- 13 Jan 2021 21:44
#15149485
There is a claim that has been falsely and irresponsibly made by a number of news sources that needs to be fact-checked. The claim is that "Trump incited a riot" or that "Trump incited violence" onto the capital.
The Facts: On January 6th Donald Trump and his followers gathered in Washington D.C. to protest Joe Biden's disputed presidential victory. At no point in Trump's hour long speech did he direct or instruct his audience to violently attack the capital. The reality is that Trump called for a march towards the capital, a common occurrence that has taken place throughout American history. The only arguable inference to violence was the use of the words "fight" by Trump, a word often and commonly used to denote a metaphorical fight - a fight of protest. Trump did not plan, instruct, or condone any act of violence or criminal behavior. Within just an hour of violence breaking out, Trump immediately denounced it and called for the violence to cease.
My verdict for the claim that Trump "incited a riot" thus in my opinion has a rating of Mostly False.
The Facts: On January 6th Donald Trump and his followers gathered in Washington D.C. to protest Joe Biden's disputed presidential victory. At no point in Trump's hour long speech did he direct or instruct his audience to violently attack the capital. The reality is that Trump called for a march towards the capital, a common occurrence that has taken place throughout American history. The only arguable inference to violence was the use of the words "fight" by Trump, a word often and commonly used to denote a metaphorical fight - a fight of protest. Trump did not plan, instruct, or condone any act of violence or criminal behavior. Within just an hour of violence breaking out, Trump immediately denounced it and called for the violence to cease.
My verdict for the claim that Trump "incited a riot" thus in my opinion has a rating of Mostly False.