“Release the J6 hostages, Joe!” Trump says Biden should release riot participants on third anniversary – arguing they acted 'patriotic and peaceful' while mocking Liz Cheney for her investigation into Capitol attack
Former President Donald Trump marked the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by again demanding that the “hostages” be released by President Joe Biden.
Trump brought up Jan. 6 on the campaign trail during both of his appearances in Iowa on Saturday, saying in one that participants in the riot three years ago acted “patriotic and peaceful.”
He also continued to go after former Rep. Liz Cheney, one of only two Republicans to participate in the House investigation after the attack.
After a nearly three-and-a-half-hour delay — due to a malfunctioning small private plane that Trump's team had rented to shuttle the ex-president between two smaller Iowa cities ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses — Trump entered on Saturday evening the stage in Clinton, Iowa.
Trump accused Biden and the Democrats of turning the country into a “h***,” then added, “You know what they should do? They don't want to release the J6 hostages. They have suffered enough.'
Former President Donald Trump brought up the January 6 attack on the Capitol during both of his appearances in Iowa. During an evening rally in Clinton, Trump demanded that President Joe Biden “release the J6 hostages!”
Congress was meeting at the Capitol to count the Electoral College votes when large numbers of Trump supporters rioted, breached the building, injured police officers, called for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence and halted proceedings for hours
“They're not letting them out,” the ex-president and 2024 Republican hopeful continued. “I call them hostages, some people call them prisoners, I call them hostages.”
“Release the J6 hostages, Joe!” Trump said, his voice growing louder. 'Let them go Joe! You can do them very easily, Joe.'
Biden kicked off his 2024 campaign by delivering a speech on Friday from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, saying that “we almost lost America” on January 6.
He also called Trump “sick” and a “loser” during his remarks.
Congress was meeting at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to count the Electoral College votes and certify Biden's victory when large numbers of Trump supporters rioted, breached the building, injured police officers, called for the hanging of vice President Mike Pence and brought proceedings to a standstill for hours.
Since then, more than 1,265 suspects have been charged with crimes related to the attack in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to Justice Department figures.
Trump has long said he would pardon the participants if he returns to power.
At an earlier event in Newton, Iowa, the former president said the real “uprising” was the crisis at the U.S. southern border and claimed migrants were not acting “patriotic and peaceful, peaceful and patriotic” like the Trump mob. supporters on January 6. 2021
The ex-president once again went after former Rep. Liz Cheney, who spoke at Dartmouth in New Hampshire on Friday (photo). Trump said Cheney had a case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. “I look at her on TV and she's shaking,” Trump said
During his earlier stop in Iowa, in the city of Newton, located outside Des Moines, Trump said the current southern border crisis was a bigger problem than what happened on January 6.
“When you talk about insurrection, that's the real deal,” the ex-president noted.
He said migrants were not doing so “patriotic and peaceful, peaceful and patriotic,” words Trump reserved for the masses on January 6.
At another point during his Newton event, Trump noted, “nobody even thought J6 was even a possibility,” before attacking Cheney.
“She is a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” he said. “I see her shaking on the television,” he said, wiggling behind the podium to get an impression.
He then took credit for “knocking her out of office.”
“You know she lost for a member of Congress by the largest margin in history, did you know that? Because any member of Congress or woman who does that poorly would be out of the race long before the race,” Trump said.
Cheney lost a primary in ultra-red Wyoming against current Rep. Harriet Hageman by more than 37 points in August 2022, setting records.