Trump Deflects Capitol Riot Blame to Pelosi: 'I Had Nothing to Do With That Except...'

Trump vs Harris Debate: The debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris took a dramatic turn as the discussion shifted to the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump laid blame on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the security lapses that led to the violent attack, while Harris sharply countered his claims.

Trump asserted that his speech before the riot urged his followers to march to the Capitol "peacefully and patriotically" and denied any calls for violence. When asked if he regretted his actions that day, Trump insisted, "I had nothing to do with that except that they asked me to make a speech." He then shifted responsibility to Pelosi, citing a video filmed by Pelosi's daughter where the ex-Speaker admitted to not securing the Capitol adequately.

“Just two weeks ago, her daughter released a tape where Nancy said she is fully responsible for what happened,” Trump claimed. “It would have never happened if Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington did their jobs. I wasn’t responsible for security—Nancy Pelosi was.”

In response, Harris, who was in Congress that day, rejected Trump’s assertions. “On that day, the President of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation’s Capitol,” she stated. “The former president has been indicted and impeached for exactly that reason.”

Harris also drew parallels to the 2017 Charlottesville rally, where Trump’s response to white nationalists was widely criticized. “The President’s actions and rhetoric have consistently incited division and violence,” she added, emphasizing that Trump’s behavior had long been problematic.