
This List of Liberals Who Fell for the Missing Trump Phone Logs Conspiracy Theory Is Long
A new CNN report has derailed critics’ scrutiny of a missing seven-hour gap of former President Donald Trump’s phone logs on the day of the Capitol attack.
SO WHAT
Add this to the pile of debunked anti-Trump conspiracies.
WHAT HAPPENED
White House records obtained Tuesday by the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack show a seven-hour gap in Trump’s phone calls on Jan. 6, while the riot was ongoing, The Washington Post and CBS reported.
- The development has fueled speculation the logs were intentionally suppressed or that Trump was using “burner phones.”
- The Jan. 6 Committee is investigating a “possible coverup” of the former president’s contacts on the day of the attack, one of the Committee’s members told the Post.
- Calls Trump is known to have made, including one to then-Vice President Mike Pence from the Oval Office, are missing from the record.
Some critics have said the quiet part out loud, theorizing that the missing call logs contain evidence implicating Trump in the Capitol attack.
WHAT GOT DEBUNKED
However, new reporting from CNN and Axios indicates there’s no sinister conspiracy behind the gap in Trump’s Jan. 6 phone records.
An official review of the White House phone logs from January 6th shows that they are complete…after three straight days of breathless media reporting that there was a seven-hour gap that suggested a huge cover-up. pic.twitter.com/Wb4To5iBn1
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) April 1, 2022
Based on an official review of records, the White House switchboard logs are complete and the controversial seven-hour gap is likely explained by the use of landlines and cell phones, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
- In addition, the Jan. 6 log “reflects Trump’s typical phone habits,” according to “multiple sources familiar with Trump’s phone behavior and the White House switchboard records.”
- Axios’ reporting on Thursday further bolstered the notion that the phone log gap is a result of perhaps spotty record keeping, not deliberate deceit.
Trump’s executive assistant, Molly Michael, who was entrusted with keeping notes on the former president’s unscheduled meetings and calls, was absent for most of the day on Jan. 6.
WHO GOT DUPED
In the face of recent developments, a slew of journalists, pundits and Trump critics were left with egg on their faces.
Susan Glasser, New Yorker staff writer
Puts Nixon’s 18 minute gap to shame… https://t.co/AjbPnQmr0f
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) March 29, 2022
Majid Padellan, also known as “Brooklyn Dad,” a popular anti-Trump Twitter personality
A lot of sedition can happen in 7 hours.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) March 30, 2022
The USA Singers, “1st band of the #Resistance”
Nixon erased 18 minutes.
Trump erased 7 hours.
Arrest that guilty motherfucker now.
— The USA Singers (@TheUSASingers) March 29, 2022
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government accountability watchdog group
Nixon had an 18.5 minute gap in his White House tapes.
Trump has a 7.5 hour gap in phone logs from January 6th.
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 29, 2022
David Weissman, anti-Trump Twitter personality
Why is the “but her emails” crowd silent about the seven-hour gap in Trump’s phone logs?
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) March 29, 2022
Caroline Orr Bueno, feminist author
Richard Nixon was brought down by a roughly 18-minute lapse in his White House tapes. Trump has a SEVEN HOUR GAP in his White House phone logs at the exact moment his supporters were carrying out an attack on the Capitol that was organized by members of his inner circle.
— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 30, 2022
Palmer Report, liberal blog
The seven hour gap in the White House January 6th phone logs is GREAT news. It gives us a three word slogan (“seven hour gap”) that’ll make the average American conclude Trump was criminally conspiring on 1/6 and covering it up. And subpoenaed cellphone logs will fill in the gap.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) March 29, 2022
Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project
Seven hours is the new 18 minutes.
White House records turned over to House show 7-hour gap in Trump phone log on Jan. 6 https://t.co/jDA3bX7Cxg via @CBSPolitics
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) March 29, 2022
Greg Sargent, Washington Post columnist
Opinion by Greg Sargent: In another bid for the “Worse than Watergate” files, it turns out there is a seven-hour gap in Donald Trump’s phone logs on the day of the insurrection attempt. https://t.co/HeWJlKAMWC
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 29, 2022
Scott Dworkin, co-founder of the Democratic Coalition
Trump phone logs have a 7 hour 37 minute gap on Jan 6. Probably because he was busy attempting a coup.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) March 29, 2022
Keith Olbermann, left-wing political commentator
Bulletin: The Trump version of the Watergate "18-Minute Gap" is SEVEN HOURS LONG.
Arrest. Trump. Now. https://t.co/ayP74dYEzY
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 29, 2022
Richard Ojeda, Democratic politician
The response to any GOP garbage needs to be “SEVEN HOUR GAP”. They have no valid argument why the highest office in the land, where records are maintained…to include trash being inspected to ensure NOTHING is lost. The reason for this gap is pure CRIMINAL and CORRUPTION.
— Richard N. Ojeda, II (@Ojeda4America) March 29, 2022
Peter Strzok, disgraced FBI agent
Consciousness of guilt.
“Internal White House records from the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol…show a gap in President Donald Trump’s phone logs of seven hours and 37 minutes, including the period when the building was being violently assaulted.” https://t.co/TEfWYJnVQy
— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok) March 29, 2022
Keith Boykin, CNN political commentator
White House records from January 6 show a gap in Trump’s phone logs of seven hours and 37 minutes, including the time when the US Capitol was under attack.
This sounds like the coverup Nixon tried to pull in Watergate with the 18 1/2-minute gap in tapes. https://t.co/FvNrUTqg0b
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) March 29, 2022
Brent Spiner, American actor
With this new information about the seven hour gap in White House phone logs on January 6th, I think it’s time for Trump to do the right thing and resign.
— Brent Spiner (@BrentSpiner) March 29, 2022
Raw Story, liberal blog
George Conway offers a ridiculous theory to explain seven-hour gap in Trump call logs https://t.co/VYEc8R1ZU8
— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 1, 2022
John Cleese, British actor and comedian
A seven hour gap on the telephone log at the time of the insurrection ?
Memories of Nixon and the 'accidental' interruption of the tape recording by his secretary…
I guess Trump will have to take the 5th
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 31, 2022
Bob Woodward, legendary reporter
'Astonishing': Bob Woodward compares Trump call log gap to infamous Nixon tapes gap https://t.co/63sBHd0CaX
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 31, 2022