Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham
said on Thursday that Donald Trump watched the Capitol riot unfold "gleefully" on January 6, proudly rewinding footage of the insurrection on his television.
"All I know about that day was that he was in the dining room, gleefully watching on his TV as he often did, 'look at all of the people fighting for me,' hitting rewind, watching it again — that's what I know," Grisham told CNN's "New Day."
Her remarks, made on the anniversary of the riot, align with past
reports about Trump apparently glued to the TV screen as the riot played out. Last year, Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig said in a CNN interview that the president was in the dining room of the Oval Office" during the insurrection, "watching it and almost giddy."
But Trump's glee was reportedly not unanimous amongst his inner circle, according to recent findings by the House committee charged with investigating the insurrection. Over the past several weeks, the panel unearthed a trove of text messages from numerous Trump allies – including Fox News hosts and members of his own family – pleading with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to have the president call off the insurgency.
"Look at all of the people fighting for me," the president reportedly said as the violent insurrection unfolded
www.salon.com