President Trump claimed his “silent majority” of supporters “don’t riot” weeks after America observed the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
The 79-year-old president made the claim Friday in the Oval Office while defending his deportation policies to a reporter.
“I’ll say it very plainly, elections have consequences,” he said after signing an executive order to bring an IndyCar race to the streets of Washington, D.C. “The people want law and order. And we have a solid majority. You know, we have a silent majority of people. They don’t go and riot and everything else. But they like what we’re doing.”
Trump appeared to be denigrating anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, which have reached a fever pitch after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens, detained toddlers, and assaulted legal observers.
The president has repeatedly and baselessly claimed that anti-ICE protests and anti-Trump protests in general are fueled by “paid agitators.”
His statement that his supporters “don’t riot” inspired social media users to pull up footage of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, in which armed Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an effort to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election. Five people, including one Capitol police officer, died during the riot.
Trump has been accused of leading the insurrection, as before the violence broke out, he gave a speech in which he urged the crowd to march toward the Capitol and “fight like hell.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump and his administration have leaned on Trump’s 2024 election victory to claim they have a mandate to go through with his deportation policies.
However, the claim that a silent majority of Americans support him and his deportation efforts is at odds with what polls say.
A Fox News poll conducted last week found that 59% of Americans believe ICE’s actions were “too aggressive”; a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted the weekend that Border Patrol officers killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti found only 39% of Americans support Trump on immigration; a Pew Research poll published last week found Trump has a -24 approval rating.
This lack of support in polls indicates that Republicans are vulnerable in the 2026 midterms. Democrats are heavily favored to win back the House of Representatives, and the GOP’s slim Senate lead could also be in jeopardy.
Trump has said he’s worried that if Democrats take back Congress, he will be impeached in the second half of his term.
The post Trump, 79, Claims His Loyal Followers ‘Don’t Riot’ appeared first on The Daily Beast.
