Jan. 6 committee video shows Trump edits to speech following Capitol attack
In newly released video from Jan. 6 select committee member Rep. Elaine Luria, former Trump administration officials discuss President Donald Trump's speech on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after a violent mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.
Video Transcript
IVANKA TRUMP: I'm not sure when those conversations began because they could have started early the next morning, but I believe they started that evening-- on the evening of the 6th.
ERIC HERSCHMANN: I thought we should give the statement on the 7th and, obviously, move forward on transition.
JARED KUSHNER: I sat with or I spoke to Miller about trying to put together some draft remarks for Jan 7 that we were going to present to the President to try to say-- and we felt like it was important to further call for de-escalation.
CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: From what I understood at the time and from what the reports were coming in, there is a large concern of the 25th Amendment potentially being invoked and there were concerns about what would happen in the Senate it it was-- if the 25th was invoked. So the primary reason that I had heard other than, you know-- we did not do enough on the 6th. We need to get a stronger message out there and condemn this. Otherwise, this will be our legacy.
The secondary reason to that was, you know, think about what might happen in the final 15 days of your presidency if we don't do this. There's already talks about invoking the 25th Amendment. You need this as cover.
- Do you recognize what this is?
IVANKA TRUMP: It looks like a copy of a draft of the remarks for that day.
- OK. And as you can see throughout the document, there are lines crossed out, there are some-- there's some words added in. Do recognize the handwriting?
IVANKA TRUMP: It looks like my father's handwriting.
PAT CIPOLLONE: In my view, he needed to express very clearly that the people who committed violent acts, who went into the capital and did what they did, should be prosecuted and should be arrested.
- It looks like here that he crossed out that he was directing the Department of Justice to ensure all lawbreakers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "We must send a clear message, not with mercy, but with justice, legal consequences must be swift and firm." Do you know why he wanted that crossed out?
JARED KUSHNER: I don't know.
PAT CIPOLLONE: And that needed to be stated forcefully. They did not represent him or the-- his political views in any form or fashion.
- He also has crossed out, "I want to be very clear. You do not represent me. You do not represent our movement." Do you remember-- do you know why he crossed that language out of the statement?
JARED KUSHNER: I don't know.
- Can you describe a little more for me about what Mr. Kushner was asking you to do?
JOHN MCENTEE: I don't remember if it was a video message, or a speech he was going to give, or something, but I know people were deciding like what he should say or what he should do. And then he knew, since I'm always with him, that, hey, if he asks for your opinion, you know, try to nudge this along, this will help everything cool down. So that's what I did.
- Nudge you along in what way? What does that mean?
JOHN MCENTEE: To make sure he delivers this speech or whatever it was. I don't know if it was a video, or a speech, or something. It was either--
- Right.
JOHN MCENTEE: It was within a few days of-- after January 6th.
- Was the implication that the President was in some ways reluctant to give that speech?
JOHN MCENTEE: Yeah.
- OK. What do you base that on?
JOHN MCENTEE: The fact that somebody has to tell me to nudge it along.
