- Former aides told CNN that Donald Trump enjoyed seeing his supporters invade the United States Capitol.
- He was “enjoying watching the Capitol mob,” a former senior White House official told the newspaper.
- The House accused Trump last month, accusing him of inciting an insurrection.
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Former advisers to Donald Trump told CNN that Trump enjoyed watching his supporters attack the United States Capitol in the last days of his presidency.
The January 6 Capitol rebellion, which erupted shortly after Trump gave a speech near the White House falsely claiming he won the 2020 election, resulted in five deaths, including the murder of a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
As the violence unfolded last month, Republicans and Democrats begged Trump to intervene – to ask his supporters to stop. For hours, however, he remained silent, housed in the White House and, according to reports, consuming cable news.
CNN quoted a former senior Trump official as saying the president was enjoying what he saw on the screen: people – some with MAGA hats and Trump flags – invading the federal government’s legislative powerhouse.
Trump was “enjoying watching the Capitol crowd,” the anonymous former official told CNN.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that Trump was slow to call for an end to the revolt – which he did hours after starting in a video posted on Twitter in which he called the protesters “special” – because he was watching. live on television.
“It was difficult to contact him, and you know why? Because it was live TV,” a Trump adviser told The Post. “If it’s TiVo, he just presses the pause button and answers calls. If it’s live TV, he watches and just watched it all unfold.”
The Democratic-controlled House accused Trump shortly afterwards, accusing him of inciting an insurrection. His second Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
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