According to an audio extract of Donald Trump talking with journalist Jonathan Karl released on Thursday, the former president claimed that he wanted to go to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but was prevented from doing so by the Secret Service.
Talking with Karl, ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent since late 2012, on March 18, 2021, Trump recalled the crowd at the rally on January 6, 2021, where he told his supporters he would be going to the Capitol building. The interview is dated a bit over two months after the riots that saw the Capitol being invaded and looted by a mob of MAGA supporters.
“I was going to and then Secret Service said you can’t, and then by the time—I would have, and then when I get back, I saw—I wanted to go back,” Trump said, as heard in an audio extract aired exclusively by CNN on Thursday. “I was thinking about going back during the problem to stop the problem, doing it myself,” he added. “Secret Service didn’t like that idea too much.”
Newsweek contacted the U.S. Secret Service by phone on Friday but did not receive an immediate response.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at The Ted Hendricks Stadium at Henry Milander Park on November 8, 2023 in Hialeah, Florida. In an audio released by CNN on Thursday, Trump said he wanted to go to the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, but he was not allowed to do so by Secret Service.
Alon Skuy/Getty Images
The former president added that he would have been “very well received” by the crowd at the Capitol, which he earlier described as the “biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken in front of by far.”
Trump added: “Don’t forget, the people that went to Washington that day, in my opinion, they went because they thought the election was rigged, that’s why they went.”
Trump himself spread claims that the 2020 election had been rigged and stolen from him, who should have been the real winner instead of President Joe Biden. These claims were later found to be false by several independent experts.
Earlier this year, the former president was indicted in Washington over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election result, which culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He is facing four criminal charges, including one count of conspiracy against the rights of citizens, one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and one count of obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, repeatedly calling Special Counsel Jack Smith “deranged” and accusing him of being part of a political witch hunt against him.
The former president was also indicted in Georgia for conspiring with 18 other co-defendants to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. He was charged with 13 counts including violating Georgia’s racketeering act, conspiracy to impersonate a public officer and conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, among others.
After listening to the audio, CNN anchor Erin Burnett said that the news company’s legal analysts considered the recording to be “highly valuable evidence for the prosecution” and will “likely be part of the trial” against Trump.
Despite being embattled in at least four criminal and civil cases, Trump is still the frontrunner for the Republican primary for 2024. As of November 16, the former president had an average 59.1 percent of the vote, according to FiveThirtyEight. His immediate rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, had 14.1 percent of the vote.
Newsweek contacted Trump’s 2024 campaign for comment by email on Friday.
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