Donald Trump slammed as report says he didn't write tweet urging Jan 6 rioters to stay 'peaceful' himself

WASHINGTON, DC: New details emerged regarding the events inside the White House on January 6, 2021, as then-president Donald Trump watched rioters storm the Capitol. Insiders claimed that it was one of Trump's top aides who drafted his first tweet that urged protesters to remain peaceful.

Sources familiar with the testimony of Dan Scavino, Trump's former deputy chief of staff and current senior advisor to Trump's re-election campaign, told ABC News that the former president was initially hesitant to call in additional law enforcement during the early hours of the breach.

Dan Scavino's alleged role

As the chaos unfolded, a small group of individuals, including Scavino, attempted to persuade Trump to send a strong message to the protesters.

After approximately 20 minutes of urging, Scavino and others allegedly left Trump alone in the White House dining room. It was during this time that Trump posted a tweet disparaging then-vice president Mike Pence for lacking "the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country."

The tweet, which shocked several aides, including Scavino, marked a turning point. Despite further efforts from Trump's aides and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone to encourage a more forceful message, Trump remained resistant.

Scavino reportedly printed out several tweets for Trump's consideration, but the former president was not initially interested in putting out additional statements.

Around 2:38 pm local time, a tweet was eventually posted on Trump's Twitter account, stating, "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!"

In response to the unverified claims, a spokesperson for Trump stated in an email to Business Insider, "Dan Scavino is one of President Trump's longest-serving, most loyal allies, and his actual testimony shows just how strong President Trump is positioned in this case."

The spokesperson dismissed the "media fascination with second-hand hearsay" as indicative of a weak "Witch-Hunt" against Trump.

During his testimony with special counsel Jack Smith's team as part of the Justice Department's probe into Trump's actions on January 6, Scavino allegedly told investigators that Trump remained reluctant about putting out more messages on Twitter.

Scavino allegedly described telling Trump in a phone call on the night of January 6, "This is all your legacy here, and there's smoke coming out of the Capitol."

Smith's wide-ranging indictment against Trump, announced in August, accuses the former president of attempting to unlawfully retain power by spreading lies about the 2020 election and pressuring Pence to block Congress from certifying the results on January 6. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to sources familiar with Scavino's testimony, Trump was described as "very angry" on January 6, not at the actions of his supporters at the Capitol, but over the alleged election theft.

Scavino allegedly characterized the situation as "very unsettling," recounting moments when Trump sat silently, arms folded, and eyes locked on the TV.

Social media reactions

Critics of the former president trolled him on social media amid claims that he didn't write the tweet urging protesters to remain peaceful on January 6, 2021.

"I mean - is anyone really surprised by this?" one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"This is in no way a shock," another wrote.

"We know he didn't write it. He hardly ever wrote his own tweets. That was Scavino's job. Now Trump writes some of his own posts, that's SOME. Especially the ones with misspellings," someone else offered.

"Of course he didn't because that would be him admitting liability and he lied - does not surprise me at all," another user alleged.

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