Former President Trump defended his supporters who rioted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, calling them “warriors” at a rally in Nevada on Sunday.
“The J6 warriors were warriors, but above all they are victims of what happened,” Trump told supporters at the rally.
“All they were doing was protesting election fraud. That’s what they were doing,” Trump continued, repeating his false claims that the 2024 presidential election was rigged against him.
Trump also falsely claimed police welcomed the mob into the Capitol, saying they told the rioters to “let in, let in, let in, let in.”
“What a trap that was,” Trump added. “It’s so horrible, so horrible. It’s bad for both sides, believe me.”
Trump and his supporters have tried to reframe the January 6 riot as peaceful. 140 police officers In the days after the attack, which left five people injured and five dead, one Capitol Police officer likened the scene to a “war zone” and described hours of “hand-to-hand combat” and slipping in other people’s blood before a congressional committee.
Trump has used similar language in the past to describe people jailed for their actions in the Jan. 6 attack, calling them “hostages” in November 2023.
He also said in March that if re-elected in November, one of his first orders of business would be to “release the January 6th hostages who are being unjustly held.”
As of January 6, 2024, more than 1,200 defendants have been indicted in connection with the attack on the Capitol. More than 450 have been charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing police officers or personnel.According to the Department of Justice.
More than 700 people have pleaded guilty to various federal charges, according to the Justice Department.
