Last Updated on February 13, 2021
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who allegedly used the threat of a Senate conviction to blackmail President Donald Trump during his final days in office, seemed to call for a criminal trial against the former President only moments after voting to acquit him.
“January 6th was a disgrace. American citizens attacked their own government,” said McConnell, before claiming that President Trump inspired his supporters to use “terrorism” “to try to stop a specific piece of domestic business they did not like.”
They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president,” said McConnell, without providing evidence. “They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth. Because he was angry. He had lost an election.”
READ MORE: President Trump Releases Statement On Second Impeachment Acquittal
Mitch McConnell literally minutes after voting to acquit Donald Trump for insurrection.
My guess is this won’t age well…https://t.co/qZAEszAJuR
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) February 13, 2021
McConnell then declared that, despite his vote suggesting otherwise, he believes that President Trump is “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day, no questions about it.”
“The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.”
READ MORE: Trump Sons Celebrate After Their Father’s Second Impeachment Acquittal
“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he’s in office,” said McConnell, seemingly pushing for a criminal investigation against the former President. “He didn’t get away with anything yet.”
Tucker Carlson seemingly accused McConnell of engaging in blackmail during the final days of President Trump’s first term in office. According to Carlson, McConnell told President Trump that he would order his cronies in the Senate to convict the former President should he pardon Julian Assange.
Tucker Carlson Blasting GOP Establishment For Trying To Block Pardon Of Julian Assange
Tucker says that the Senate GOP, specifically Mitch McConnell "has sent word over to the WH: if you pardon Julian Assange, we are much more likely to convict you in an impeachment trial." pic.twitter.com/o7OqYZ8V11
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 20, 2021
National File was not able to find an example of McConnell denying this claim.