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On October 16, 2024, Donald Trump, during the televised election town hall hosted by Univision, suggested that January 6, 2021, was a "day of love" and no one was killed that day except Ashli Babbitt, a protester who was shot by Capitol Police while attempting to enter a restricted area.
"Action was taken, a strong action. Ashli Babbitt was killed, nobody was killed. There were no guns, we didn't have guns," the former President said.
Social media users and commentators reacted to the statements, with many users on X pointing to the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who passed away following the events of January 6:
"Brian Sicknick can't respond to this because he's dead," one user commented.
In response to the former President's recent statement claiming that his supporters did not have any firearms during the protests on January 6, many users on X shared video clips from that day, questioning the accuracy of his assertion:
"We didn't have guns. Who is we, Mr Trump??" another user wrote.
"Is he sure about that?" added another user.
Additionally, numerous users on X claimed that the audience appeared unresponsive to Trump's remarks, indicating skepticism toward his claims about the events of January 6, 2021. Many suggested that the crowd did not seem to accept the former President's statements:
"The audience members aren't your typical low IQ cult members. They aren't buying with this snake oil salesman is selling," one user wrote.
"Look at all those crossed arms...none of them are buying it," another user commented.
"They weren't falling for the okey doke, either," a netizen wrote.
As the public conversation surrounding the former President's recent remarks intensifies, he or his team are yet to address the social media reactions.
Trump's recent comments on January 6
During a town hall event on Wednesday, Donald Trump dismissed the notion that his actions on January 6, 2021, should cause Republican voters to withdraw their support. This assertion came after a former supporter expressed during the televised event that he would not vote for Trump due to the events of that day.
In his response, Trump suggested that nothing wrong occurred during the riot and emphasized that the protestors were not motivated by him but rather by their belief that the election was rigged:
"Nothing done wrong at all. They didn't come because of me. They came because of the election. They thought the election was a rigged election, and that's why they came," the former President said.
Moreover, the former President mentioned how some people who came to hear him speak outside the White House on January 6 later went to the Capitol. However, he did not mention encouraging them to go there.
According to NBC News, Trump spoke to his supporters on January 6, 2021, to march to the Capitol building, although he emphasized that they should do so peacefully:
"We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women... I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard," the former President said
According to the BBC, January 6, 2021, remains a day that profoundly divided the United States, with 55% of Americans viewing it as "an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten." On that day, a significant and chaotic event unfolded when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
This incident occurred as Congress was in session to certify the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden had been declared the winner.
The former President's statements came days before the presidential election, scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
