"I was doing what he asked us to do."
“The president asked people to come…it’s the least that we can do.”
"My president called me to DC."
It's not just Democrats saying that Trump incited the Capitol insurrection. It's many of the accused Capitol rioters themselves.
“The president asked people to come…it’s the least that we can do.”
"My president called me to DC."
It's not just Democrats saying that Trump incited the Capitol insurrection. It's many of the accused Capitol rioters themselves.
According to our investigation, of the 194 federal criminal cases brought against insurrectionists so far, at least 13 people charged cited Trump explicitly as the reason they marched on the Capitol. Here’s a list. bit.ly/3p5rJ1I
Robert Bauer of Kentucky, who entered the Capitol wearing a Trump 2020 hat, told investigators that he marched there at the behest of President Trump: “because President Trump said to do so.” 
Edward Hemenway, of Winchester, Virginia, made a similar statement to FBI agents, explaining that during the rally President Trump said “something about taking Pennsylvania Avenue,” so he headed for the Capitol.
An informant told investigators that Robert Sanford, of Chester, Pennsylvania, was among a group that “had gone to the White House and listened to President Donald J. Trump’s speech and then had followed the president’s instructions and gone to the Capitol.”
Christopher Ray Grider, of Eddy, Texas, said, “The president asked people to come and show their support. I feel like it’s the least that we can do, it’s kind of why I came from central Texas all the way to DC.”
According to the FBI, Jorge Riley, a Sacramento, California resident, posted a video of himself on the morning of January 6th saying, “I’m here to see what my President called me to DC for.!”
Jennifer Ryan, a realtor from Texas who traveled to the Capitol on a private jet, defended her participation in the siege and called for Trump to pardon her and others who took part: “I thought I was following my president. I thought I was following what we were called to do.”
According to charging documents, Gina Bisignano, of Beverly Hills, California, allegedly tweeted a response to President Trump’s December 19 call to protest in D.C. on January 6th: “I’ll be there.”
Joshua Black, of Leeds, Alabama, said that Trump’s speech at the White House the morning of January 6 fueled him and other rioters: “The crowd went crazy. I mean, it became a mob. We crossed the gate.”
Jacob Chansley, of Arizona, who stormed the Senate chamber shirtless while wearing a fur headdress and face paint, said he came to the Capitol at the behest of President Trump, who called for all “patriots” to come to DC on January 6.
Maryland resident Emanuel Jackson’s lawyer says Jackson’s defense will hinge on the argument that Trump is responsible for the insurrection because he invited Jackson and others to participate: “An event inspired by the President of the United States.”
Valerie Ehrke, of Arbuckle, California, told investigators she did not plan to go to the Capitol when she arrived in DC, but that after attending Trump’s “Save America” rally she took part in the siege “wanting to be part of what was happening,” according to charging documents.
Daniel Goodwyn of San Francisco, a “self-proclaimed” Proud Boy, allegedly posted a tweet encouraging fellow Trump supporters to protest at their local state capitols and to “await orders from our Commander in Chief."
On January 2, Stephen Michael Ayers, of Warren, Ohio, allegedly shared an image on social media of a poster reading, “ the president is calling on us to come back to Washington on January 6th for a big protest” and claimed, “History is being made.”
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