An article from PJ Media claims that “the Washington Post Admits Trump Did Not Incite the Capitol Riot” and that reports that some rioters planned their attack in advance “completely undermine[s] the entire case Democrats made for impeaching Trump.” As evidence, the article links to a recent Washington Post piece about the storming of the Capitol that reports there was some pre-planning of the Capitol riot.
The Washington Post article in question is titled “Self-styled militia members planned on storming the U.S. Capitol days in advance of Jan. 6 attack, court documents say.” The article outlines how some of those who stormed the Capitol had organized in order to carry out the attack on Congress, showing that “the riot was not an entirely impulsive outburst of violence but an event instigated or exploited by organized groups.”
PJ Media claims this information shows that Trump “did not incite the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 with his speech” that day. However, while the article of impeachment against Trump does mention his speech on January 6, it also cites his behavior leading up to the day, stating: “In the months preceding the Joint Session [at which the electoral college results were certified by Congress], President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the Presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by State or Federal officials.” The article of impeachment also says that “President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 Presidential election.”
PJ Media is incorrect to claim that the Washington Post “admitted” Trump didn’t incite the storming of the Capitol or that news of pre-planning “undermines” the case for impeachment. There’s nothing in the article that supports this claim, either explicitly or implicitly.
If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.
Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated.
You are currently using a limited time guest pass and do not have access to commenting. Consider subscribing to join the conversation.
With your membership, you only have the ability to comment on The Morning Dispatch articles. Consider upgrading to join the conversation everywhere.