For months, then-President Donald Trump insisted to his voters, before and after he lost the 2020 presidential election, that the American system of democracy was not to be trusted.
He insisted to his voters that Democrats somehow orchestrated widespread fraud that "stole" the election from him, delivering a false victory to now-President Joe Biden, all the while Trump was pressuring state legislatures to change their election laws and calling state officials to "find" the votes necessary for him to win.
When the day came for a joint session of Congress to nationally acknowledge Biden's victory, Trump appeared at a nearby rally encouraging his supporters to walk over to the Capitol and make their voices heard.
That's when Trump's supporters stormed the United States Capitol, shattering windows, smearing excrement across the walls, and terrorizing Capitol police. At least five people lost their lives as a result.
Despite the death of one Capitol police officer and two Capitol police suicides in the days following, Trump claimed in a recent Fox News interview that the rioters were pro-police.
Watch below.
Here's what Trump had to say on Fox tonight about the Capitol riots: "It was zero threat, right from the start...… https://t.co/XdQ5bdSWNH— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1616725954.0
Trump told far-right Fox News host Laura Ingraham:
"Look, they went in and they shouldn't have done it. Some of them went in and they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards, you know, they had great relationships."
This was not, in fact, true—as people soon pointed out.
One tried to gouge a cop’s eyes out. https://t.co/9OTNH7QLds— Chris Hayes (@Chris Hayes) 1616731200.0
https://t.co/XZyyzvbmV0pic.twitter.com/GDYBODIZ9C
— Kevin Whelan (@K_Whelan17) March 26, 2021
A police officer died. I guess blue lives no longer matter to Fox News? https://t.co/TT4wbBx7Wq— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@Molly Jong-Fast🏡) 1616758698.0
There's video. A lot. Of video.
And also a lot of arrests & prosecutions.
Just none for the organizers. Yet.https://t.co/4eBfMfmUqMpic.twitter.com/NGYnQBNmJh
— Fascism flattened, but never the webrant🕺------🕺 (@web_rant) March 26, 2021
Hugging, kissing . . . and crushing, and killing! https://t.co/6CJ8WiRYaP— Laurence Tribe (@Laurence Tribe) 1616767623.0
Just a reminder: - 2 bombs planted - case of Molotov cocktails found - firearms seized & recovered - 5 deaths - hu… https://t.co/bzITYyFlBT— Charles Allen (@Charles Allen) 1616762784.0
People warned against Trump's dangerous rhetoric and delusional characterizations of reality.
Donald Trump tried to overthrow American democracy in an attempt to hang onto power despite losing an election. H… https://t.co/7BsfzwJmwg— S.V. Dáte (@S.V. Dáte) 1616765767.0
Trump is a delusional psychopath. https://t.co/mTZpQtZEba— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@Jon Cooper 🇺🇸) 1616762389.0
I engage with hundreds of Trump supporters every day. This is what almost all of them think. https://t.co/4Q2lHH8Rtf— Joe Walsh (@Joe Walsh) 1616762246.0
Trump was narrowly acquitted by the Senate in the impeachment trial the riots spurred. Seven Republicans voted to convict, making it the most bipartisan presidential impeachment trial in American history.