that 25% of Americans believed the falsehood promoted by right-wing media that the FBI had "probably" or "definitely" instigated the attack. 39% percent of those who said Fox News was their primary news source believed the falsehood, compared to 16% of CNN and MSNBC viewers and 13% of broadcast news viewers.[178]
Coverage of the attack – which preempted regular daytime and prime time programming scheduled for January 6 onABC,NBC, andCBS – gave CNN its most-watched day in its 40-year history, with its daytime coverage netting an average of 8.97 million viewers (vs. 5.74 million for Fox News, 5.59 million for MSNBC, 4.85 million for ABC and 3.7 million for CBS) and its prime time coverage topping out at 8.20 million viewers (vs. 7.38 million for MSNBC, 5.77 million for NBC, 4.88 million for ABC, 4.58 million for Fox News and 2.57 million for CBS).[179][180][181] According toThe West Australian, coverage of the attack "dominated the front pages of newspapers around the US".[182]
CNN Business opinion writer Oliver Darcy argued thatmultichannel television providers should be held to equal accountability as social media companies for promoting disinformation by carrying conservative news/opinion channels like Fox News,Newsmax TV andOne America News Network (OAN).[183] On the January8 edition of his eponymousFox News program,Tucker Carlson claimed CNN was "working to force the Fox News Channel off the air and run [the network] out of business", and had lobbied five providers to drop it.[184]
On January 10, a number of companies (including the financial companyMorgan Stanley and the hotel chainMarriott, which each have their ownPAC) announced they would cease their political contributions to members of Congress who had voted against certifying the Electoral College results.[186][187]
Several security specialists were surprised that there was no intelligence bulletin or joint threat assessment issued by the FBI and DHS about threats anticipated for the Congressional counting of Electoral College votes, although former Secretary of Homeland SecurityMichael Chertoff said that publicly available information had been sufficient to make it clear there was a foreseeable risk.[188] Some specialists said that the FBI and DHS didn't issue assessments out of concern for First Amendment free speech protections, although others pointed out that such concerns had not prevented their issuing assessments about racial justice protests in 2020, and that the First Amendment doesn't protect threatening and planning violence.[188] There is concern that the failure to identify the threats adequately before the event illuminate biases in law enforcement about likely perpetrators.[188]
Following the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s chiefChad Wolf's "State of the Homeland Address" in September 2020,Brian Murphy, who ranHomeland Security intelligence operations from March 2018 to July 31, 2020, alleged as awhistleblower thatStephen Miller's viewpoints on what President Trump deemed were domestic threats such as supporters ofsanctuary areas,antifa, and anarchist groups were to have increased surveillance and less surveillance ofRussian influence in the United States and right wing groups including domesticwhite supremacy.[189][190][191][192][193][clarification needed] After filing two reports with theDepartment of Homeland Security'sOffice of the Inspector General about "attempted censorship of intelligence analysis",[189] Murphy alleged that Wolf,Ken Cuccinelli, andKirstjen Nielsen actively supported President Trump's views.[194][195][196] Murphy allegedly received a demotion and retaliation after he expressed toAdam Schiff, the chairman of theHouse Intelligence Committee, his concerns that right wing groups were not being analyzed adequately as domestic threats.[197][198][199][200][201] According to Murphy, Wolf stated thatRobert O'Brien, who was President Trump'sNational Security Counsel, had directed DHS in mid-May 2020 to provide information regarding threats from China and Iran and to "cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference".[202] Murphy had declined to follow Wolf's order because to do so "would put the country in substantial and specific danger".[203] Although the DHS in early July 2020 was aware of Russia interfering withJoe Biden's campaign, its report was not released.[190][193][195][204][205]Joseph V. Cuffari, DHS inspector general (IG), refused to investigate Murphy's claims until after the 2020 elections.[206] The DHS Office of Intelligence & Analysis released no "intelligence products specific for January 6".[188][207][208] On April 27, 2021, Brian Volsky, the former head of the DHS inspector general's whistleblower protection unit, filed a memo withCIGIE accusing Cuffari, James Read, who was the DHS IG counsel to Cuffari and Kristen Fredricks, who was Cuffari's DHS IG chief of staff, of mishandling Brian Murphy's complaints and "gross mismanagement and conduct that undermines the independence or integrity reasonably expected of" an inspector general.[209][210]
The Babylon Bee, a conservativeChristiannews satire website, ran a satirical article about the attack with the headline "Trump walks away from Republican party without even looking back at the explosion". The article also made up a quote from Steve Bannon and Nancy Pelosi both saying "I've never seen anything so beautiful".[144]
^abHaberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (January 9, 2021)."Trump has not lowered flags in honor of an officer who died from injuries sustained amid the riot".The New York Times.Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 9, 2021.While the flags at the Capitol have been lowered, Mr. Trump has not issued a similar order for federal buildings under his control.... 'Mr. Trump has not reached out to Mr. Sicknick's family, although Vice President Mike Pence called to offer condolences,' an aide to Mr. Pence said.
^Acosta, Jim (January 6, 2021)."Senior White House Correspondent".CNN. No. The Presidential Election Congress Counts the Vote. RetrievedJanuary 27, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
^Ben-Menachem, Jonathan (January 13, 2021)."The Cops at the Capitol".The Appeal.Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2021.
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Comments by President-elect Joe Biden, January 6, 2021,C-SPAN
