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Giuliani speaks to Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani condemned violence by pro-Trump mobs as "shameful" on Thursday morning, more than 18 hours after calling for "trial by combat" at a "Save America" Trump rally that preceded the Capitol insurrection.
Why it matters: Giuliani's tweets Thursday, which described the violence as "rejected, condemned and counter productive," stood in sharp contrast to the comments he and President Trump made at Wednesday's rally, where they encouraged supporters to continue fighting the election results and march to the Capitol.
Yes, but: Giuliani, who is a former federal prosecutor, still referred to Wednesday's insurrection as being "as criminal as the rioting and looting this summer" at anti-racism protests around the country.
- The former New York City mayor also appeared to suggest "Antifa involvement" in Wednesday's events. There is no evidence that Antifa was involved, but the storyline has reverberated in far-right media circles and on social media.
What they're saying: "The violence at the Capitol was shameful. It was as criminal as the rioting and looting this summer which was not condemned strongly enough by the Left. This violence is condemned in the strongest terms. Our movement values respect for law and order and for the Police," Giuliani tweeted Thursday.
- In a second tweet, Giuliani wrote: "Our cause is to obtain an honest vote and to end voter fraud before it becomes a permanent tactic of the enabled and media protected Democrat Party. Violence is rejected, condemned and counter productive. Antifa involvement is no excuse. It contradicts our values."
Worth noting: Giuliani's condemnation came well after the rioters who occupied the building for hours were removed by police, and after many Republicans had already called the violence unacceptable.