Former President Donald J. Trump admitted during a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wis., that he had asked his Secret Service detail to take him to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021. This revelation confirms a key detail of his actions that were central to the findings of the House committee established to investigate the attack on the Capitol. Trump recounted a conversation with the Secret Service agents where they advised him against going to the Capitol, to which he ultimately agreed. This admission sheds light on his intentions to join the large crowd of supporters who were marching toward the Capitol.
President Biden’s campaign quickly seized upon Trump’s comments, emphasizing that he had intended to participate in the attack on the Capitol in an effort to overturn Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Trump has previously expressed regret for not marching on the Capitol with his supporters that day, citing his Secret Service detail as the reason he was unable to do so. Testimony from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, given during televised hearings held by the House Jan. 6 committee, supported Trump’s efforts to go to the Capitol that day. Hutchinson’s testimony was based on secondhand or thirdhand accounts of what other people told her that day.
During an interview with investigators for the House panel, Trump’s driver revealed that the president was insistent on going to the Capitol despite the Secret Service’s advice against it. While the driver did not witness Trump physically accost agents or reach for the steering wheel, he noted the irritation in Trump’s voice. After being driven back to the White House by his Secret Service detail, Trump reportedly watched the ensuing violence unfold on television. Following Trump’s speech at the Ellipse where he repeated false claims about the election and urged attendees to march on the Capitol, a mob of his supporters stormed the building, disrupting the certification of Biden’s victory.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump indicated that he would “absolutely” consider pardoning every person convicted of, or pleading guilty to, charges related to the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. He also did not rule out the possibility of political violence following this year’s election, depending on the fairness of the election. Trump’s remarks have reignited debate about his involvement in the events of Jan. 6 and his willingness to pardon those involved in the attack. The House committee’s investigation into the Capitol attack continues, with testimonies from individuals like Hutchinson shedding light on Trump’s actions and intentions that day.
Overall, Trump’s admission that he had sought to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6, despite the advice of his Secret Service detail, adds a new dimension to the ongoing investigation and public discourse surrounding the events of that day. The revelations from the House committee hearings, coupled with Trump’s own comments and interviews, offer insight into his mindset and actions leading up to and following the attack. The implications of his involvement in the events of Jan. 6, as well as his potential pardons and views on political violence, continue to generate controversy and scrutiny as the investigation progresses.
