Rep Mike Waltz slammed for asking Trump to not take responsibility for Jan 6 during presidential debate

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Mike Waltz (R-FL) has voiced strong support for former President Donald Trump, asserting that Trump should not bear responsibility for the January 6th Capitol attack and should defend some of the rioters during the upcoming presidential debate.

As Trump prepares to face President Joe Biden in a CNN debate, questions surrounding the events of January 6th, 2021, loom large.

House Republican wants Trump to defend January 6th rioters

In an interview with Manu Raju on Wednesday, Waltz emphasized Trump's right to address what he termed as "the abuse" within the justice system, highlighting cases where individuals allegedly faced excessive legal repercussions without due process.

"But we also know from our team’s reporting is that they’re expecting some questions about January 6th and everything that happened on January 6th. Do you think that Trump should bear some responsibility for what happened that day?" the interviewer asked, per Mediaite.

"Well, look, I think it was a protest that turned into a riot. But I do expect President Trump to talk about the abuse, of the justice system and many of these people that have been sitting in jail still waiting to be charged. A lot of the, the really excessive sentences that have gone in…but I’ll talk about it here. I have 72 year old grandmothers who never went anywhere near the Capitol, but were almost bankrupted in legal fees because of constant harassment by the FBI. I mean, I think those are real issues that need to come out," Waltz replied.

Raju questioned Waltz about whether Trump should accept any responsibility for the riot. "Oh, I don’t think he was responsible for Jan 6th…he’s going to point out, which is factually correct, that he said go down to the Capitol and peacefully protest. That’s fine!" the House Republican said.

Rep Mike Waltz slammed for his defense of Donald Trump on Jan 6 Capitol attack

A social media user commented, "I think it's a great idea to remind voters that Trump was the first president in US history to reject the peaceful transfer of power and brainwash his supporters into staging a coup to try and overthrow a free and fair election on his behalf."

Another said, "Insurrection—and inciting one—are utterly indefensible. Trump belongs in prison along with his cult members at the Capitol that day."

A third claimed, "100% responsible. He invited them, he incited them. He didn't tell them unequivocally to stand down. He only told them to go home when it was clear the coup had failed."

A fourth added, "The Jan 6th assault on the US Capitol would have never happened if Trump didn't try to overturn the election by lying about the outcome and telling his emotionally disturbed base that they could reinstate him."

"Notice how the only people who make excuses for the terrorists of J6 are people involved with the plot," read a comment.

"If Trump hadn't specifically invited them to Washington, and simply accepted his loss like a man, none of this would have happened. He is SOLELY responsible," penned a user.

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