Former US President Donald Trump has described January 6 as a “day of love” when pressed about the Capitol insurrection during a town hall event in Florida.
Trump claimed the thousands who travelled to Washington DC did so because “they thought the election was a rigged election” and not because of him. He also insisted that he had called for peaceful protests.
“Nothing done wrong at all,” the Republican presidential candidate declared, adding that "strong action" was taken.
The ex-president disputed reports of armed rioters, saying: "There were no guns down there, we didn't have guns, the others had guns, but we didn't have guns."
Trump also criticised his former Vice President Mike Pence for certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. "I totallydisagreed with him on what he did," he said.
The January 6 attack on the US Capitol in 2021 saw thousands of Donald Trump supporters storm the building in an unprecedented assault on American democracy.
The mob breached the Capitol as Congress was certifying Joe Biden's election victory, forcing lawmakers to flee. Five people died in connection with the riot, including a police officer.
Rioters, many carrying Trump flags and wearing MAGA gear, smashed windows, ransacked offices and clashed violently with police. Some chanted threats against politicians.
The insurrection followed months of false claims by Trump that the election was "stolen". He had urged supporters tomarch on the Capitol at a rally earlier that day.
For hours, the building remained under siege as law enforcement struggled to regain control. The National Guard was eventually deployed to secure the complex.
Trump also addressed a range of other issues at a Univision town hall event aimed at Latino voters.
On immigration, he sidestepped questions about deportation plans, instead linking crime in Chicago and Illinois to immigrants.
Trump defended his baseless claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio, saying he was "just saying what wasreported".
When asked to name three virtues of current Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump called it the "toughest question of thenight".
The event, hosted by the Spanish-language network, was seen as an attempt by Trump to court Latino voters.
It comes after Trump was re-indicted in August for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results during the Capitol insurrection.
The revised charges follow a Supreme Court ruling granting presidents broad immunity for official acts. Prosecutors have now reframed Trump's actions as those of a political candidate rather than a sitting president.
The new indictment, slimmed down from forty-five to thirty-six pages, includes four charges including conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
