Donald Trump has said he would pardon US Capitol rioters in a fiery CNN town hall that saw him rail against his sexual abuse trial verdict and call the host “a nasty person”.
Mr Trump declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the US Capitol when supporters sought to prevent Congress for ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024.
“I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them probably they got out of control,” Mr Trump said.
Asked by host Kaitlan Collins whether he would acknowledge that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, the Republican Trump launched a tirade, reasserting false claims that the election was rigged against him.
“It was a horrible election,” Mr Trump said, eliciting applause from some in attendance at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, an early nominating state that could prove critical in his bid for a second White House term in 2024.
His standing firm on his false claims about the 2020 elections defied concerns of Republican Party officials that his dwelling on his loss could cost the party support among
Republican voters who want to move on and focus on more pressing issues. Mr Biden has said he will seek a second term in 2024.
Mr Trump and Collins frequently interrupted each other with the host challenging a number of the former president’s false claims about the 2020 election and the Capitol attack which followed a speech he gave outside the White House that day.
“I’ve never spoken to a crowd as large as that, and that was because they thought the election was rigged. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable, and it was a beautiful day.”
Collins tried to fact-check Mr Trump’s assertions, leading to the two talking over each other as Mr Trump refused to back down.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump railed against Tuesday’s jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her.
He insisted he did not know Ms Carroll, who accused Trump in 2019 of raping her in a department store dressing room during an encounter in the 1990s. A jury found him liable of sexual abuse and defamation, but not of rape.
“This is a fake story. Made-up story,” Mr Trump said. “I have no idea who the hell she is. She’s a whack job.”
Mr Trump, who was absent throughout the two-week trial, was asked by an audience member what he had to say to voters who say it disqualifies him from being president.
“Well, there aren’t too many of them because my poll numbers just came out. They went up,” he said.
A discussion about Mr Trump’s refusal to turn over classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago club was particularly contentious. When Collins interrupted him at one point, Mr Trump said: “Can I finish?”
“Yeah, what’s the answer?” the host said.
“You are a nasty person,” he said.
Mr Biden responded to the town hall on Twitter, writing: “It’s simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you don’t, pitch in to our campaign.”
