Jan. 6 organizers Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lawrence — known as MAGA's "Bonnie and Clyde" — slammed former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night, a day after they testified before the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection.
At the beginning of the pair's first joint TV interview, Stockton clashed with MSNBC host Chris Hayes, who had reported in his intro that Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) "dangled a pardon" to them. According to Hayes, Gosar indicated to Stockton and Lawrence in 2020 that Trump would pardon them for their role in the fraudulent We Build the Wall campaign if they continued to organize "Stop the Steal" rallies.
Stockton disputed that report, calling it "misinformation," but went on to criticize Trump for pardoning adviser Steve Bannon for his role in We Build The Wall, but not campaign founder and Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage.
"Of course Trump pardons the one guy, of the guys who were indicted, who has all the money and political connections to fight it — (and not) the triple-amputee war hero who wasn't a lawyer, wasn't a political operative," Stockton said. "Brian in particular got left out to dry. So Trump pardons the only guy that he thinks he can get something back from, and that's been the hardest thing for me and Jen to deal with."
Stockton added that he and Lawrence saw "warning signs along the way" with Trump, but "made excuses for him" when "people we knew and liked had run into trouble with him."
He said there was an "internal conflict" among Jan. 6 organizers about what the "Stop the Steal" rally would look like. Stockton and Lawrence, who are cooperating with the House committee, said they expected the rally to remain at the Ellipse.
"We kind of lost that battle, and we didn't realize we lost that battle until President Trump told people to walk down to the Captiol," he said. "For us, it was devastating, it was very deflating. It's one of those snap-to-reality moments where you look back over all the previous warning signs that you ignored."
Asked about her current view of Trump, Lawrence said "hindsight is 20/20."
"Looking back on some things, I have some questions that I would love to ask president Trump," Lawrence said, before noting that after the couple's RV was raided in connection with the We Build The Wall investigation, Trump "came out on his Twitter and started throwing us under the bus," which she called "very hurtful."
Regarding Jan. 6, Lawrence said, "It was portrayed to us that if the electors were seated for President Biden, that Trump would recognize the results," adding that they were told Trump "wanted the largest crowd ever" for his farewell speech.
"That was our plan, so the minute we realized — oh my God, you're marching those people? We have nothing in place. What are you doing?" Lawrence said.
"It was so disheartening, so deflating, and it's really not OK," she said.
Watch the full interview in two parts below.
Jan. 6 organizers on MSNBC (Part I)www.youtube.com
Jan. 6 organizers on MSNBC (Part II)www.youtube.com
