Trump blames Pelosi for Jan. 6 attack, says indictments against him are politically motivated

On NBC’s Meet the Press, Former President Donald Trump discussed his indictments, the Jan. 6 capitol attack, abortion, and foreign policy.

When asked about his reason for running for reelection as president, he stated that the U.S. is in “serious trouble” while noting his belief that world opinion of the country “has never been so low.” He added: “With all that, we can change it, and we can make America great again, and that’s why I’m doing this.”

When interviewer Kristen Welker asked Trump to define what he means by “seeking retribution,” he said, “When I talk about retribution, I’m talking about fairness.” He added, “I’m looking to appoint an Attorney General who is going to be tough on crime and fair. It’s very simple.”

Welker asked if Trump worries about going to jail due to his four ongoing indictments against him, to which he said, “I don’t even think about it.” He maintains that his “banana republic indictments” were ordered by President Biden or Merrick Garland under political motives brought about by his lead in presidential polls.

Regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Trump shared that he ignored his political advisors when they told him it was over because “I didn’t respect them […] but I respected many others who said the election was rigged.” He said his instincts “were a big part of it” but that he had listened to many people before settling on the opinion that the election was rigged.

He further claimed that Nancy Pelosi was responsible for the Jan. 6 attack, that Pelosi had refused to approve his request to deploy 10,000 National Guards, and that he didn’t call military or law enforcement because “I assumed Nancy Pelosi took care of it.” However, Welker notes Pelosi has denied that any formal request was made.

Regarding abortion, Trump stated that Democrats are “radicals” who are seeking to allow abortion at “four, five and six months” and even “after birth.” He said that, if elected, “I’m going to come together with all the groups, and we’re going to have something acceptable.” He refused to pinpoint a number but noted “people are starting to think of 15 weeks” as appropriate while adding, “I think you have to have exceptions” for cases relating to rape, incest, or preserving the life of the mother.

Trump also said that the Ukraine-Russia conflict would never have happened if he was in power. He asserts he can end the war quickly but refuted the possibility that this would mean Russia would get to keep the currently occupied zones. He added that the two countries could have made a deal allowing Russia to annex parts of Ukraine without casualties and stressed that there is now a possibility Ukraine will be “totally taken over.”

He claimed to have had a good relationship with Putin “based on strength,” while he “got along” with China until COVID-19 broke out. When asked if he would deploy the U.S. military to Taiwan if China were to invade, Trump said: “I won’t say” as it would “give away all your options.” He added, “I don’t take anything off the table.”