In new behind the scenes footage from his address on January 7, 45th President Donald Trump refused to say that the election was over and pushed back on language condemning his supporters who entered the U.S. Capitol the previous day.
The footage was shown by the January 6 Select Committee on Thursday, with the clips depicting Trump rehearsing for his speech addressing the nation following the protests at Capitol Hill the day prior.
“This election is now over. Congress has certified the results,” Trump began to say during rehearsals for the speech, before deciding to change up the script. “I don’t wanna say the election’s over. I just wanna say Congress has certified the results without saying the election’s over, okay?” he told his advisors.
His daughter Ivanka suggested other phrases he could use, such as “but Congress has certified,” or “now Congress has certified,” the latter of which he did use in the address that was aired at the time. Trump then followed it up with “a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20.”
The Select Committee obtained never-before-seen footage of the President recording an address to the nation on January 7th.
One day after he incited an insurrection based on a lie, Trump still couldn’t say the election was over. pic.twitter.com/YjdpT02I6U
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 22, 2022
Trump also pushed back on language that condemned and promised retribution against his supporters who peacefully meandered through the Capitol on January 6.
“I can’t say that,” said Trump, shaking his head. “I already said ‘you will pay.'” He pounded the podium in frustration moments later.
The footage, displayed at the Committee, seemed to annoy Rep. Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat, who went on to claim that Trump had “incited an insurrection based on a lie,” with his refusal to admit that “the election was over,” only compounding his prior actions.
Luria and other members of the Committee had focused the Thursday session on analysing Trump’s actions following the protest, including the video posted on January 7, and the one released on January 6 itself. In the latter video, recorded in the White House’s Rose Garden, the-then President instructed his supporters at the Capitol to peacefully head home.
In a speech the day after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, then-President Trump refused to admit that he had lost the election. 'I don't want to say the election is over,' footage showed him saying as he rehearsed the speech https://t.co/FBlS2624nO pic.twitter.com/6VQpgVNT58
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 22, 2022
The Committee has been subject to heated media attention since it launched, with wild claims, including the idea that Trump attempted to wrest control of the presidential limo away from the Secret Service driver on January 6, gaining much coverage.
Valiant News reported last week that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that law enforcement officers and “people on the inside” of the federal government were instrumental in assisting election integrity protesters to gain entry to the Capitol building, adding that videos and other evidence to back up said claim were being suppressed.
