Trump Urged Senators To Delay Election Certification During Capitol Riot, Lawmakers Say

Topline

Former President Donald Trump spent much of his time in the White House during the January 6 Capitol riot placing calls to senators urging them to delay the certification of the 2020 election, the House January 6 committee revealed Thursday, though it’s unclear exactly who he spoke with because of a lack of records.

Key Facts

There are no White House call records dating to the time the riot took place, but former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a taped deposition that Trump asked for a list of senators to call–she testified she is not sure which senators he spoke with.

Trump made the calls while in the White House dining room, just outside the Oval Office, where he watched coverage of the riot on Fox News, according to the committee.

Trump did not place calls to any top security officials, including the defense secretary, homeland security secretary or law enforcement leaders, according to testimony from Trump White House officials played during a Thursday evening hearing.

It was previously reported that Trump spoke on the phone with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) during the riot.

Key Background

Thursday night’s hearing is the eighth held by the committee this summer, and the second in primetime. It is focused on the 187 minutes between the conclusion of Trump’s speech at the Ellipse ahead of the January 6 riot and his call for rioters inside the Capitol to go home, as the committee makes its case that Trump chose to let a mob of his supporters pour into the Capitol and vandalize the building for hours.

What To Watch For

Thursday’s hearing is the final one scheduled for this summer, though the committee will hold more in September.