GOP congressman questions whether any rioters attacked Capitol because of Trump. Video suggests they did.

last updated 13 January 2021

During Wednesday's impeachment debate on the House floor, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) asked his colleagues — many of whom have accused President Trump of inciting an insurrection — if any of the individuals who participated in the deadly riot at the United States Capitol building last week have been brought before Congress "to answer whether they did that because of our president."

Mast didn't receive an answer, which appeared to be his intent, and stood silently at the podium to prove his point. But while it's true that no one has actually spoken before Congress to say that they were inspired to storm the Capitol by or on behalf of Trump, observers quickly noted there is video evidence of at least some members of the mob who did claim to police that day that Trump "invited" them to the grounds, so it's unclear if Mast's point landed the way he intended. Tim O'Donnell

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

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.