Donald Trump Told Sen. Tommy Tuberville to “Protect Yourself” Before the January 6 Capitol Riot; Senator Hid in a Closet During the Riot
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks during a hearing before Senate Armed Services Committee at Dirksen Senate Office Building September 28, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing “to receive testimony on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations.” Alex Wong/Getty Images

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville revealed that former U.S. President Donald Trump had urged him to protect himself on January 6 before a mob of Trump supporters had made their way towards the Senate chamber.

Trump had mistakenly called Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on January 6, prompting him to hand his cellphone to the Alabama Republican senator in the Senate chamber, according to a Business Insider report.

Trump and Tuberville's conversation reportedly took place after former Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated before the rest of the senators were removed from the premise.

Tuberville said that the former president had told him on the call that he knows they've got problems, adding "protect yourself."

Senators Hiding in a Storage Closet During Capitol Riot

About a dozen of Republican senators had hidden in a storage closet but not from intruders. The senators reportedly hid from their Democratic colleagues, according to an Independent report.

The GOP lawmakers were already in a secure room when they decided to huddle in the closet, plotting their next move in light of the Capitol riot.

Tuberville reportedly told GOP colleagues that they've got "25 seconds to call a play." He added that they cannot "call a bunch of timeouts." Tuberville is known to be a former football coach.

Tuberville remembered thinking if they want to continue it if there's not going to be a result that they are looking for anyway.

Independent reported that other GOP lawmakers were worried about the effects their actions might take on the country.

Sen. James Lankford said that he remembers saying that they have to pull the country together as they were so exceptionally divided it's "spilling into the building."

Among them who hid in the closet were Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley; and Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, according to a Daily Mail report.

Trump had supported Tuberville in his primary when he went against former Sen. Jeff Sessions. Sessions was known to have infuriated Trump by recusing himself during the Russia probe.

Tuberville said that he was not voting for himself, rather he was voting for the people of Alabama. He noted that Trump had an 80-percent approval there, telling his constituents that he will vote how they wanted him to vote.

Capitol Riot Investigation

Meanwhile, Tuberville said that the House select committee that is probing the January 6 Capitol riot is partisan and invalid.

He noted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not allow the Republicans in the House's choice to be part of the commission.

Tuberville added that Pelosi picked the people from the left and from the right. He added that if they wanted to do a commission, they should do it bipartisan, according to an Alabama News report.

Pelosi had vetoed two out of five Republicans nominated for the probing panel. They were Reps. Jim Jordan, and Jim Banks.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had nominated the two representatives.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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