Trump Deploys National Guard for D.C. Crime but Called Jan. 6 Rioters ‘Very Special'
Roving mobs of wild men smashed windows, threatened murder and attacked the police.
One rioter struck an officer in the face with a baton. Another threw a chair at police officers and pepper-sprayed them. Others beat and used a stun gun on an officer, nearly killing him.
On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob committed a month's worth of crime in the span of about three hours.
The F.B.I. has estimated that around 2,000 people took part in criminal acts that day, and more than 600 people were charged with assaulting, resisting or interfering with the police. (Citywide, Washington currently averages about 70 crimes a day.)
But President Trump's handling of the most lawless day in recent Washington history stands in sharp contrast to his announcement on Monday that he needed to use the full force of the federal government to crack down on 'violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals' in the nation's capital.
After a prominent member of the Department of Government Efficiency, known by his online pseudonym, 'Big Balls,' was assaulted this month, the president took federal control of Washington's police force and mobilized National Guard troops. His team passed out a packet of mug shots, and Mr. Trump described 'roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.'
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