Candidacy for US election 2024: Trump is sticking to the election fraud lie – and wants to pardon rioters

Candidate for US election 2024
Trump is sticking to the election fraud lie – and wants to pardon rioters

5/11/2023 3:46 am

Actually, Donald Trump is at loggerheads with CNN. But the 76-year-old wants to become US President again next year. He even speaks to the media he otherwise hates. In the interview, he continues to spread lies about the 2021 presidential election and affirms that he has done nothing wrong.

Former US President Donald Trump repeated his lie at the beginning of an appearance on CNN that his 2020 election victory had been stolen from him. “I think if you look at the result, and if you look at what happened in this election, if you’re not a very stupid person, you see what happened,” Trump said. According to the Republican, the presidential election that brought the Democrat Joe Biden into office was manipulated. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins contradicted Trump. “It wasn’t a rigged election. It wasn’t a stolen election,” she said. Trump stuck to his often refuted claim and accused Collins of pursuing a political agenda.

In addition, more than two years after the storming of the US Capitol, Trump does not want to apologize to Vice President Mike Pence, who he pilloried at the time. “He’s a very nice man. He made a mistake,” said the ex-president. When asked by moderator Kaitlan Collins if he owed Pence an apology, Trump said, “No, because he did something wrong.”

Trump supporters stormed the seat of parliament in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm the election victory of Trump’s democratic challenger Joe Biden. The violent crowd wanted to prevent that. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech by claiming that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots.

At that time, Pence chaired the congress session in his role as vice president – from a legal point of view a purely ceremonial task. But Trump had previously publicly called on his deputy to block the procedure. He also explicitly incited his supporters against Pence.

“I am inclined to pardon many of them”

Trump promised a pardon for rioters convicted of storming the US Capitol if he returned to the White House. “I am inclined to pardon many of them,” he said in a CNN interview. When asked if he would also pardon members of the far-right Proud Boys, he replied evasively: “I would have to look at their case.” But he could say that you don’t get a fair trial in Washington.

Citizens who are close to the Republicans or do not feel affiliated with either party are allowed to ask questions on the show, which is moderated by Collins. Trump is running for the Republican nomination for the presidency in the 2024 elections – for that he has to pass his party’s primaries. It is unusual for Trump to appear on CNN, because the broadcaster is considered to be rather liberal and is repeatedly attacked by the 76-year-old.