An hours-long riot at the Capitol four years ago doesn’t even rank among the top four issues facing voters as they go to cast their ballots between two presidents this fall.
But the turmoil on Jan. 6, 2021, certainly claimed the lion’s share of coverage on CNN for the next two years, if not four, as the network became the go-to outlet for Democrats to spread conspiracies surrounding the isolated episode of right-wing violence. So naturally, the network where former Rep. Adam Kinzinger ran for a paycheck once it became clear he would never be reelected deployed debate moderator Jake Tapper to bring up the subject in Thursday night’s 90-minute debate.
“What do you say to voters who believe that you violated [your constitutional] oath through your actions and inaction on Jan. 6, 2021, and worry that you’ll do that again,” Trump said.
Trump answered by placing blame squarely with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who refused to accept Trump’s request for the Capitol to be reinforced by 10,000 National Guard troops for the joint session of Congress.
“I offered her 10,000 soldiers or National Guard, and she turned them down,” Trump said. Pelosi’s deputies on the House Select Committee on Jan. 6, however, refused to investigate the speaker’s conduct and even concealed evidence of Democratic leadership rejecting Capitol reinforcements.
The former president also made reference to recently published footage of Pelosi on Jan. 6 claiming “responsibility” for the security failures. Tape released from the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight this
