Absolutely, there were serious lapses in security on J6. But the idea that these failures somehow absolve those who stormed the Capitol is backwards.
Multiple investigations, including bipartisan Senate reports, confirmed that intelligence failures, poor coordination, and underestimation of the threat all played roles. But none of that justifies the violence or the attempt to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.
Neither the Speaker of the House nor the DC Mayor controls Capitol Police deployments directly. That falls under the Capitol Police Board and federal law enforcement coordination. You, nor anyone else other than those deflecting from what happened that day, has provided credible evidence Pelosi "refused" security assistance. The narrative that she was somehow responsible is a political talking point, not a conclusion drawn from evidence or the law.
You’re right - "he made me do it" isn’t a legal defense and I never said it was. But Trump wasn’t being judged by that standard. The issue is whether he incited or encouraged actions through repeated lies about the election being stolen, pressuring officials, and summoning supporters to the Capitol with inflammatory rhetoric. That happened.
Last, the Mueller investigation found extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives, and multiple Trump aides were convicted or pleaded guilty. While it didn’t establish a criminal conspiracy, the notion that the whole thing was a hoax is simply not supported by the full report. The Senate Intelligence Committee (led by Republicans) confirmed much of the same.
We’re going in circles and won’t change each other’s minds, but facts aren’t optional, and they don’t yield to feelings or anyone’s personal rewrite of the Constitution.