The shockwaves of the January 6th 2021 raid on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC are still felt around the world. Following the event, President Donald Trump quickly found himself in the midst of a widespread backlash from the public. However, Trump soon responded with a revisionist narrative to try and distance himself from the events of that day. Limited success has been found in pushing this narrative by Trump supporters and those further right.
Trump’s revisionist narrative seeks to blame the insurrectionists and the police for what happened that day – an effort seen as deflecting responsibility from himself and his supporters. He claims that the police were not adequately prepared for the attacks, and that the rioters had gone too far. Meanwhile, Trump is attempting to cast blame for the violence onto the people he had invited to Washington D.C. that day, namely, his supporters.
Troublingly, to support this revisionist narrative, elements within the media have repeated Trump’s claims that his supporters were peaceful throughout the day. Notably, his defense team has sought to highlight non-violent behavior taken by the people who had arrived at the Capitol.
In spite of those supporting Trump’s narrative, the facts remain clear. Lots of Trump supporters acted violently during the raid – from breaking windows to claiming offices – and many of their actions did go too far. Even worse, several distinct chants led by Trump supporters throughout the day indicate that clearer intentions of violence were held by specific individuals.
Although the revisionist narrative has gained some traction among Trump’s base, the facts are clear that Trump himself has to take ultimate responsibility for the raid. His inflammatory rhetoric at the rally shortly before the attack worked to incite violence, while his behavior and various tweets afterwards reflect his own take on his supporters’ actions. As such, the attempts by Trump and those in his circle to revise history is a clear sign of attempting to shield him from the fallout of what happened on January 6th.
The shockwaves of the January 6th 2021 raid on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC are still felt around the world. Following the event, President Donald Trump quickly found himself in the midst of a widespread backlash from the public. However, Trump soon responded with a revisionist narrative to try and distance himself from the events of that day. Limited success has been found in pushing this narrative by Trump supporters and those further right.
Trump’s revisionist narrative seeks to blame the insurrectionists and the police for what happened that day – an effort seen as deflecting responsibility from himself and his supporters. He claims that the police were not adequately prepared for the attacks, and that the rioters had gone too far. Meanwhile, Trump is attempting to cast blame for the violence onto the people he had invited to Washington D.C. that day, namely, his supporters.
Troublingly, to support this revisionist narrative, elements within the media have repeated Trump’s claims that his supporters were peaceful throughout the day. Notably, his defense team has sought to highlight non-violent behavior taken by the people who had arrived at the Capitol.
In spite of those supporting Trump’s narrative, the facts remain clear. Lots of Trump supporters acted violently during the raid – from breaking windows to claiming offices – and many of their actions did go too far. Even worse, several distinct chants led by Trump supporters throughout the day indicate that clearer intentions of violence were held by specific individuals.
Although the revisionist narrative has gained some traction among Trump’s base, the facts are clear that Trump himself has to take ultimate responsibility for the raid. His inflammatory rhetoric at the rally shortly before the attack worked to incite violence, while his behavior and various tweets afterwards reflect his own take on his supporters’ actions. As such, the attempts by Trump and those in his circle to revise history is a clear sign of attempting to shield him from the fallout of what happened on January 6th.
