Pam Hemphill, a former Trump supporter sentenced to two months in prison for her involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, claimed in an interview with CNN’s Abby Phillip that former President Donald Trump “wanted the people to attack the Capitol.”
During the appearance on CNN NewsNight, Hemphill stated that many people are recognizing Trump as a cult leader who turned MAGA into a cult. She alleged that Trump gaslights his followers and spreads lies, asserting that he orchestrated the events leading to the Capitol attack. Hemphill expressed greater concern about the Republican Party and mentioned “Project 2025,” suggesting a fear of a move toward dictatorship within the party.
When asked by Phillip about Trump’s culpability for the January 6th events, Hemphill argued that Trump knew the election wasn’t stolen and questioned why he directed people to the Capitol. She claimed that Trump had it all planned and wanted people to attack the Capitol, pointing to his rhetoric and encouragement to “fight like hell.”
In response to a question about whether Trump would face consequences, Hemphill expressed belief in Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. She expressed hope that the legal proceedings would prove Trump’s criminal actions and criticized him for lying about everything.
Hemphill concluded the interview by stating that she would vote for President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. She remarked that if she could speak to Trump, she would tell him to retire and get honest, expressing doubt that anyone could influence him and placing hope in legal actions to hold him accountable.
Well, he knew the election wasn’t stolen, and why is he having everybody go down to the Capitol? See, when I got there, the crowd was so big, I couldn’t get through. So I walked around and asked what else was going on that day, and they said, “I think I heard Trump’s going to be at the Capitol.”
As I’m walking there, I’m thinking, well why are we going to the Capitol? He just had a talk. So I feel like he had it all planned. That he wanted the people to attack the Capitol. That’s just my feeling, but no, he’s responsible, because he said, “March down there.” He tries to use “Peacefully.” No, he said, “Go fight like hell.” That’s what he said, and he was talking to the wrong people because they took that literally.
“Do you think that Trump will ultimately face any consequences for his actions, whether they’re legal or criminal?” asked Phillip.
“I believe so,” Hemphill said, before referencing Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is currently prosecuting Trump over his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. “I think we can have a lot of faith in Jack Smith. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got the receipts, you know, and I think that, sadly, we’re going to have to wait till court for people to start realizing that Trump has lied about everything and Trump is a criminal, and he needs to have his day in court to be proven what we already know. That he is a criminal. He knows it.”
