During a Thursday afternoon hearing of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, panel members again showed further footage from a previous deposition of Pat Cipollone, who served as White House counsel at the time of the Trump-incited violence.
Although he skirted around the question amid concerns about executive privilege, Cipollone essentially implicitly admitted Donald Trump didn’t want members of the riot crowd to leave the Capitol. Obviously, these revelations produce serious ramifications. In terms of his presidential duties, Cipollone’s comments add another indication Trump, at least initially, wasn’t actively pursuing a response to the Capitol riot meant to bolster security at the premises and push back the mob. In terms of what Trump was doing, the revelation suggests — as other evidence has also indicated — Trump was directly in support of the violent confrontation between his supporters and law enforcement. Was he banking on such a scenario in the days before the riot, as he riled up his supporters with claims of a sweeping conspiracy and demands for urgent action? Did he engage in criminal conspiracy, planning on a violent attack — even if he didn’t actually plan the assault?
“Who on the staff did not want people to leave the Capitol?” Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) asked Cipollone during his deposition. “I can’t think of anybody on that day who didn’t want people to get out of the Capitol particularly once the violence started,” Cipollone told investigators. “What about the president?” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked. “Well, she said the staff, so I answered,” Cipollone said — indicating he wasn’t including Trump in his description of a general consensus people needed to leave the Capitol. “I can’t reveal communications, but obviously I think –,” Cipollone began, trailing off after having conferred with a lawyer. Cipollone also indicated in footage the committee shared that he was emphatic on the day of the riot about pushing for rioters to leave, although as the record shows, Trump didn’t exactly rush to do anything. Watch his comments below:
wow — Cipollone during his deposition was backed into a corner by Cheney and more or less forced to acknowledge that Trump didn't want his fans to leave the Capitol on January 6 pic.twitter.com/DUubOodMCf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 13, 2022
Among other revelations, the panel also shared footage of House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) conferring with leaders including then-Justice Department head Jeffrey Rosen and then-Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam about securing the scene, dramatically undercutting the idea — yet again — that Pelosi was somehow involved in some kind of security lapse around the Capitol that purposefully facilitated what eventually turned into the Capitol assault. Trump has tried to accuse Pelosi of responsibility. “It’s Nancy Pelosi’s fault, she turned down the troops! Perhaps she was disengaged – maybe looking for her husband!” he said at one point. There is no evidence that Pelosi either turned down troops from Trump meant for security on the 6th as the high-profile date approached or would have even had the authority to do so. Now, there’s video evidence of her working on securing the Capitol — the opposite of Trump’s contentions
