Trump Gets Slammed for ‘Supporting Insurrectionists’ by Cops Who Defended Capitol on January 6

Former President Donald Trump came under fire from injured police officers on January 6, 2021, for praising rioters found guilty of storming the Capitol on that fateful day.

Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges doubted Trump's focus on “law and order” at a press conference held on April 1 by President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, HuffPost reported. Trump had promised to pardon those found guilty of attacking the U.S. Capitol, several of whom had assaulted police officers.

At the event, which was held at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in D.C., Gonell slammed Trump, saying, “He can’t claim to support law and order and at the same time support those who tried to upend our democracy.” He added, “He can’t claim to support law and order and stand at attention saluting the American flag while they play a modified national anthem written by a convicted felon who attacked my co-workers. That’s not leadership; that’s betrayal.”

“Absolutely mind-blowing,” Hodges said of Trump's praise of a song made by the Jan 6 convicts, adding, “You can't claim to be on our side and then promise pardons for violent insurrectionists who assaulted me and my colleagues.”

The press conference on Monday was a reflection of the Biden campaign's overarching plan to draw attention to Trump's authoritarian inclinations and his unreserved support for the Jan. 6 rioters, whom he has called “unbelievable patriots.”

Gonell and Hodges have been vocal opponents of Republicans for “whitewashing” the events of the day, in particular of Trump for his involvement on January 6. Gonell accuses Trump of causing his wounds during the uprising. “Our own president set us up,” Gonnell told HuffPost back in 2022. 

“As a police officer defending the Capitol, I fought off the mob of Trump supporters in what resembled a medieval battle,” Gonell wrote for The Salon in January, revealing that the surgery he received for injuries led to his retirement in 2022. “It’s infuriating to still hear some of the people I protected spewing conspiracy theories.”

Polls indicate that fewer Republicans now label the rioters "criminals" or believe the court sanctions they have received are justifiable than they did in the early wake of the Capitol attack, as the GOP now seems set to fully align itself with Trump as its standard-bearer in November, per POLITICO. 

This had made Trump's road to the nomination easier. However, such changes in public opinion haven't affected independent voters or the remainder of the electorate, which suggests that Republicans are still in danger and that Democrats have an opportunity.

Regarding Jan. 6, its participants, and Trump's involvement in inciting the disturbance, Democrats and independents continue to have very unfavorable opinions. The majority of Americans continue to hold the views that President Joe Biden was properly elected, that Donald Trump attempted to rig the election and that Trump should be charged with federal crimes in Washington.