WATCH: Jan. 6 rioter says social media, Trump played large roles in decision to travel to D.C.

Summary of the Subtitles (Jan. 6 Hearing / Commentary)

Witness Background

• Mr. Ayers describes himself as an ordinary working-family man from northeast Ohio.
• He says he worked for a company for nearly two decades.
• He also describes balancing family responsibilities and participating in everyday activities such as camping and playing basketball prior to Jan. 6.

Decision to Travel to Washington

• Ayers testifies that he became heavily engaged with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
• He says he followed content from President Trump and election-related websites.
• He claims these sources convinced him to go to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally.
• He also says friends told him they were going, and he joined them at the last minute.

Belief That the Election Was Stolen

• At the time of Jan. 6, Ayers says he believed the election was stolen, largely based on what he saw online.
• He states Trump’s messaging made him feel “very upset,” and that this contributed directly to his decision to come.

Change in Belief After Jan. 6

• After the attack, Ayers says he cut off social media and deleted his accounts.
• He describes doing “own research.”
• He eventually stopped believing the election was stolen because:
  • the scale of events made it seem unlikely they could be kept quiet, and
  • lawsuits were repeatedly rejected.

Impact of Learning There Was No Evidence of Fraud

• In response to questioning about testimony that Trump was told by legal/political advisors and the Justice Department that there was no widespread fraud, Ayers says that learning Trump had no evidence would have made a difference.
• He implies he might not have come to Washington, D.C.

Rally-to-Riot Motivation Tied to Trump’s Messaging (as Argued by the Committee)

• Questioning from Rep. Cheney and Ms. Murphy frames Trump’s December 19 tweets as summoning both extremist groups and regular Trump supporters.
• They describe Trump’s encouragement—urging people to be “wild” and to “fight”—as helping move attendees toward the Capitol.

Why Ayers (and the Crowd) Moved Toward the Capitol

• Ayers says they initially went to the rally, not directly to the Capitol.
• He attributes the march largely to Trump’s speech:
  • he says Trump “riled” people up and told them to “head on down,”
  • prompting followers to move with the crowd.

Expectations During the March

• Ayers testifies that many people still hoped the election would be overturned, including through Pence not certifying.
• He also recalls hearing about a potential “big reveal,” which he says contributed to their hope.

Expectations About Trump Physically Joining

• Ayers says he believed Trump might march with them, based on signals suggesting he would be there.

Leaving the Capitol Area

• Ayers states he and others left immediately after a Trump tweet, implying that the timing of Trump’s messaging influenced when he thought the situation should end.