Former president Donald Trump has told some big lies over the years. One of the biggest, it now is clear, came on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after his supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol.On Jan. 6, as law enforcement officers fought valiantly against an armed mob of rioters attacking the Capitol, Trump remained in the White House, silent in the face of repeated efforts by advisers, family members and allies who pleaded with him to try to call a halt to the violence.
The next day, in a videotaped address, he said, finally, that he was “outraged” by the “heinous attack” on the Capitol. “America is and must always be a nation of law and order,” he said. “The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy. To those who engage in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay.”
He didn’t mean it, as he made clear last weekend. Speaking at a rally in Conroe, Tex., he told his followers, “If I run [for president in 2024] and I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly, and if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly.”
Trump’s words no longer have quite the shock value they once had. His rallies don’t command live coverage on major cable networks. Having been banned from Twitter, his never-ending statements lack the power they once might have had. It can be easy to dismiss his rantings. But it would be foolhardy to ignore what he is saying or thinking.
If Trump were a spent force in politics, what he says now would matter less. But he wants to run for president again and has a $122 million political bank account at his disposal to carry him forward. He may have lost some support among some who think of themselves as Republicans, but he still holds a grip on the Republican Party. If the 2024 primaries were held today, it is difficult to im
His hold on the GOP was never more obvious than on Friday, when the Republican National Committee voted to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) for their work on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. The censure resolution described the two Republicans as “participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
The former president continues to claim the election was rife with fraud, despite the lack of evidence. What he is saying now provides a preview of how he might try to use his powers if restored to the Oval Office.