Donald Trump the Megathread part II - Mod Warning updated in OP 12/2/26

"He literally said no violence, peacefully.

The riot was going to happen regardless. It couldve been a lot worse. The Proud Boys and Oath Keeper losers had already planted pipe bombs and the like and were calling for violence immeditely after the election."

If his supporters (Proud Boys & Oath Keepers) were calling for violence immediately after the election… if the riot was going to happen regardless… Why would Trump organise a rally of his supporters just down from the Capitol? Why would he need to tell them not to use violence, unless he knew violence was a likely outcome? Why would he continuously stoke claims of a stolen election in front of a crowd who had been calling for violence immediately after the election?

Unlike Jack Nicholson, you're the one who can't handle the truth. And the truth is 'plausible deniability'. He said to protest peacefully, knowing they wouldn't. He gathered his violent supporters there (let alone the reports of reducing security screening at his rally which reduced screening for weapons) for a rally right down from the Capitol buildings. He wanted to disrupt and delay the certification of the results by the only means he could; aiming his weapons at the building knowing his supporters would fire them (metaphorically speaking).

Ever see those videos where a parent puts some sweets in front of their toddler, tells them not to eat the sweets and then walks out of the room? The sweets are going to get eaten. That's a given.

Trump directed his violent supporters who as you say, had been calling for violence since the election results, to go to the building where the election was being certified, and told them to protest peacefully. Then he walked out of the room.

He knew the sweets were going to get eaten.

So you admit you ignored the entire context of my post?

If we're splitting hairs, no he didn't. We're going to march peacefully doesn't rule out violence.

If he said, 'go home now and pray,' that would've ruled out violence.

Further, as you love this quote:

'You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have beenlawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitolbuilding to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. '

So, in the spirit of your hairsplitting, he said, "I know that everyone here will…".. Is that an instruction to march peacefully? What instruction is there after they arrive? Pray? Sing?

In US justice, there's a concept of 'what would a reasonable person do.' If you're Trump with an obviously agitated mob listening to you raptly, would you have egged them on to the Capitol? This is one of the reasons why I'd hoped he'd gone on trial - because he would've failed the 'reasonable person' test. An example - if I build an attractive swimming pool in a neighborhood full of children, but fail to surround it with a fence, and a child climbs in and dies, I'm liable.

Likewise egging on people to go to the Capitol, after inviting them to a scene that 'will be crazy!' (remember that?) and telling them you know they'll march on the capitol.

Trump is liable for the riot, full stop.

Again, if his supporters had been calling for violence since the election results, why would he gather them near the Capitol Building for a "SAVE AMERICA" rally, tell them the election was being stolen from them with phrases such as "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore", tell them to march down to the Capitol Building, but also just protest peacefully?

Because he knew they wouldn't protest peacefully. At the very least, he wanted their actions to be enough to disrupt the proceedings inside the Capitol Building in order to delay certification of the results.

What the f*ck do you think the "Proud Boys" and "Oath Keepers" would do? Try to tut loudly?

Again, he knew his supporters were calling for violent action, and he gathered them near the Capitol Building, riled them up about saving their country, and pointed them towards the Capitol Building. It is the totality of his words, actions and planning which incited violence, even if he did not explicitly say "Go wreck the place!"