Donald Trump wants Jan. 6 police to be charged for fighting rioters

Donald Trump has shared a post on his Truth Social website, calling for Capitol Police officers who “beat the hell out of innocent J6 [January 6] protesters” to face criminal charges.

On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed Congress in a bid to prevent Joe Biden‘s 2020 presidential election victory from being certified. Police were attacked with sticks, metal fencing and chemical spray, leaving over 100 officers injured. Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Trump supporter and Air Force veteran, was shot dead by law enforcement. Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who collapsed after being assaulted on January 6, died the following day, though a Washington D.C. medical examiner later attributed his death to natural causes.

In September, the District of Columbia’s attorney’s office said 1,146 people have been charged for their involvement in the January 6 unrest, of whom 378 had been convicted and imprisoned. Newsweek has contacted the United States Capitol Police for comment via email, telephone and voicemail message.

The post Trump shared was originally made on X, formerly Twitter, by the official account of the Hodge Twins. They are a pair of Trump-supporting comedians and political commentators with over 2.3 million followers on the platform.

They shared a 56-second clip that showed police using batons and chemical spray against protesters who were trying to force their way into the Capitol Hill complex. The post added: “The Capitol cops beat the hell out of innocent J6 protesters, and the videos are finally coming out.

“The cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed. This is why the uniparty didn’t want the videos released.”

Trump, who has posted on X only once since being restored to the platform following the Elon Musk takeover in 2022, shared a screenshot of the message on his Truth Social account, along with a link to the original post.

The former president, and 2024 Republican frontrunner, has repeatedly said he will pardon those imprisoned in relation to the January 6 attack if reelected to the White House.

Speaking at a rally in Houston, Texas, on November 2, Trump described those incarcerated after the January 6 riot as “hostages, not prisoners.” It came after organizers played “Justice for All.” It is a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the J6 Prison Choir, made up of men imprisoned after the riot, interspersed with Trump reciting the pledge of allegiance.

In December 2022 a House Select Committee formed to investigate the Capitol Hill riots attributed the disorder directly to Trump’s actions. The committee members said: “The central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed. None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him.” Trump branded the report “highly partisan” and a “witch hunt” on Truth Social.

Trump was indicted at the federal level in August on four counts relating to allegations he broke the law trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. He has pled not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

Separately the Republican frontrunner is also facing criminal charges in Georgia relating to his efforts to block Biden’s election win in the state. He has strongly denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said that the charges are politically motivated.