Trump Reposts 2021 Video Urging Capitol Rioters to Leave During 9/11 Anniversary

On the solemn occasion of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Donald Trump redirected public attention toward the events of the January 6 Capitol riot by recirculating an archival video message from 2021. The social media post, published during the afternoon, came just hours after the president had concluded official commemorative ceremonies honoring the victims of the 2001 national tragedy.

Earlier on Friday morning, Trump attended a memorial observance at the Pentagon to mark a quarter of a century since the hijacked airliner struck the military headquarters. However, by the afternoon, his public communications shifted sharply from the historic remembrance to a five-year-old recording addressing the crowd that had violently stormed the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

The video clip, lasting roughly one minute, was shared in full on Trump’s personal Truth Social account. The president uploaded the recording without providing any additional commentary, explanatory text, or contemporary context to clarify why the footage was being highlighted on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

In the recorded message, Trump reiterated his unverified and false claims that he was the rightful victor of the 2020 presidential election. While continuing to contest the outcome of the vote, he also instructed the individuals who had breached the Capitol complex to leave the area, telling them: "We have to have peace. So go home, we love you, you're very special."

When asked about the motivation behind resurfacing the archival clip, a White House spokesperson offered an explanation tied to past political battles. The administration official asserted that the president had chosen to repost the recording as a public reminder aimed at discrediting accusations brought by his political opponents.

Specifically, the White House spokesperson stated that the video stood as "a reminder to everyone that what the Democrats did to weaponize the justice system against President Trump has been debunked thoroughly." The statement sought to frame the archival footage as vindication against subsequent legal scrutiny and investigative proceedings.

Nevertheless, the official’s statement left unclear which specific judicial matters were being addressed. The federal criminal case previously brought against Trump regarding his actions surrounding the January 6 attack was dismissed following his victory in the 2024 presidential election.

The video itself has remained a subject of intense controversy since it was first broadcast during the attack on the Capitol. When originally released on January 6, 2021, the recording faced immediate and widespread criticism from lawmakers and the public, who noted that the president had waited several hours after the initial breach began before releasing a direct plea for the crowd to disperse.

Beyond the significant delay in its original release, the recording was widely panned for its distinctly affectionate and supportive tone toward individuals actively engaged in a violent assault on the halls of Congress. The warm phrasing, in which Trump described the rioters as "very special" and expressed love for them, drew sharp rebuke across the political spectrum.

The decision to recirculate the video aligns with Trump's ongoing public focus on allegations of voting irregularities and electoral misconduct. In recent months, the president has repeatedly intensified his rhetoric surrounding voter fraud, making persistent and unsubstantiated claims accusing Democrats of cheating in national elections.

This recurring theme was on full display earlier in the week during the Republican Party's midterm convention. While speaking before attendees at the party gathering, Trump escalated his warnings about election integrity and explicitly urged his supporters to "cheat like hell" to ensure that Republicans retain their majority control of Congress.

The Truth Social post featuring the January 6 footage was not Trump's only online activity on Friday. Around the same time that he published the 2021 video, the president also shared several other posts that focused primarily on messaging and commentary related to the GOP midterm convention.

By reviving the divisive 2021 statement on a day reserved for national unity and the commemoration of the September 11 attacks, Trump once again placed the fallout of the Capitol assault and his contested election narratives at the forefront of national discourse.

The juxtaposition of solemn memorial duties at the Pentagon with renewed defenses of his actions during the Capitol riot illustrates the administration's continued engagement with past controversies while navigating the political pressures of the ongoing midterm campaign season.