What was Trump's plan had he gotten inside the Capitol on Jan 6?
By Cody Andrus
The events of January 6, 2021, remain some of the most controversial in recent American history. As rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, a lingering question remains: what would Donald Trump have done if he had managed to enter the Capitol building that day? While Trump never physically entered the Capitol, several reports, theories, and investigations shed light on his potential intentions and actions had he gotten inside.
One prevailing theory is that Trump intended to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College results, which confirmed Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. According to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, Trump had a clear goal: to stop the certification of the election through both legal and extralegal means. On the day of the attack, Trump addressed a crowd of supporters near the White House, urging them to “fight like hell” and to “walk down to the Capitol.” The implication that day was that the march to the Capitol was part of a larger effort to pressure lawmakers to overturn the election results in Trump’s favor.
In addition to public remarks, behind-the-scenes plans may offer a glimpse into Trump’s intentions. According to testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump expressed a desire to go to the Capitol personally. During her testimony, Hutchinson revealed that Trump was so adamant about joining the crowd heading to the Capitol that he allegedly tried to grab the steering wheel of the presidential vehicle, the “Beast,” when his security team refused to drive him there.
Had Trump entered the Capitol, some speculate he may have intended to take direct action by further encouraging lawmakers to object to the certification. According to the New York Times, Trump was actively working behind the scenes with several Republican members of Congress to delay or contest the electoral count. The theory here is that by being present at the Capitol, Trump could have physically placed more pressure on his allies and perhaps even attempted to influence Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification process.
Others theorize that Trump’s goal wasn’t solely procedural. Some argue that had Trump entered the Capitol, he might have further inflamed the already violent atmosphere. His presence, they suggest, could have emboldened the rioters and encouraged even more extreme actions. This theory is based on Trump’s repeated refusal to immediately condemn the violence as it unfolded. He waited hours before issuing a lukewarm call for peace, during which time the insurrectionists had already breached the building.
There are also more dramatic interpretations of what might have happened if Trump had entered the Capitol. Some commentators have speculated that he might have tried to claim the Capitol building as a symbolic victory. In this scenario, Trump would have positioned himself as the "people’s president," portraying the rioters as patriots fighting to correct an allegedly stolen election. This could have laid the groundwork for more widespread unrest across the country, further polarizing an already divided nation.
What remains clear is that Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions on January 6 demonstrated a desire to undermine the democratic process. Whether his presence in the Capitol would have changed the course of events is something historians will debate for years. But based on his speeches, the testimony of his former aides, and the information revealed through investigations, Trump’s primary goal appeared to be to halt or delay the certification process and potentially sway the outcome of the election in his favor.
The New York Times – "Inside the Capitol Riot: An Exclusive Investigation", Cassidy Hutchinson testimony before the House Select Committee on January 6, The Washington Post – "Trump Pressured Pence, His Allies in Congress, and State Legislatures", Politico – "January 6th Hearings: What We've Learned", CNN – "Trump’s Role in January 6 and the Push to Block Election Certification".
