Trump was 'loving watching the Capitol mob,' former White House official tells CNN
- Former aides told CNN that Donald Trump enjoyed watching his supporters storm the US Capitol.
- He was "loving watching the Capitol mob," a former senior White House official told the outlet.
- The House impeached Trump last month, charging him with inciting an insurrection.
Former aides to Donald Trump told CNN that Trump enjoyed watching his supporters assault the US Capitol in the final days of his presidency.
The January 6 Capitol riot, which broke out soon after Trump gave a speech near the White House falsely claiming he won the 2020 election, resulted in five deaths, including the killing of a US Capitol Police officer.
As the violence unfolded last month, Republicans and Democrats alike pleaded with Trump to intervene - to call on his supporters to stop. For hours, however, he remained largely silent, ensconced at the White House and, reports indicate, consuming cable news.
CNN quoted a former senior Trump official as saying the president was enjoying what he saw on the screen: people - some in MAGA hats and with Trump flags - breaking into the home of the federal government's legislative branch.
Trump was "loving watching the Capitol mob," the unnamed former official told CNN.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that Trump was slow to act on calling for an end to the riot - which he did hours after it began in a video posted to Twitter in which he called the rioters "special" - because he was watching it live on television.
"He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV," a Trump advisor told The Post. "If it's TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it's live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold."
The Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump soon after, charging him with inciting an insurrection. His second impeachment trial in the Senate is set to begin Tuesday.
Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com