If you’re curious as to how a Donald Trump rally quickly turned from political protest to outright insurrection as a throng of the president’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol building, The Daily Show just dropped a new video that should leave little doubt about who’s to blame. Titled “Heroes of the Insurrection,” the damning collection of clips features everyone from Fox News talking heads, members of Congress, the official White House press secretary, and Trump’s own children as they steadily ratchet up the rhetoric from just a few days after the presidential election to the moments before the Capitol attack on January 6.
While nobody escapes the brutal Daily Show segment without a sizable amount of blame on their shoulders, there were clearly some standouts. Freshly elected congressman Madison Cawthorn is seen on video specifically telling an audience in December to threaten lawmakers. “You can lightly threaten them and say, you know what, if you don’t start supporting election integrity, I’m coming after you, Madison Cawthorn is coming after you, everybody’s coming after you.”
Rudy Giuliani also doesn’t look great by demanding “trial by combat,” but things really take a turn for the worse when Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr. take the stage on the day of the attack. Eric tells the crowd that, “We need to march on the Capitol today,” while Don Jr. really steps in it by threatening those who refuse to overturn the election results. “If you’re gonna be the zero and not the hero, we’re coming for you,” Don Jr. said. “And we’re gonna have a good time doing it.” Republican Congressman Mo Brooks certainly didn’t help to calm things when he takes the podium and says, “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass!”
But of course, nothing can compare to Donald Trump directly addressing his supporters and instructing them that “we’re going to the Capitol” and to “fight like hell.” Five people were killed in the attack.