DONALD Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani claims that his calls for a “trial by combat” hours before the Capitol Hill riots were a reference to Game of Thrones, and not incitement to violence.
The former New York Mayor’s comments were among a number of incendiary outbursts from the president and his entourage at a ‘Save America’ rally in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, January 6
President Trump encouraged supporters to “walk down to the Capitol” while the Congress’ confirmation of Joe Biden’s victory was underway, telling them “you have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”
Mr Giuliani, expressing his dissatisfaction with the election result, said “let’s have trial by combat.”
Following the rally, a mob of Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol building where several high-profile government officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were evacuated by the secret service as a result.
Responding to criticism over his role in stirring up the mob, Mr Giuliani has since claimed he was referencing a scene involving a dwarf from the popular HBO series, Game of Thrones.
Elaborating upon his choice of words, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer said: “When Tyrion, who is a very small man, is accused of murder. He didn’t commit murder, he can’t defend himself, and he hires a champion to defend him” – apparently referring to himself as the “champion”.
Speaking to reporter Brett Samuels of The Hill on Tuesday, Mr Giuliani continued: “I was referencing the kind of trial that took place for Tyrion in that very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England”.
Prior to his inflammatory comments, Mr Giuliani relayed several untruths about the 2020 presidential election and remarked: “If we are wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we’re right, a lot of them will go to jail. So let’s have trial by combat.”
