'Making heroes out of criminals': Donald Trump faces backlash as he calls January 6 defendants 'warriors' at Las Vegas rally

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Former President Donald Trump once again defended the rioters who unleashed violence in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.

Addressing his supporters in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, June 9, the GOP presumptive nominee called the January 6 defendants "warriors."

"Those J6 warriors – they were warriors – but they were really, more than anything else, they're victims of what happened," said Trump to the attendees of the sweltering outdoor rally, according to The Hill.

This was his first rally since he was found guilty of all charges in the New York hush money case in the last week of May. 

Donald Trump claims January 6 defendants were fighting a 'rigged election' and police 'welcomed' them into Capitol

Amid active campaigning for a return to the White House, Trump doubled down on his rhetoric that the 2020 election was "rigged," despite facing two indictments for attempting to reverse its results.

"All they were doing is protesting a rigged election. That’s what they were doing," claimed the 45th president, donning a MAGA hat under the scorching sun.

He then falsely claimed that the police at the Capitol welcomed the insurrectionists into the building where the Congress was certifying Biden's 2020 election victory.

The MAGA leader argued that the police told the rioters, "Go in, go in, go in, go in," adding, "What a setup that was. What a horrible, horrible thing, and you know, that blows two ways, that blows two ways, believe me."

This is not the first time Trump defended his supporters who stormed the Capitol.

For instance, in January, on the third anniversary of the insurrection, the ex-POTUS demanded Biden release the convicted rioters, referring to them as "hostages."

Similarly, at an Ohio rally in March, he saluted the January 6 defendants while 'Justice for All', a song dedicated to them, was being played. Later, in the speech, he called them "patriots."

Contradicting Trump's sympathy for the rioters, nearly 140 officers were injured, and five succumbed to death days after the attack. One officer compared the scene to a "war zone" while recalling the hours-long combat during a testimony before a congressional committee in 2022.

According to the Department of Justice, more than 1,265 defendants were charged in relation to the attack, out of which 452 faced charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees. In addition, 123 were accused of using deadly weapons resulting in serious injury to an officer.

Internet blasts Donald Trump for calling January 6 rioters 'warriors'

The former president's remarks ignited fury among netizens who accused him of "sympathizing" with the January 6 defendants.

One said, "Making heroes out of criminals and Trump is hoping the USA will make a criminal president," and another noted, "Convicted felon sympathizing with other convicted felons. Trump has no regard, no respect for law and order." 

"I agree with Donald Trump. Those arrested on Jan. 6 at the Capitol were certainly 'victims of what happened.' What happened was that DJT refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, pursued multiple avenues to overturn the election and lied to his supporters about it all," expressed a person. 

Someone else pointed out, "They were Insurrectionists, it is against the law i.e. they are criminals, the people who died are the victims, especially those who died protecting your Constitution. Trump is lying again."

An individual inquired, "Why didn't he pardon them when he could? They're in jail because of him." 

"This is why he can't be president. We can't count on him to adequately assess a situation. He will always interpret any issue based solely on how it impacts him. He is the most unfit presidential candidate in history," argued another person.

One more stated, "The funny part is that he catches himself calling them 'warriors' which could be introduced as evidence in any J6 related civil or criminal cases against him. If they were warriors then who was giving them the orders?"

"He has to choose a lane; they can't be Warriors, victims, hostages, tourists, and whatever else he wants to call them all at the same time. The easiest thing to call them would be criminals," fumed a netizen. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.