Donald Trump tells ‘MAGA nation’ to ‘rise up’ a year after inciting Capitol riot
Donald Trump. (Getty/ Drew Angerer)
Donald Trump called on “MAGA nation” to “rise up” on the eve of the anniversary of the violent Capitol riot.
Having cancelled a planned press conference scheduled for 6 January, Trump still managed to elicit outrage with a written statement released on Wednesday (5 January).
In the statement filled with mistruths shared to Twitter – where he is banned – by spokesperson Liz Harrington, Trump attacked Joe Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now, there’s talk by the Biden Administration again about closing schools and even vaccine mandates for school children,” he wrote.
Neither of these things have been suggested by Biden.
Trump ploughed on: “This is an outrage, and MAGA nation should rise up and oppose this egregious federal government overreach.”
NEW!
President Trump:
"…Our administration did what they said could not be done—vaccines in record time. But we never issued mandates, and I never would! People should be able to choose how they want to govern their own health. The federal government must be reined in…" pic.twitter.com/fP8nsjy1TX
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) January 5, 2022
The language used in his statement was eerily similar to the social media posts Trump made in the lead up to the Capitol riots, and to remarks he made at a rally on the day.
At his “March to Save America” rally on 6 January, 2021, Trump told his supporters: “We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
The similarities between his remarks then and now were not lost on Twitter users, with one asking Twitter: “‘MAGA nation should rise up’? On the anniversary of the riot he incited?
“What does Trump’s sock puppet have to broadcast in violation of your ban have to say for you to suspend this account?!”
The Capitol riots. (Getty. Samuel Corum)
The world watched in horror when, on 6 January, 2021, as crowds of violent white supremacists stormed the US Capitol in a violent assault on democracy.
The rioters broke into the Senate chamber shortly after Trump encouraged crowds to “fight like hell” to overturn the US election result. Five people were killed and many more injured.
Afterwards, Trump was impeached for a second time over charges of “incitement of insurrection”. Though a majority of senators went on to find him guilty in a 57-43 vote, a super-majority of 67 was needed to convict him.
Afterwards, Trump was suspended from Twitter for his role in inciting the riots. While he was briefly allowed back on the platform, he was permanently banned for continuing to post messages that could “inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on 6 January”.
Despite being cut off by almost every social media platform, the former president still has a Twitter mouthpiece in the form of his chief spokesperson Liz Harrington.
Biden condemns Trump on Capitol riot anniversary
Marking the anniversary of the riots, both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden gave speeches at the Capitol, vowing to “make sure that such an attack never happens again”.
Tune in as I deliver remarks to mark one year since the January 6th deadly assault on the Capitol. https://t.co/nvklC2pgl8— President Biden (@POTUS) January 6, 2022
Biden said: “The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.
“He has done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interests as more important than his country’s interests.
“Because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our constitution.”
