Secret Service seized over 250 knives and nearly 250 pepper spray canisters before riots even started: Jan. 6 Committee

The January 6th riots of the United States Capitol building could have been significantly more violent if the United States Secret Service had not seized hundreds of weapons being carried by Trump supporters ahead of time.

As flagged by Semfor, the House Select Committee's executive summary of its final report states that the Secret Service seized a total of 269 blades and knives from attendees at Trump's January 6th speech at The Ellipse in Washington D.C. hours before they started violently storming the Capitol.

In addition to the knives, the agents also seized nearly 250 cannisters of pepper spray, 30 batons or blunt instruments, 18 brass knuckles, 18 tasers, six pieces of body armor, three gas masks, and 17 assorted other potentially harmful objects including scissors, needles, and screwdrivers.

Former Trump administration aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified earlier this year that Trump was angry when he learned that many of his supporters were being denied entry to his Ellipse rally on the grounds that they were carrying weapons.

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As Hutchinson testified, Trump demanded that the metal detectors be removed so more of his supporters could attend, and he blew off security concerns about weapon-carrying supporters on the grounds that they didn't come to Washington D.C. to hurt him, only others.