Topline
As lawmakers from both sides of the aisle pin blame on President Trump for the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) went as far as suggesting that the president could be implicated in the deaths that stemmed from the violence.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on ... [+]
Key Facts
In an interview that aired Tuesday night, Pelosi told MSNBC’s Joy Reid that if it can be proven her colleagues in Congress collaborated with members of the mob that attacked the Capitol, they—along with Trump—could be considered accessories to a crime.
Pelosi said Trump holds responsibility for what happened because “presidents’ words are important, they weigh a ton,” and he—through election fraud lies and calls for a “wild” rally on the day Congress was set to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win—guided his supporters to the Capitol.
“If you’re Donald Trump talking to these people, they believe it and they used his words to come here,” said Pelosi, adding: “The crime in some cases is murder ... This president is an accessory to that crime because he instigated the insurrection that caused those deaths and this destruction.”
Chief Critic
Trump, who has since been impeached on a single charge of “incitement of insurrection,” denied responsibility for the attack. “It’s been analyzed and people thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Trump later said of his remarks at the Jan. 6 rally that appeared to rile up his supporters immediately before the attack.
Crucial Quote
Pelosi is far from the only member of Congress to tie the Capitol attacks to Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who remained a staunch ally to Trump for the majority of his presidency, said on Tuesday that the Capitol attack was “provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
Key Background
Five people died as a result of the attack, including four apparent supporters of the president and a U.S. Capitol Police officer. One supporter, Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot inside the Capitol building. Another, Rosanne Boyland, 34, was likely crushed to death as the mob rushed toward the complex. Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, was reportedly bludgeoned to death with a fire extinguisher by a member of the mob. In addition to the deaths directly stemming from the attack, two others present during the Jan. 6 invasion have since died by suicide. U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, 51, who responded to the attack, died by suicide days later, while Georgia resident Christopher Stanton Georgia, 53, who faced charges in connection to the attack, died by suicide the same day.
What To Watch For
Incoming White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Biden will leave it up to the Senate in terms of how to hold Trump accountable for the attack at the upcoming impeachment trial.
Further Reading
“Woman Possibly ‘Crushed To Death’: These Are The Five People Who Died Amid Pro-Trump Riots” (Forbes)
“Georgia Man Charged In U.S. Capitol Attack Dies By Suicide” (Forbes)
“Capitol Attack Mob Was ‘Provoked’ By President Trump, McConnell Says” (Forbes)
