Audio released of Trump defending Jan. 6 crowd's 'hang Mike Pence' chants

On November 12, 2021, excerpts surfaced from an interview Trump had given ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl for Karl's book "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show"; the interview itself had been recorded earlier, but the audio's public release on this date marked the first time Trump's own recorded words on the subject reached the public. Pressed on rioters' chants calling to hang Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said "the people were very angry" and argued their anger reflected "common sense" because Pence should have blocked certification of what Trump falsely called a "fraudulent" vote: "How can you — if you know a vote is fraudulent, right? — how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?" Rather than condemning the threat against his own vice president, Trump characterized the mob's rage as understandable. The remarks came as the House January 6 committee was actively investigating Trump's conduct that day.