Surprise! Trump's insurrection rally was put together by members of his failed presidential campaign.
They played "key roles in organizing the Washington rally that spawned the assault on the Capitol," Mika Brzezinski said.
"According to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting claims the event was the brainchild of the president's grass roots supporters, the AP reports a pro Trump nonprofit group called Women For America First posted the Save America Rally on Jan. 6 near the White House. But an attachment to the National Parks Service public gathering permit granted to the group lists more than half a dozen people in staff positions for the event who just weeks earlier had been paid thousands of dollars by Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. Other staff scheduled to be on site during the demonstration have close ties to the White House.
"In a statement, the president's re-election campaign said it did not organize, operate or finance the event and no members were involved in the operation of the rally. It said that if any former employees or independent contractors for the campaign took part, they did not do to at the direction of the Trump campaign. The AP's review found at least three of the Trump campaign aides named on the permit rushed to obscure their connections to the demonstration.
"They deactivated or locked down their social media profile, removed tweets that referenced the rally and blocked a reporter who asked questions. Those aides include Caroline Wren, a veteran GOP fundraiser named as VIP adviser on an attachment to the rally permit between mid-March and mid-November Donald J. Trump For President Incorporated paid her $20,000 a month, according to Federal Election Commission records. And Maggie Mulvaney, a niece of Mick Mulvaney, who was listed on the permit attachment as the VIP lead. Records show Maggie was earning $5,000 every two weeks, with the most recent payment reported on November 13th.
"The personal accounts of the Capitol rioters revealed the impact of President Trump's words on his most loyal supporters. Some felt called to Washington by Trump's false claims of a stolen election, while others believed they were carrying out the president's direct orders at his rally that day. According to a criminal complaint, a retired firefighter charged with assaulting members of the Capitol police force told a friend he went to the building following, quote, 'the president's instructions.'
"And this is what a Texas real estate agent accused of breaching the capitol told a reporter about her involvement.
"All right. So --"
"She's, by the way, asking for a pardon."
(Yeah, that's the realtor who flew to D.C. on a private jet.)
