In a previously released audio conversation with two Washington Post reporters from March, former president Donald Trump described the gathering of fans that came for his address before the attack on the US Capitol as "lovely." In an interview with Carol D. Leonnig and Philip Rucker for their new book "I Alone Can Fix It," the former president said the rally at the Ellipse, which wasn't his "per se," was one of the biggest groups he'd ever talked to.
"I would've said you will show, (but) not to go in," Trump said when questioned by the media about what he intended his followers would do when he called before the attack to "get up there and stop the steal." He also said that the Capitol Police were quite polite and were ushering people in.
The former president calls supporters "loving crowd"
Hundreds of Trump supporters rushed the Capitol on January 6 to prevent Congress from recognizing Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory, killing five people, including a Capitol Police officer, and resulting in over 500 criminal charges. Trump was impeached for the second time by the House of Representatives prior to the event, though he was subsequently acquitted by the Senate.
During the impeachment trial, lawmakers used the then-address, the president's in which he exhorted his supporters to "fight like hell" before the Capitol riots, as per The Wrap.
According to Daily Mail, moments before rioters stormed the Capitol building in a violent insurgency that left five people dead, the former president told Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker that there was a lot of love at his rally. When questioned by Leonnig what Trump expected his followers to do when he encouraged them to go to the Capitol and "stop the steal," Trump claimed that he did not intend for them to walk and enter the building.
Before he appeared to fall and confess it was violent, he claimed the crowd was ushered into the Capitol by police officers who were hugging and kissing them. Trump made the remarks in an interview with Leoning and Rucker for their new book at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
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Trump's claims that ex-VP Pence could overturn election results
The recording was broadcast on CNN on Wednesday night, with anchor Anderson Cooper comparing it to listening to Nixon ramble while drunk, only Nixon isn't drunk. Trump made the rally's main speech, in which he repeated his false claims that the election was rigged and urged his followers to fight.
Trump also repeated his baseless assertion that Vice President Mike Pence could reverse the result of the election. Moments later, a crowd descended on the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the election from being certified, with some looking for Vice President Mike Pence and screaming "Hang Mike Pence."
He alleged, however, that the rioters were escorted in by the police. The riot footage shows police officers being assaulted by the mob, with over 150 officers hurt on the day.
At least 17 people were still out of work five months later, in June, due to injuries received in the incident. In the tape, Trump goes on to make false claims about the election being rigged, stating that "thousands" of dead people and illegal immigrants voted.
After scores of his election fraud, court challenges were dismissed and even his own Justice Department decided there was no proof of widespread fraud, Rucker asked Trump if he felt he needed better attorneys. He went on to say that the Supreme Court was hesitant to take it, which he described as disappointing.
In a separate audio clip acquired by the Washington Post, Trump expressed his disappointment with Pence for not attempting to overturn the election and stated that he is not locked into running with him in 2024. Pence did not have the authority to prevent the electoral college votes from being certified, as he said in both public remarks and talks with Trump at the time.
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