Melania Trump says she was unaware of the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and was focused on “fulfilling” her duties as first lady on the day of the Capitol riot.
Trump opened up on the same day the Jan. 6 committee is set to hold its final planned summer hearing Thursday evening. The former first lady said she “would have immediately denounced the violence” if she had been fully informed of the Capitol riot, according to Fox News. Her chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, was not in the White House on the day of the Capitol riot, and it was her role to provide “detailed briefings surrounding our Nation’s important issues,” Trump added.
“As with all First Ladies who preceded me, it was my obligation to record the contents of the White House’s historic rooms, including taking archival photographs of all the renovations,” Trump said. “Several months in advance, I organized a qualified team of photographers, archivists, and designers to work with me in the White House to ensure perfect execution,” she continued. “As required, we scheduled January 6, 2021, to complete the work on behalf of our Nation.”
DHS WATCHDOG OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO DELETED SECRET SERVICE JAN. 6 TEXTS
Grisham, who resigned right after Jan. 6, publicly shared last month Trump did not immediately sign off on a statement condemning the Capitol riot, posting a photo of a text discussion she appeared to have with the former first lady. Trump waited until five days after the riot to tweet her condemnation.
— Stephanie Grisham (@OMGrisham) June 28, 2022
Trump claimed Grisham “failed to provide insight and information” on the events of Jan. 6 and that she had “abandoned her post in Washington, D.C.” Trump said that and other “recent betrayals” were a “last-ditch attempt to resuscitate her ruined career and reputation.”
“This is not the first time a former staffer has tried to maintain relevancy and profit by using my name to create a false narrative,” Trump said.
Grisham told CNN in response, “Everything she said is bulls*** and she knows it.”
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of the two GOP lawmakers on the Jan. 6 select committee, posted a clip on social media showing senior Trump staffers testifying that former President Donald Trump was watching the violence at the Capitol on TV in the dining room instead of working with officials to address the riot.
Kinzinger is slated to lead the hearing on Thursday along with Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), and they are expected to place a strong emphasis on what the former president was doing during the hours before he released a video urging the rioters to go home.
