In 2021, the campaign manager for Donald Trump disseminated messages asserting that his untruths led to the violent incidents that transpired on January 6.
On X, previously known as Twitter, LaCivita posted remarks labeling January 6 as a "revolution" driven by Trump's unsubstantiated election allegations. Several of these posts have since been eliminated from LaCivita's timeline. CNN managed to retrieve these deleted posts using the Internet Archive WayBack Machine, an online service that archives web pages.
On January 6, 2021, LaCivita reposted criticism of Trump, implying that even his closest associates viewed the fatal outcome as a result of Trump's falsehoods.
When contacted by CNN, LaCivita claimed that his likes and retweets on January 6 were not endorsements. He stated, "Retweets and likes do not equate to endorsements. My focus is on winning the election two weeks from now, and not CNN's distractions."
LaCivita shared a message on January 6 from former President George W. Bush, expressing "disbelief and sadness" at the violent attack on the Capitol, condemning it as "a disturbing and heartbreaking sight." Bush accused "political leaders" of spreading falsehoods and promoting disrespect for institutions, traditions, and law enforcement.
LaCivita later deleted this post from his timeline.
CNN also reviewed a video showing screen recordings of posts LaCivita liked on January 6, including one from Republican former Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, who advocated for Trump's Cabinet to remove him from office under the 25th Amendment.
Comstock tweeted, "Twitter temporarily suspended @realDonaldTrump for 12 hours. Now, the Cabinet needs to isolate him for the next 14 days. #25thAmendmentNow."
Although X has removed the option to view likes, a Twitter user confirmed to CNN that Comstock's post was liked by Trump's campaign manager on January 6.
The 25th Amendment grants the vice president and the majority of the Cabinet the authority to declare the president unfit for office, temporarily transferring power to the vice president.
Another post LaCivita shared was a harsh message from a Republican Senate aide, as reported by John McCormack of the conservative magazine National Review on X. The aide wrote, "This is a despicable tragedy. Someone lost their life due to a lie that Trump spread, which Cruz/Hawley exploited, and which the fringe media amplified. This is unsustainable in no way, shape, or form."
Another post LaCivita shared and later removed described those who stormed the Capitol as "thugs," linking to a CNN tweet reporting "Pro-Trump protesters have stormed the US Capitol, where members of Congress were meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win."
The comments LaCivita shared, the top aide for Trump's quest to regain the White House in November, are noteworthy, as Trump in the campaign's final weeks has attempted to reframe the events of that day.
On social media, Trump has disseminated unsubstantiated claims suggesting the riot was an inside job orchestrated by the federal government. He has also described the rally and preceding events as a "day of love and peace," and hinted at pardoning January 6 rioters convicted of violent acts.
During a Univision town hall last week, Trump defended his supporters' actions, attributing their entry into the Capitol to their belief in an allegedly "rigged" election. He continued to distort the day's events, stating, "That was a day of love from the perspective of millions."
Last week, on Truth Social, Trump also posted, "January 6 was the day the government staged a riot."
The baseless theory that the federal government orchestrated the January 6 attack has been debunked as unfounded.
LaCivita, a seasoned Republican strategist with a career in high-profile campaigns in Virginia and nationally, has served as co-campaign manager for Donald Trump's third presidential bid with experienced political operative Susie Wiles since 2023.
He gained national attention in the 2004 presidential election for his role in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign, the group that aimed to discredit and attack Democratic nominee John Kerry's military record.
LaCivita's political stance on January 6 became evident when he shared posts criticizing Trump's role in the events, implying that some of Trump's associates believed the falsehoods led to the tragic outcome.
In his posts, LaCivita expressed concern over the spread of falsehoods in politics, as Bush accused "political leaders" of promoting disrespect for institutions.
