'Trump sent us': Capitol police officer recounts Jan. 6 rioters' clear message

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell of the United States Capitol Police testified during the opening Jan. 6 select committee hearing on Tuesday that "nobody else" but former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol that day.
In response to a question from Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Gonell, who was on the front lines, said the rioters made it clear they felt Trump had given the green light to breach the building and disrupt Congress' Electoral College certification. "All of them were telling us 'Trump sent us,'" he said.
While there have been conspiratorial claims stating that at least some members of the crowd were Antifa or even undercover FBI agents, Gonell dismissed that idea and suggested Trump was primarily responsible for the events that unfolded. "Nobody else, there was nobody else," he testified. "It was not Antifa. It was not Black Lives Matter. It was not the FBI. It was [Trump's] supporters that he sent ... over to the Capitol that day."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 August
Quiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?
Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A human pyramid, a church on wheels, and more
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps up
Speed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless