Following the events of January 6, 2021, several Republican figures, including Chris LaCivita, who now manages Donald Trump’s campaign, distanced themselves from the then-president. LaCivita, in particular, reacted to the attack on the Capitol by sharing posts on X (formerly Twitter) that described the incident as an "insurrection" driven by Trump’s baseless claims of a stolen election.
While many of those posts have since been removed from LaCivita’s X feed, they were archived and reviewed by CNN using the Internet Archive's WayBack Machine. The posts revealed that LaCivita, among others in Trump's circle, expressed disapproval of the violent outcome of the day, attributing it directly to Trump’s falsehoods.
On the day of the attack, LaCivita reposted messages critical of Trump, implying that some of Trump’s close allies viewed the violence as a consequence of the misinformation spread by the former president. Despite this, LaCivita later issued a statement to CNN clarifying that his retweets and likes from that day were not endorsements.
"Retweets and likes are not endorsements. I’m focused on winning the election two weeks from now, and not distractions from CNN," LaCivita said.
Among the posts LaCivita shared was a statement from former President George W. Bush, who expressed his dismay at the events of January 6. Bush's statement, which LaCivita amplified, described the Capitol riot as "a sickening and heartbreaking sight" and condemned the behavior of political leaders who failed to respect democratic institutions.
Another post that garnered attention was a retweet from former Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, who advocated for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. LaCivita liked the tweet, in which Comstock called for action against Trump, writing, "Twitter locked @realDonaldTrump for 12 hours. Now the Cabinet needs to lock him down for the next 14 days. #25thAmendmentNow."
Although X has removed the ability to see users' likes, a user confirmed to CNN that their post had indeed been liked by LaCivita on January 6. The post in question supported the call for the 25th Amendment, a constitutional provision allowing the president's removal if deemed unfit for office.
LLaCivita also shared a comment from a GOP Senate aide, which criticized the tragic outcome of the riot. The aide's message, which was reshared by LaCivita, blamed Trump, Senators Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley for capitalizing on the falsehoods that led to the violence.
Another since-deleted post from LaCivita’s account referred to the Capitol rioters as "thugs," a stark contrast to the softer language Trump has since used to describe the day. Trump, in recent statements, has characterized the events as "a day of love and peace," despite the well-documented violence that occurred.
As Trump continues his campaign, he has sought to recast January 6, promoting unfounded conspiracy theories that claim the riot was orchestrated by the federal government. Trump has suggested that if he is re-elected, he may pardon some of the individuals convicted of violent acts during the riot. In one recent town hall, Trump reiterated his claim that his supporters acted because they believed the election had been rigged.
Trump’s continued defense of his supporters contrasts sharply with LaCivita’s previous condemnation. However, as Trump’s campaign manager, LaCivita now appears focused on the future, downplaying his earlier comments on the insurrection.
LaCivita, a seasoned Republican strategist, has worked on high-profile campaigns across Virginia and nationally. He first gained significant recognition during the 2004 presidential election for his role in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign, which aimed to discredit Democratic nominee John Kerry’s military service.
