Officer injured in Capitol riots gives blistering response to Trump indictment

‘I saw the Trump-fueled MAGA attack before my eyes. It was calculated, premeditated, and malicious’

Michael Fanone, one of the police officers assaulted during the Capitol riots, has welcomed the indictment of Donald Trump while slamming House Republicans for defending the former president.

Mr Trump was indicted on Tuesday for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and charged with four counts of violating three sections of the federal criminal code.

The former president has been criminally charged for the third time in four months even as he campaigns to regain the presidency next year.

The grand jurors approved the indictment against Mr Trump on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding, and deprivation of rights under colour of law on Tuesday after a four-hour presentation by Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors.

"Donald Trump spent his entire lifetime f****** around and he’s about to find out. I’d like to think that in some small way I played a part in all this," Mr Fanone told NBC News.

Mr Fanone along with the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot have argued that Mr Trump was directly responsible for the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol. Mr Fanone suffered burns, heart attack and traumatic brain injuries while defending the Congress from the insurrectionists during the riots.

"When I heard confirmation of the indictment I couldn’t help but feel incredible proud to be an American," he continued. "The same way I did when President Obama announced that our military had killed [Osama] Bin Laden."

In a separate statement, Mr Fanone slammed Republicans for defending Mr Trump.

"I saw the Trump-fueled MAGA attack before my eyes. It was calculated, premeditated, and malicious,” he said, adding: "It disgusts me that House Republicans are heinously coming to the defense of Trump’s criminal behavior while putting up the foundation of our democracy as collateral."

Other police officers welcomed Mr Trump's indictment, calling it a step closer to justice.

“All I have wanted from day one is accountability and justice for the law enforcement men and women who fought bravely on January 6th. As we get closer to the proverbial finish line, I can only reflect on how long this fight has been,” officer Harry Dunn said in a statement shared by his attorney Mark Zaid.

Former Capitol police officer Winston Pingeon posted a photo of himself in front of the US Capitol building and wrote: "I want Justice for what my fellow officers and I endured while defending democracy on January 6th. One step closer."