Susan Collins Says ‘No Doubt’ Trump Instigated Capitol Rioters

Topline

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday said there is “no doubt” former President Donald Trump instigated the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, making her one of just a handful of Republicans still willing to highlight Trump’s culpability in the incident.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 22: Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) leaves a bipartisan meeting of Senators in the … [+] office of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) on Capitol Hill June 22, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the For the People Act later on Tuesday, a voting rights bill championed by Democrats in Congress. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Getty Images Key Facts

Collins said during a CNN State of the Union appearance that Trump “helped instigate and motivate” the rioters, noting that she voted to convict Trump for inciting the attack at his second impeachment trial in February.

The comments echo testimony from four law enforcement officers during a Jan. 6 select committee hearing on Tuesday in which several pointed to Trump as the primary culprit and asked the panel to investigate the role he and his allies played in the attack.

Collins also took aim at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her refusal to seat Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) on the select committee, calling the panel “partisan” and stating “I do not think it was right” for Pelosi to do that.

Pelosi has cited “ridiculous” statements and actions by Jordan and Banks, who indicated they planned to be the panel’s right-wing bomb-throwers, as well as the fact that Jordan’s call with Trump on Jan. 6 might make him a material witness – though Collins said, “Well, there were many communications with President Trump that day.”

Collins reiterated her support for a bipartisan, 9/11-style commission to investigate the attack, though host Jake Tapper noted it was her leader, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who led 35 of his members to block the commission in May.

Forbes has reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment.

Key Background

Collins’ comments criticizing Trump come as other top Republicans have walked back their initial criticism of him over Jan. 6. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, asked during a press conference on Thursday about saying in January Trump “bears responsibility” for the attack, said he made the remark without “the information we have today,” instead blaming Pelosi. 

Big Number

58%. That’s the share of voters who said they support a congressional panel to investigate Jan. 6 in a Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted in late June. That’s down from 66% in June, with support dropping by 13 points among independents and 11 points among Republicans, even as it ticked up a point with Democrats.

Crucial Quote

“The rioters [who] attempted to breach the Capitol were shouting, ‘Trump sent us. Take the right side. We want Trump,’” Capitol Police sergeant Aquilino Gonell said in his testimony on Tuesday, recounting how he was “crushed” in the scuffle with rioters and thought to himself, “This is how I’m going to die.”

What To Watch For

Leaders of the select committee have signaled a willingness to subpoena a wide range of potential witnesses as part of their investigation. “We plan to do a thorough review, so I can’t even give you a number,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the panel’s chair, told Forbes on Wednesday, adding that they are considering “a lot of people.”