In the end, this is not, as it may appear, a story of inaction in a time of crisis, but instead it was the final action of Donald Trump’s own plan to usurp the will of the American people and remain in power,” said Democrat Elaine Luria, who co-led the Thursday hearing with Republican and fellow committee member Adam Kinzinger.More than three hours passed between the end of Trump’s speech to supporters at the Ellipse near the White House and his tweet telling insurrectionists to “go home”.
In that time, a group of Trump’s supporters violently attacked law enforcement officers tasked to protect the Capitol and vandalized the building. Members of Congress, who had gathered at the Capitol to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, hid from the rioters and feared for their lives as the president stood by.
“President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home. He chose not to act,” Kinzinger said.
Trump only decided to tell his supporters to leave the Capitol once it became clear that their attempts to disrupt the congressional certification of the election would prove fruitless, the committee argued. In a now infamous video message shared to Twitter on the afternoon of 6 January, Trump told the rioters to disperse while also praising them.
“Go home. We love you. You’re very special,” Trump said in the video.