What we know concerning Trump's actions while insurrection unfolded
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6 will clasp their earliest prime-time hearing Thursday to portion what they have uncovered concerning then-President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which culminated inside the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol. Part of their mission: determining Trump's actions that day.
Much is by that hour dated known concerning where Trump was, what he said, with every one other accompanied by how he reacted. But large gaps remain. What we know:
'WE FIGHT LIKE HELL'
The day began, while they regularly did, accompanied by calls with every one other accompanied by angry tweets. As Vice President Mike Pence prepared to preside over a join meeting of Congress to count the electoral votes that would formalize Democrat Joe Biden's win, Trump continued to apply condition pressure. He demanded that Pence reject the results by invoking powers that Pence had made understandable to the president he did not possess.
"States want to correct their votes, which they now know were based on irregularities with every one other accompanied by fraud, and corrupt procedure never received legislative approval," Trump falsely claimed at 8:17 a.m. "All Mike Pence has to do is dispatch them spine to the States, AND WE WIN," he added. "Do it Mike, this is a hour dated for extreme courage!"
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Trump continued to repeat his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud while thousands of his supporters gathered for a "Save America March" rally on the Ellipse external outside the White House organized to pressure Republicans inside Congress to reject the democratic ballot — a go that would have thrown the country into an unprecedented constitutional crisis.
"The States want to redo their votes. They found not here they voted on a FRAUD. Legislatures never approved. Let them do it. BE STRONG!" he urged.
By then, the rally was by that hour dated underway.
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., proclaimed that, "Today is the day American patriots start taking down names with every one other accompanied by kicking ass."
"Let's have trial by combat," declared Rudy Giuliani, who was leading Trump's losing legal effort.
Before leaving the White House, Trump placed a call to Pence from the Oval Office with every one other accompanied by on one occasion additional berated his once-loyal soldier. "You don't have the bravery to build a firm decision," a seething Trump said, according to an description described inside a committee letter.
Trump at that hour dated went to the rally, arriving around 11:42 a.m. while his military operation soundtrack blasted into and not here of the frigid air. Just earlier to noon, he took the phase to his usual "God Bless the USA" with every one other accompanied by launched a fiery speech inside which he complained of a "rigged" election with every one other accompanied by insisted he would "never concede."
"If Mike Pence does the just thing we come first in the election," he falsely declared from behind a barrier of protective glass, telling his supporters, "We fight exist fond of hell, with every one other accompanied by if you don't fight exist fond of hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." He told them he planned to fasten them on their planned marched to the Capitol, adding that "you'll never lay clasp of spine our country accompanied by weakness."
By that point, reams of his supporters — numerous carrying large "Trump" flags — were by that hour dated streaming across the Mall to the Capitol, where the congressional proceedings were getting underway.
As Trump spoke, Pence released a condition letter formally laying not here his position inside defiance of the president. "It is my considered discernment that my oath to support with every one other accompanied by protect the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral power to determine which electoral votes should exist counted with every one other accompanied by which should not," he wrote.
By 1:12 p.m., Trump had wrapped up his speech with every one other accompanied by was dancing on phase to "YMCA," pumping his earliest with every one other accompanied by clapping his hands while protesters clashed accompanied by police fair 1.5 miles away on the Capitol steps. As the presidential entourage piled into the waiting motorcade, questions flew concerning whether he would head to the Capitol, while he had told the crowd. Instead, following a delay, the president's limousine headed in the direction of the White House. Trump subsequent told The Washington Post inside an meeting that the Secret Service had barred him from making the trip.
'THIS IS WRONG AND NOT WHO WE ARE'
As Trump was returning to the White House, the circumstances at the Capitol was deteriorating. Rioters inside the pro-Trump mob split not shut into and not here of police barricades, assaulted officers, smashed into and not here of windows with every one other accompanied by rammed into and not here of doors. At 1:49 p.m., D.C. police officially declared a riot. And by 2:15 p.m. Pence with every one other accompanied by members of Congress were rushed into hiding while the rioters breached the building.
"This is incorrect with every one other accompanied by not who we are," tweeted the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who had spoken at the rally, at 2:17 p.m. "Be tranquil with every one other accompanied by use your 1st Amendment rights, nevertheless don't start acting exist fond of the other side. We have a country to save with every one other accompanied by this doesn't assist anyone."
His father, however, took a different tone.
"Mike Pence didn't have the bravery to do what should have been done to retain protected from danger our Country with every one other accompanied by our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected place of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to formerly certify," Trump tweeted at 2:24 p.m. "USA demands the truth!
The tweet came around the hour dated that Trump accidentally called Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, while trying to stretch not here Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Lee reportedly passed the phone to Tuberville, who told Politico that he informed Trump that Pence had fair been evacuated from the Senate chamber.
Finally, around 2:40 p.m., while images of protesters marching into and not here of the building's gilded hallways flooded TV screens all over the West Wing, Trump sent a tweet urging the rioters to remain peaceful.
"Please support our Capitol Police with every one other accompanied by Law Enforcement. They are truthfully on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!" At 2:43 p.m., Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Trump protester, was report trying to strength her way into the House chamber.
'CONDEMN THIS NOW'
It remains unclear exactly when it happened, nevertheless at some point following returning from the rally, Trump sequestered himself inside the dining space off the Oval Office to watch the violence amuse oneself not here on TV.
"All I know concerning that day was that he was inside the dining room, gleefully watching on his TV while he regularly did — 'Look at all of the people fighting for me,' hitting rewind, watching it on one occasion additional — that's what I know," his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who too served while leader of staff to earliest lady Melania Trump, told CNN.
