Raw Video Shows Trump Ad-Libbing Statements To His Supporters On Jan. 6 & 7: “I Don’t Want To Say, ‘The Election Is Over'”
The House Committee holding hearings into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol today released never-before-seen raw footage of then-president Donald Trump ad-libbing in a videos addressing the nation and his supporters.
The first came late in the afternoon of January 6.
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While the entire country saw the final product, the unedited video released today shows a very intense Trump, initially distracted by someone in the frame behind him, doing multiple takes of the speech. As he speaks, Trump deviates from text, which was carefully-written to quell the rioters who’d breached the building where Congress was certifying the election.
How To Watch The January 6 Hearings: Schedule, Livestream Link & Witnesses For Primetime Telecast
In fact, the speech Trump delivered bore very little resemblance to the final text that he had approved, according to the House Committee. He inserts statements of empathy for his supporters and, instead of denouncing violence unequivocally, he asks for peace because, “We can’t play into the hands of these people.”
Among his ad-libs, right at the top of the speech, was a repetition of the lie that the election had been stolen: “We had an election that was stolen from us.” Trump repeated the assertion again at the end of the short video, another major deviation from the text he had already approved.
Asked whether in his opinion Trump used any of the written remarks, former Assistant to the President Nicholas Luna told the committee, “To my knowledge it was off the cuff.”
Here is what was assumed to be the final text of the statement Trump was to give that evening, according to documents obtained by the January 6 panel:
I urge all of my supporters to do exactly what 99% of them have already been doing — express their passions and opinions PEACEFULLY.
My supporters have a right to make their voices heard, but make no mistake — NO ONE should be using violence or threats of violence to express themselves. Especially at the U.S. Capitol. Let’s respect our institutions. Let’s all do better.
I am asking you to leave the Capitol Hill region NOW and go home in a peaceful way.
The very next day, Trump released another video, the raw footage from which shows him repeatedly changing text meant to quell tensions in the nation.
“You do not represent our movement. You do not represent out country. You will pay. And if you broke the law…” Trump stops, shakes his head, and says, “Can’t say that. I’m not gonna…I already said, ‘You will pay. ”
Later, he reads from the teleprompter, “This election is now over. Congress has certified the results.” Again, Trump stops and says, “I don’t want to say, ‘The election is over.’ I’ll just say, ‘Congress has certified the results’ without saying, ‘The election is over.’ ”
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