Trump rails against Barr and Jan. 6 committee’s primetime hearing
Hours after the Jan. 6 committee said it had uncovered evidence that former President Donald Trump was at the center of the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, Trump lashed out at the panel’s primetime presentation.
In posts Friday on his fledgling social media platform Truth Social, Trump downplayed the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob of his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, and denied he incited it.
“The so-called ‘Rush on the Capitol’ was not caused by me, it was caused by a Rigged and Stolen Election!” he fumed.
Trump railed against former Attorney General William Barr, who was shown on video testifying to the bipartisan committee that he had told Trump repeatedly that his election fraud claims were “bulls***.”
“Bill Barr was a weak and frightened Attorney General who was always being ‘played’ and threatened by the Democrats and was scared stiff of being Impeached,” Trump wrote in one post. “How do you not get impeached? Do nothing, or say nothing, especially about the obviously RIGGED & STOLEN Election.”
“The Democrats hit pay dirt with Barr,” Trump continued. “He was stupid, ridiculously said there was no problem with the Election, & they left him alone.”
In another post, Trump referred to Barr as a “coward” who had specifically refused to investigate his claims of “rampant” fraud in Philadelphia.
The former president did not offer evidence to support his claims.
Trump disputed the assertion by Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the committee’s vice chair, who said that testimony from his aides will show Trump was not concerned that his supporters were threatening Vice President Mike Pence’s life on Jan. 6. According to Cheney, when Trump learned they were chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” he said, "Maybe our supporters have the right idea," adding that Pence “deserves” it.
“I NEVER said, or even thought of saying, ‘Hang Mike Pence,’” Trump wrote. “This is either a made up story somebody looking to become a star, or FAKE NEWS!”
Trump also seemed to shrug off video of testimony by his daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, who told the committee that she agreed with Barr that there was no evidence to support her father’s claims of election fraud, and that she “accepted” his loss.
“Ivanka was not involved in looking at, or studying, Election results,” Trump wrote. “She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as Attorney General (he sucked!).”