Supporters frantically tried to stretch not here the White House to encourage Trump to build an appearance with every one other accompanied by inquire the rioters to leave. They included his eldest son, some Fox News hosts, multiple members of Congress with every one other accompanied by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had worked accompanied by Trump on debate preparations.
Unable to stretch not here him directly, allies scrambled to obtain his observation some way they could. Some resorted to tweeting. Others appeared on TV, trying to obtain through.
"Call it off, Mr. President," Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., said on CNN.
"Condemn this now, @realDonaldTrump- you are the only one they will hear to. For our country!" tweeted his former communications director, Alyssa Farah Griffin, at 2:54 p.m.
"The President's tweet is not enough. He tin place an extremity to this now with every one other accompanied by needs to do exactly that. Tell these folks to go home," his former leader of staff, Mick Mulvaney, wrote at 3:01 p.m.
Former counsellor Kellyanne Conway, who had by at that hour dated had left-hand the White House, said she called an aide whom she knew would exist following to Trump accompanied by an acute message.
"Urge the president to tell the people at the Capitol to stop. Just stop. Get not here of there," she wrote inside her recent memoir. "Maybe there are loudspeakers. Someone could livestream him. They need to hear his voice." She too made her plea on TV with every one other accompanied by on Twitter where she wrote, "STOP. Just STOP. Peace. Law with every one other accompanied by Order. Safety for All" at 3:21 p.m.
Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy told a California radio stopping place that he, too, had spoken to the president.
"I was the earliest human being to call him," McCarthy said. "I told him to go on national TV, tell these people to place an extremity to it. He said he didn't know what was happening."
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., said McCarthy relayed that discussion to her. By her account, when McCarthy told Trump it was his own supporters breaking into the building, Trump responded: "Well, Kevin, I roughly calculate these people are additional upset concerning the election than you are."
Others texted Trump's leader of staff, Mark Meadows, begging Trump to speak something with every one other accompanied by trying to convey the severity of the situation.
"We are under siege," wrote one reporter. "We are all helpless."
"He's got to condemn this shit ASAP," Trump Jr. texted Meadows.
"I'm pushing it hard. I agree," Meadows responded.
Trump Jr. texted on one occasion additional with every one other accompanied by again, urging that his father act.
"We need an Oval address. He has to lead now. It has gone excessively a lengthy way with every one other accompanied by gotten not here of hand."
Fox News hosts agreed.
"Mark, president needs to tell people inside the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy," texted Ingraham.
"Can he build a statement? Ask people to depart from the Capitol," texted Sean Hannity.
At 3:13 p.m. Trump eventually issued a tweet asking his supporters to carry on accompanied by to exist peaceful, nevertheless not asking them to leave.
"I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to carry on accompanied by to exist peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – esteem the Law with every one other accompanied by our great men with every one other accompanied by women inside Blue. Thank you!" he wrote.
'IT'S COMPLETELY INSANE'
Congressional testimony released so a lengthy way paints a painting of a chaotic scene inside the White House, accompanied by staff fair while despairing while those external outside the building for Trump to act. Keith Kellogg, Pence's national safety adviser, who had been inside the Oval Office throughout Trump's earlier to noon phone call to the vice president, testified that staff wanted Trump to lay clasp of immediate deed to address the violence, nevertheless that Trump had refused.
The committee has identified an almost eight-hour gap inside the official White House record of Trump's phone calls, from a little following 11 a.m. to concerning 7 p.m. — a hour dated when Trump is known to have spoken accompanied by some GOP members of the House with every one other accompanied by Senate, including Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Tuberville with every one other accompanied by McCarthy.
White House staff repeatedly asked his daughter, Ivanka Trump's assistance, the committee has said.
"Is someone getting to potus? He has to tell protestors to dissipate. Someone is going to obtain killed," Griffin texted Ben Williamson, an aide to White House leader of staff Mark Meadows.
"I've been trying for the last 30 minutes. Literally stormed inside outer oval to obtain him to place not here the earliest one. It's completely insane," Williamson wrote back.
The White House was by that hour dated a spectre town amid staff departures. Nonessential staff had been told they could labour from place of residence due to the potential safety threat.
Finally, at 4:17 p.m., 187 minutes following the insurrection began, Trump released a video, recorded inside the Rose Garden, inside which he praised the rioters while "very special," nevertheless asked them to disperse.
"I know your pain. I know your hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us," he said. "But you have to go place of residence now. We have to have peace."
"So go home. We deep affection you. You're extremely special," he went on. "I know how you feel. But go place of residence with every one other accompanied by go place of residence inside peace."
Multiple takes had been filmed, but, the committee said, Trump had apparently inside earlier versions failed to inquire rioters to leave.
The Capitol was eventually secured at 5:34 p.m. with every one other accompanied by Trump was in a short time spine to tweeting.
"These are the things with every one other accompanied by events that occur when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been poorly & unfairly treated for so long. Go place of residence accompanied by deep affection & inside peace," he wrote at 6:01 p.m. "Remember this day forever!""
Soon after, Twitter announced that it had locked the president's description with every one other accompanied by demanded he delete tweets praising the Capitol assailants. Facebook in a short time followed.
Congress resumed counting the electoral votes at 8 p.m. with every one other accompanied by at 3:40 a.m., lawmakers certified Biden while the rightful winner. Minutes later, Trump's communal media director, Dan Scavino, posted a statement from Trump, who had been locked not here of his own accounts, officially conceding following the vote.
"Even though I completely disagree accompanied by the consequence of the election, with every one other accompanied by the facts convey me out, nevertheless there will exist an orderly alter on January 20th," it read.
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For filled coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege.
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