In a recent intense exchange via Mediaite, former President Donald Trump faced probing questions from Kristen Welker, the new moderator of Meet The Press, regarding his actions on January 6th and why he did not take more decisive measures to quell the riot staged by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.
During Welker’s first interview with Trump since assuming her role, they delved into Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his efforts to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden. Trump disputed the shocking testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, former top aide to Mark Meadows. Welker, in pursuit of clarity, asked Trump to describe what he was doing as his supporters besieged Congress in an attempt to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results.
“Tell me how you watched this all unfold. Were you in the dining room watching TV?” Welker inquired.
Trump’s response was evasive. “I’m not going to tell you,” he retorted. Welker pressed further, asking, “What did you do when the Capitol was under attack, though?”
Trump pointed to a video he had released in which he told his supporters to go home, despite the fact that he continued to perpetuate the falsehood that had fueled their assault on the Capitol. Welker highlighted the time gap, noting that his message was issued more than three hours after the attack had begun, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
The exchange persisted as Welker probed Trump about whom he had called to intervene and halt the riot on that fateful day.
“Why would I tell you that?” Trump responded, once again advancing the misleading argument that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had allowed the riot to occur. Trump repeatedly refused to disclose whether he had reached out to the military or law enforcement to address the crisis, even as Welker underscored that “Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have the authority that you have as commander in chief… Why didn’t you send help in that moment?”
This exchange encapsulates the ongoing scrutiny and controversy surrounding the events of January 6th, as investigators, journalists, and the public seek a clearer understanding of the former president’s actions during that tumultuous day in American history.
