In the wake of the insurrection of the US Capitol on January 6, President Donald Trump has attempted to submit a revisionist narrative of the event in an effort to absolve himself of culpability. However, the limits of his revisionism are not only flimsy, they are also easily deciphered by those who witnessed or have any sort of understanding of the day’s events.
Trump claims that the protestors gathered at the Capitol on January 6 were simply peacefully protesting, and that their behavior was neither violent nor destructive. However, these peaceful assertions ignore footage of the Capitol being stormed by a mob of angry Trump supporters, several of whom can be seen carrying weapons and causing widespread destruction. Furthermore, five people, including a Capitol police officer, died in connection to the incident, proving that it was more than a peaceful protest.
In addition, Trump’s revisionist narrative completely ignores the facts of his rhetoric leading up to the insurrection. As he called on his supporters to “march down to the Capitol,” he continuously recycled his claims that the election was stolen from him, and that it was up to his supporters to “fight like hell” and try to “stop the steal.” These comments can not be overlooked, as they prove him to be complicit in provoking the riot that has since come to be known as the Capitol insurrection.
Furthermore, Trump’s revisionism is not supported by the Republican Party, who have largely chosen to distance themselves from the former President, and the majority of Americans, who condemned the attack and have been supportive of the move to impeach or remove him from office for inciting the riot.
The facts of the Capitol siege are sadly undeniable. Trump’s revisionism of January 6 is ultimately nothing more than a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation, and should be seen as nothing more than pure fiction.
