Former President Donald Trump's months-long smear campaign against the validity of the 2020 election reached a gruesome culmination on January 6, when a mob of pro-Trump extremists violently stormed the United States Capitol to upend the joint congressional session certifying then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Motivated by Trump's lies that the election was "stolen" from him, the insurrectionists shattered windows, ransacked offices, beat police officers, smeared excrement across the walls, and called for the execution of any lawmaker perceived as disloyal to Trump.
More than six months later—after constant resistance from Republican lawmakers—the House Select Committee established by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) investigating the attack is holding its first hearing, where Capitol and D.C. police officers will testify regarding their experiences that day.
On the night before the hearing, Trump issued a statement where he repeated deranged conspiracy theories and blatant lies decrying the investigation.
Trump railed against Pelosi in the statement, asking:
"Will Nancy investigate herself and those on Capitol Hill who didn't want additional protection, including more police and National Guard, therefore being unprepared despite the large crowd of people that everyone knew was coming?"
The D.C. National Guard reports solely to the President of the United States. Despite multiple requests to Trump's Defense Department for National Guard assistance, it was hours until the Guard was finally deployed to quell the insurrection.
Trump proceeded to repeat his typical lies about the "massive Voter Fraud" he falsely believes took place in 2020, as well as long-debunked claims that the riots were secretly orchestrated by antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement to make Trump—who'd already lost the 2020 election—look bad.
The delusional statement only highlighted Trump's lunacy and lack of remorse.
Trump was banned from Twitter after repeatedly using his platform to promote lies and incite violence, but his spokeswoman, Liz Harrington, continues to post statements like this to the site on his behalf.
Trump's critics say it's a loophole for Trump to keep broadcasting his lies.
GOP lawmakers continue to embrace Trump's lies, both about the election and the failed insurrection.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
