Psaki: Trump’s Addiction To Power Is Why January 6th Happened, And Why He Has Never Been Able To Let It Go
MS NOW host Jen Psaki delivered a monologue on Trump’s uncontrollable urge to hold on to power being the cause of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
JEN PSAKI, HOST: Today, of course, marks the fifth anniversary of the January 6th siege on the U.S. Capitol, the worst attack on our nation’s capitol in more than 200 years. And it’s worth remembering what prompted that attack, Trump’s fragile ego, his uncontrollable urge to hold on to power and stay in the limelight. That’s the reason he whipped up his supporters into a frenzy that day, with no concern for what the consequences of that decision would be. Special counsel Jack Smith told Congress last month the January 6th attack does not happen without Donald Trump. And Trump’s addiction to power is why January 6th happened, and why he has never been able to let it go. It is why he pardoned or commuted the sentences of every single rioter from that day. It’s why today, the administration unveiled an official White House web page selling a completely fabricated revisionist history about that day, one that refers to the rioters as patriots who marched to the Capitol, and blames Capitol Police for escalating tensions, which is insane and offensive. It even accuses Trump’s own vice president, who the mob called to be hanged, of an act of cowardice and sabotage. And, of course, it falsely and ludicrously blames then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for security lapses at the Capitol, which, in addition to being completely inaccurate, sort of undermines the whole idea that the rioters were themselves patriots. So think about that as well. Today, House Democrats held their own January 6th hearing to set the record straight about what really happened that day. It featured testimony from police officers who defended the Capitol, a reformed January 6th rioter who — who gave — who takes accountability for her actions that day. And she gave an incredibly powerful testimony. And, of course, Nancy Pelosi herself, who responded to the allegations that the Trump administration lobbed at her. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER EMERITA: The president’s always saying to me, well, you — you weren’t ready. I wasn’t ready for a president of the United States. Yeah, I wasn’t ready for a president of the United States to incite an insurrection against the Congress of the United States, against the Constitution, against the Capitol of the United States. No, who would be ready for that? But we are ready to save our democracy. The times have found us to do that. (END VIDEO CLIP) PSAKI: Donald Trump is what she wasn’t ready for. It’s what none of us were ready for. But now we know exactly who he is, a man who is so addicted to power he’ll topple any person or institution or country he can hold — he can get — he can to hold on to it.






