Former President Donald Trump recently sat down with NBC’s “Meet the Press” host, Kristen Welker, to discuss his actions on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol riot. The primary focus of the discussion centered on Trump’s response to the events of that day, following his speech at the “Stop the Steal” rally.
While questioned about his exact location and responses during the commencement of the attack, the former President declined to give specific information. When probed about his actions during the time that the Capitol was being attacked, Trump pointed to his official statements made from the Oval Office and a subsequent video message he broadcasted.
The aforementioned video message saw Trump asking those at the Capitol to leave the area and show regard for the police. However, he also used this platform to express his continued doubts over the legitimacy of the 2020 election results, stating, “This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people.”
Regarding the timing of his video message, which was made public several hours after the beginning of the attack, Welker sought clarification. She asked, “That was four o’clock in the afternoon, three hours after the attack started. I want to know who you called on that day.”
Trump diverted from answering directly and shifted the topic towards then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He suggested that Pelosi should have been responsible for the Capitol’s security, commenting, “Frankly, just so you understand, I assumed that she took care of it.”
In the course of their conversation, Trump chose not to provide more specific details about his actions that day, only stating, “I’m not going to tell you anything. I behaved so well. I did such a good job.”
Notably, this statement has drawn reactions from several individuals, including Republican Chris Christie, who believes Trump should have addressed the situation at the Capitol more swiftly and decisively.