Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Jan. 6 'A Little Riot' As She Defends Rally

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said there was a "little riot" at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021 and defended those who attended former President Donald Trump's rally that day.

Greene, a Republican who represents Georgia's 14th district, drew a distinction between the riot and the majority of Trump supporters who gathered in Washington, D.C. during her podcast on Friday.

Her comments come amid the ongoing House of Representatives' Select Committee investigation into the events of January 6, and suggestions that the committee may seek testimony from Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

"The people that came - most of them that came to Washington, D.C. that day - were there to support President Trump," Greene said.

"On one side of the Capitol, people were singing, they were praying. I mean it was, you know, amazing," she said. "Other side of the Capitol, yeah, there was a little riot going on.

"Approximately over 800 people went inside the Capitol but there was a very small percent there in total that day out of all the people that were there that actually did anything wrong," Greene went on. "And they are being persecuted. It's a political witch hunt."

At least 876 people had been charged over their involvement in the storming of the Capitol as of July 5, 2022, but thousands of people had gathered in Washington D.C. on January 6 in support of Trump.

The Associated Press estimated that at least 10,000 people attended Trump's rally on the National Mall, while the rally organizers had estimated that around 30,000 people might attend.

Greene's remarks come as the House Select Committee continues its investigations into the events surrounding January 6 and is holding ongoing public hearings.

Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of two GOP members of the committee, told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the committee could seek testimony from former President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

A group of Georgia voters has been attempting to have Greene disqualified from the ballot in the upcoming midterm elections and they have accused her of helping to "facilitate the January 6, 2021 insurrection," according to Free Speech For People, a non-partisan, non-profit legal advocacy organization that's representing the voters.

However, the effort has been unsuccessful in court and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger formally decided that Greene was eligible to run following an administrative law judge's findings.

Arguments for a judicial review of Raffensperger's decision were heard before Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday and the outcome is pending.

Newsweek has contacted Greene for comment.