WASHINGTON 鈥� Former President Donald Trump on Thursday defended some of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, saying they posed 鈥渮ero threat鈥� to the lawmakers who had assembled there to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Joe Biden's victory in the presidential race.
Trump complained to Fox News Channel鈥檚 Laura Ingraham that law enforcement was 鈥減ersecuting鈥� the Capitol rioters, while 鈥渘othing happens鈥� to left-wing protesters.
Trump did acknowledge that those who stormed the Capitol 鈥渨ent in and they shouldn鈥檛 have done it.鈥�
But he added: 鈥淪ome of them went in and they鈥檙e, they鈥檙e hugging and kissing the police and the guards. You know, they had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in and then they walked in and they walked out."
More than 300 people have been charged in connection to the riot. Authorities have said they believe at least 100 more could face charges.
The Jan. 6 riot followed a fiery Trump rally outside the White House, in which he urged a mob of his supporters to 鈥渇ight like hell鈥� for him at the Capitol. A week later, the House impeached Trump for the second time, but the Senate eventually acquitted him on the charge of inciting the attack.
The Associated Press
