Donald Trump once again addressed the events of January 6, but this time, he took things a step further; praising those involved and floating the idea that they could be financially compensated.
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“They were patriots, as far as I was concerned,” Trump said when asked about the individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump who has long criticized how rioters have been treated by the justice system, claimed that some current government officials are actively discussing ways to support the individuals financially.
“There’s talk about that,” he said when asked if there were plans to compensate rioters for lost income or missed opportunities. “A lot of the people in government really like that group of people.”
Trump also criticized how the media portrayed the event, suggesting the coverage was selective and misleading. “The only thing they show is a group of 1,000, whatever it may have been, 1,500 people,” he said. “What they don’t show is the crowd that day… It was the biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken before.”
Describing the sea of supporters who came to hear him speak that day, Trump said the turnout stretched to the Washington Monument and was so massive that “you virtually couldn’t see anything else but people.” He claimed peaceful intentions, repeating a familiar line from his speech: “A group of people went down there peacefully and patriotically. Remember that.”
No formal compensation program has been proposed or confirmed, but Trump’s comments suggest the idea is gaining traction in certain political circles.
