Trump Calls January 6 a 'Day of Love' During Campaign Event, Defends Capitol Riot
Former President Donald Trump described the events of January 6, 2021, as a “day of love” during a recent campaign stop, just weeks before the upcoming presidential election. Speaking at a town hall event in Miami, Trump defended the actions of those who traveled to Washington, DC, claiming they were motivated by the belief that the 2020 election had been rigged.
On that day, Trump held a rally near the White House, addressing a large crowd of supporters. His speech was followed by a march to the Capitol, which ended with a violent mob storming the building as Congress was in the process of certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.
Trump has consistently pushed the false narrative of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election, a claim that continues to divide the nation. He has faced legal scrutiny over his alleged efforts to overturn the election, including from Special Counsel Jack Smith, who detailed accusations that Trump had planned to declare victory regardless of the actual results.
During the town hall, Trump dismissed any wrongdoing on his part, stating, “Nothing done wrong at all,” and claimed that no one in his group was armed during the events at the Capitol. “There were no guns down there. We didn’t have guns. The others had guns, but we didn’t have guns,” he said, emphasizing that only a small percentage of the crowd was involved in the violence, which he downplayed as unrepresentative of the larger gathering.
Trump also insisted that the crowd had not gathered because of him personally but out of frustration with the election. “They came because of the election. They thought the election was a rigged election, and that’s why they came,” he remarked.
The former president’s remarks came in response to a voter who expressed concerns over the events of January 6 and questioned why he should support Trump when even former Vice President Mike Pence had distanced himself from the controversy. Pence famously refused to go along with Trump’s efforts to challenge the certification of Biden’s win, leading to a public rift between the two.
Trump reiterated his disagreement with Pence’s actions on that day, saying, “The vice-president – I disagree with him on what he did. I totally disagreed with him on what he did.”
As the November 5 election draws closer, both Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris have ramped up their media appearances. Trump has maintained his stance on the 2020 election, while Harris made headlines with a combative appearance on Fox News, confronting some of her most vocal critics.
Trump, meanwhile, continues to face legal challenges but will not stand trial before the 2024 election. He denies any wrongdoing and asserts that he is immune from prosecution for the events related to January 6.
