Donald Trump Salutes Jan. 6 'Hostages' at Ohio Rally

Former President Donald Trump saluted January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday.

The Context:

Trump, who was in Ohio for a campaign stop at the Buckeye Values PAC rally, honored and thanked the participants of the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol.

"Please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated January 6 hostages," an announcer said. Trump then saluted and the crowd stood as the "J6 Hostages' Song," a rendition of the National Anthem, played. The song, "Justice for All" by the J6 Prison Choir, features the voice of Trump reciting the pledge of allegiance.

Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a video of the moment to X, formerly Twitter, where it quickly amassed 200,000 views and more than 170 comments on Saturday.

Trump then opened his speech by thanking the rioters and calling them "unbelievable patriots."

"Thank you very much, and you see the spirit from the hostages, and that's what they are—hostages," he said.

What We Know:

More than 1,265 individuals—including Trump himself—have been charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their alleged involvement in the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, with many already convicted and serving sentences.

The "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) leader is accused of inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building by spreading unfounded claims to his supporters that he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden due to widespread voter fraud.

Last year, the former president was indicted on four counts by the DOJ, including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, has maintained his innocence, accusing prosecutors of attempting to derail his campaign.

Views

The former president has been previously criticized for calling jailed Capitol rioters hostages, sparking a wave of backlash on social media last year.

Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who co-hosts MSNBC's Morning Joe, called the rioters pure evil and said that Trump comparing them to hostages is deeply offensive.

Mike Sington, a former senior executive at NBCUniversal, also condemned the comments on X as "chilling" and called Trump an "autocratic dictator wannabe."

On Saturday, Trump faced additional scrutiny after his comments to the crowd in Dayton, where he again referred to Jan. 6 rioters as "hostages."

X user Sydra Smith wrote: "This celebration of Capitol attackers makes me sick."

Another social media user, WitWarrior, posted on X: "God, that ghastly parody of a salute."

Critics also took aim at Trump for telling rallygoers that if he doesn't get elected in November "it's going to be a bloodbath for the country."

However, conservatives defended Trump's comments, noting that he was discussing the auto industry, not physical violence.

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's communications director, told Newsweek in an email on Saturday night that "economically it will be a bloodbath because Crooked Joe Biden's policies have decimated working families."

What's Next

Ohio's Republican primary election is on March 19, and Trump has endorsed business owner Bernie Moreno's bid to challenge U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democratic incumbent, in November.

Update 03/16/24, 7:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include additional information and comments from Cheung.