Trump issued the following statement on Truth Social: “We will very vigorously defend any and all federal buildings attacked by these highly paid lunatics, agitators, and insurrectionists. There will be no spitting in the faces of our officers, punching in the headlights of our cars, or throwing rocks or bricks at our vehicles or Patriot warriors. These individuals will suffer equal, if not more, consequences, if any.”
What about the U.S. Capitol and the rioters on January 6? Trump has repeatedly claimed that the January 6 rioters got a bad rap because they were actually “political prisoners” and “patriots.” In fact, he pardoned them. Trump kicked off the first rally of his 2024 campaign with a Jan. 6 performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” recorded on cellphones by jailed defendants, including an alleged Nazi sympathizer. During his 2024 presidential campaign, he called January 6 “a day of love,” even though 140 police officers were injured that day, according to prosecutors.
Trump and his allies, including Republican senators who blocked the creation of a national commission to investigate Jan. 6, claim the Jan. 6 rioters were denied due process and that the Justice Department under Biden weaponized the incident. For Trump, the victims of the January 6 riots (including police officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit with pepper spray and died of injuries sustained by rioters that day) were the perpetrators, and the perpetrators (i.e., the rioters) were the victims. Therefore, in Trump's words: “The police should be charged and the protesters should be released.” In addition, Trump also accused the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of sending 274 agents to infiltrate the riot crowd, and these agents allegedly provoked the violence.
Trump and his allies have gone from defending the January 6 rioters to accusing peaceful demonstrators of being “terrorists” in what can only be considered cynical. When talking to people, I realize I'm not the only one asking, “Does this person really believe what he's saying?”
