According to draft remarks obtained by the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, President Donald Trump did not want to call for the Justice Department to prosecute the rioters.
In a video posted Monday, the committee showed an excerpt of prepared remarks for Trump's address to the nation.
"If you broke the law, you will pay," said Trump.
The president did not make a strong call for the Justice Department to prosecute the people involved.
"I am directing the Department of Justice to ensure that all lawbreakers are brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law," Trump's draft remarks said. We need to send a clear message, not with mercy but with justice. Legal consequences need to be swift.
The personal part of the speech was removed.
It was suggested that Trump would say that he didn't represent him. "To the people who engaged in acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country," Trump said.
Elaine Luria, a Democrat who co-led the panel's hearing last week, said that Trump's refusal to tell rioters to leave the Capitol was not the only thing he was unwilling to say.
—Rep. Elaine Luria (@RepElaineLuria) July 25, 2022
The committee heard about Trump's actions as the riot unfolded. Even after the riot, Trump was unwilling to formally concede the election and struggled to condemn the violence.
A request for comment was not responded to by a Trump spokesman.
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