Trump Claims Deleted Jan. 6 Committee Files Exonerate Him from Crimes

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, "would not have existed" if then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi had accepted his "offer" for additional security.

Trump's statement followed a Fox News Digital report revealing the deletion of 117 encrypted files by the former House Select Committee on Jan. 6 just before Republicans assumed the majority in the House of Representatives.

Trump says files deleted by Jan 6 committee ‘exonerated me completely’ https://t.co/PbznWducZp

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 23, 2024

Taking to Truth Social, Trump labeled the committee as a "SCAM" designed to harm him, asserting that the deleted files would have "completely exonerated" him.

He contended that the files showed Pelosi rejecting his offer of 10,000 soldiers or National Guard troops prior to January 6, claiming that if accepted, the incident wouldn't have occurred.

"The whole Committee of Political Operatives, Thugs, and Misfits was a SCAM set up to injure and defeat your Favorite President, Donald J. Trump," Trump posted on his Truth Social. "They’ve deleted and destroyed almost everything, because it exonerated me completely, and was very bad for Crazy Nancy Pelosi and other Fascists and Communists."

Since 2021, Trump has maintained that he suggested deploying the National Guard days before the Capitol riot, citing intelligence reports.

He argued that Pelosi, with authority over the Capitol, declined the offer, holding her responsible for the events of January 6.

The House Administration Committee's Oversight Subcommittee, led by Chairman Barry Loudermilk, is actively investigating the Capitol riot and scrutinizing the former select committee's actions.

The inquiry has entered a "new phase" with renewed support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has allocated additional resources to the investigation.

Pelosi's office previously dismissed Trump's allegations, emphasizing their fabricated nature.

A spokesperson clarified that Pelosi did not plan her own assassination, and independent fact-checkers had debunked Trump's claims.

The Oversight Subcommittee continues its investigation, adhering to House rules that mandate the former committee to hand over all documents as Republicans secured the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections.