Trump attributes Jan. 6 unrest to actions of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about whether Colorado could invoke the “insurrection clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment to boot Donald Trump from its primary ballot, but soon after the proceedings concluded, the former president offered remarks on the role he believes then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi played in what occurred that fateful day, as the Daily Beast notes.

Colorado's rationale for barring Trump from its ballot stemmed from a state Supreme Court determination that he had engaged in “insurrection” related to the Jan. 6 Capitol unrest, therefore triggering the aforementioned provision of the U.S. Constitution.

However, during his remarks in Florida immediately after oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court concluded, Trump pointed a finger of blame for the events of that day in a rather different direction.

Trump contended that on the controversial day in question, he delivered “very beautiful, very heartwarming statements” to those who turned out to demonstrate in support of him and hinted that someone else entirely should be held to account.

“I heard, and I watched, and the one thing I'll say is they kept saying about what I said right after the insurrection, which I think was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi,” Trump declared.

Trump continued, “This was an insurrection, if it was an insurrection, which, there were no guns, there were no anything, except for the fact that they shot Ashli Babbitt,” referencing the one direct fatality stemming from the protest, that of a supporter of the then-president.

He went on to elaborate on the manner in which he encouraged demonstrators to proceed on Jan. 6, 2021, noting, “I said peacefully and patriotically.”

“Take a look at the statements I made before and after,” Trump added, “and you'll see a whole different dialogue.”

Unsurprisingly, the Pelos camp was unimpressed with Trump's assessment, and a spokesperson for the California congresswoman did not hold back in his arguably hyperbolic critique.

“No matter what unhinged lies Trump spews about the insurrection he instigated, as numerous independent fact-checkers have confirmed, Speaker Pelosi did not plan her own assassination,” said Aaron Bennett.

Those comments were not the only zingers toward Republicans emanating from Pelosi's office this week, as the former speaker also took a shot at those on the other side of the aisle in relation to a narrowly unsuccessful initial attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as the Washington Examiner noted.

During her time as speaker, Pelosi was known for keeping her caucus together even when internal consensus appeared elusive, and apparently felt qualified to offer some advice to her colleagues in the GOP in the wake of this week's misstep.

“Don't worry about the other side,” Pelosi admonished.

She went on, “You have to have your votes. You know what's a majority. If you don't have that, don't bring it to the floor,” and while certainly grating in her delivery, the former speaker admittedly has a point.