Fact Check

Did Rudy Giuliani Call for 'Trial by Combat' Before Trump Mob Broke Into Capitol?

After a violent mob descended on the U.S. Capitol, the rhetoric of Trump's surrogates came under scrutiny.

Published Jan. 6, 2021

US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Thousands of Trump supporters, fueled by his spurious claims of voter fraud, are flooding the nation's capital protesting the expected certification of Joe Biden's White House victory by the US Congress. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Image courtesy of BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Claim:
U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, called for "trial by combat" before a violent mob of Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol.

On Jan. 6, 2021, a violent mob of Trump supporters gathered at the U.S. Capitol to support outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump's false claims that the November 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. They fought with police and broke into the Capitol building. One person was killed.

But before that transpired, the rhetoric of speakers at the so-called "Save America" rally held earlier in the day came under scrutiny. For example, during a speech, Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, made a reference to the HBO drama "Game of Thrones" when he called for a "trial by combat" while talking about conspiracy theories alleging massive scale voter fraud.

Giuliani did make this comment, as captured on video by Vox journalist Aaron Rupar:

"Over the next 10 days, we get to see the machines that are crooked, the ballots that are fraudulent. And if we're wrong, we will be made fools of. But if we're right, and lot of them will go to jail. So, let's have trial by combat."

Trump also spoke at the rally and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol. They did so, and then breached barriers and broke inside.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more

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