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Trump attacks media, Jan. 6 Capitol attack investigation

Trump broadened his criticism to the press as a whole, accusing news organizations of systematic bias.

U.S. President Donald Trump. / X/@WhiteHouse

President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on U.S. media outlets and the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, accusing what he called the “Unselect Committee” of omitting key facts and misleading the public. 

Speaking at the House GOP member retreat, Trump said the committee failed to report his call for calm. “Peacefully and patriotically,” he said, repeating the phrase he claimed was ignored.

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“The Unselect Committee never reported that,” Trump said. “The news never reported the words walk or march, peacefully and patriotically to the Capitol,” he said.

Trump also reiterated his allegations that the then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined security support ahead of the attack. “Nancy Pelosi was offered 10,000 soldiers,” he said, adding, “I don't want them.”

He claimed Pelosi was later caught on camera taking responsibility. “She has her mother saying it's my fault, I should have taken the soldiers,” Trump said, referring to a documentary involving Pelosi’s daughter.

Trump said the media failed to cover those claims. “This was a major story,” he said.

He broadened his criticism to the press as a whole, accusing news organizations of systematic bias. “I got 97 per cent bad stories on one network, 93 per cent on the other,” Trump said.

Trump argued that his electoral victories demonstrated declining media influence. “You know what that means,” he said. “The press has no credibility.”

He mocked news coverage of his schedule and health, citing reports that questioned his stamina. “Donald Trump is slowing down,” he said, recounting a media story he described as false.

Trump also criticised coverage by major newspapers, singling out The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. “They've lost their way,” he said.

The president said constant scrutiny had hardened him politically. “Nobody ever had to suffer like I did,” Trump said, referencing investigations and impeachments. He was impeached twice during his first term and acquitted both times by the United States Senate.

The Jan. 6 attack and subsequent congressional investigation remain deeply divisive issues in U.S. politics, with Democrats arguing accountability is essential and Republicans questioning the committee’s scope and conclusions.

Media credibility has become a central theme in Trump’s political messaging, particularly as he campaigns and governs amid persistent scrutiny from national news organizations.

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