Handwritten edits to Trump's January 7 speech show he crossed out parts about prosecuting rioters
Last week, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection presented new evidence that former President Donald Trump still did not want to concede that the 2020 election was over even after his supporters stormed the Capitol and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives.
ABC News' Jonathan Karl on Monday flagged a particularly noteworthy committee exhibit: Handwritten edits that Trump made to the speech that he delivered on January 7, 2021, that was more forthright about condemning violence at the Capitol.
Of particular note is the fact that Trump crossed out parts of the speech that referenced holding rioters criminally liable for breaking into the building and physically assaulting Capitol police.
"I am directing the Department of Justice to ensure that all lawbreakers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," reads one passage that Trump completely crossed out. "We must send a clear message -- not with mercy but with justice. Legal consequences must be swift and firm."
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Trump also edited a sentence that read, "If you broke the law, you belong in jail" to read, "If you broke the law, you will pay."
In fact, in the final version of the speech, Trump made no mention at all of prosecuting rioters.