Of course he could have done exactly what he did at 4:17, but earlier. He tweeted twice during that timeframe, but didn’t tell them to stop or leave. In fact his first tweet was the opposite message.
At 2:24, two hours into the riot and about twenty minutes after the Capitol
Itself was breached:
"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!"
2:38:
“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!
[“163]
2:44: Asli Babbit is shot
4:17: Finally releases video telling rioters to leave the Capitol.
That’s more than three hours after the protest turned violent, two hours after the Capitol was breached and ninety minites after Babbit was shot. His first tweet was highly inflammatory snd his second was notable in that he didn’t tell them to stop or leave, just to not harm the police, which in that context seems to be more CYA, but maybe not.
Yes, the message might have taken time to disseminate amongst the crowd. It doesn’t matter. His intent would have been made clear if he had told them to leave earlier, just as it was made clear by the absence of that message for three hours during the worst of the violence.
