Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2021

January 12, 2021

The President. I think that Big Tech is doing a horrible thing for our country and to our country. And I believe it's going to be a catastrophic mistake for them. They're dividing and divisive, and they're showing something that I've been predicting for a long time. I've been predicting it for a long time, and people didn't act on it.

But I think Big Tech has made a terrible mistake, and very, very bad for our country. And that's leading others to do the same thing, and it causes a lot of problems and a lot of danger. Big mistake. They shouldn't be doing it. But there's always a counter move when they do that. I've never seen such anger as I see right now, and that's a terrible thing. Terrible thing.

Q. Mr. Presidentââ

The President's Message to Supporters

Q. Mr. President, will you tell your supportersââ

The President. And you have to always avoid violence.

Q. Mr. Presidentââ

Q. But, sir, will you tell yourââ

The President. And we have tremendous support.

Q. What is your role, sir?

The President. We have support probably like nobody has ever seen before. Always have to avoid violence.

The President's January 6 Remarks at a "Save America" Rally on the Ellipse

Q. Mr. President, what is your role in what happened at the Capitol? What is your personal responsibility?

The President. So if you read my speechâand many people have done it, and I've seen it both in the papers and in the media, on televisionâit's been analyzed, and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate.

And if you look at what other people have saidâpoliticians at a high levelâabout the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle, in various other places, that was a real problemâwhat they said.

But they've analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph and my final sentence, and everybody, to the T, thought it was totally appropriate.

Okay, thank you. Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 10:27 a.m. prior to boarding Air Force One en route to Alamo, TX.

Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters :: Joint Base Andrews, MD.

Locations: Joint Base Andrews, MD.

Subjects: Civil rights : Freedom of speech; Communications : News media :: Presidential interviews; Communications : Social media platforms; Law enforcement and crime : Nationwide civil unrest and violence; Maryland : Joint Base Andrews; Maryland : President's visits.

DCPD Number: DCPD202100013.