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These are cold facts, says Jamie Raskin, the congressman and constitutional expert who represents the House of Representatives on the Supreme Court.
Trump’s address to supporters on January 6 will receive a lot of attention in the coming days. But the Democrats’ document on the impeachment makes clear that the assault on the Capitol was the result of a lengthy process.
The assault on Congress on January 6.
Photo: Lev Radin / TT
The president created a powder keg, it is stated in the indictment:
• In the summer of 2020, long before anyone had cast a single vote in the presidential election, Donald Trump gave interviews in which he refused to say how he would act after the election and whether he would contribute to a peaceful transfer of power in the case of a loss. At election rallies, he claimed that he could only lose elections if they were rigged.
● On September 29, he directly addressed the right-wing extremists of the Proud Boys during a debate against Joe Biden. “Proud guys, take a step back and be prepared,” was the message. “Ready, sir,” replied the group leader.
Enrique Tarrio red Parler that same afternoon.
● Immediately after the elections, he began commercializing the theories of voter fraud. “We lead BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the election. We will never let them do that,” he tweeted on November 4.
● In early December, Trump made a speech in which he made accusations of massive electoral fraud and deviations. He claimed, among other things, that there had been millions of illegal votes in the wave master states and that it was statistically impossible that he would have lost the election.
● In November-December, lawyers for the Trump campaign decided to sue in 62 cases. The trials led to a single marginal change. The Supreme Court also rejected the demands of the Trump campaign. So the president decided to portray the judges as totally incompetent and weak.
● Trump lobbied through Twitter, as well as through phone calls and personal meetings with Republicans in the waveguide states. Right after the New Year, he called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is tasked with handling state elections. “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” declared the president.
Read more: Georgia investigates Trump’s controversial talks
Since the assault on Congress.
Photo: Michael Black / TT
● Trump also tried to get his own officials in Washington to step in. Above all, he focused on the Ministry of Justice. In early December, then-Justice Minister William Barr made it clear that there was no evidence of voter fraud. Barr was later replaced by Jeffrey Rosen, who was quickly forced into conflict with Trump over demands for action against the election result.
● When the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s election victory on December 14, Trump decided to put pressure on party colleagues in Congress. On Twitter, he repeated the lies about how he won the election, and that Republicans in the Senate must step up, “otherwise you won’t have a Republican party.”
● Since mid-December, Donald Trump also decided to escalate the rhetoric to Twitter followers and publicize the meeting in Washington on January 6, with statements that the election result was “the biggest scam in our nation’s history.” , that the FBI and the Department of Justice should be ashamed that Republicans in Congress did nothing. He also made clear that his supporters would flock to Washington and that they would not tolerate the election being stolen. During this period, there were violence and threats of violence against election officials in the states.
● Before January 6, mobilization and planning for several attacks at various sites intensified, a development that was closely followed by the White House. Both the FBI and Washington police issued warnings. The Washington Post reported that far-right online forums were reduced to reports of violence and that Trump supporters were urged to arm themselves before the protest.
● In the days and hours leading up to the protest, Trump singled out Vice President Mike Pence as the one who ultimately snorted at Trump about electoral victory, by refusing to intervene against the electorate.
Mike Pence.
Photo: Kevin Dietsch / TT
● On January 6, Trump delivered his Save America speech. He reiterated the claim that the election was stolen and urged the crowd to “fight much harder.” He asked supporters to go to the Capitol. At 20 minutes, he stressed that the march will be “peaceful.” He then continued for another 50 minutes with angry rhetoric and formulations such as “if you don’t fight hell alone, you will have no country left.” He did not object when supporters began shouting that they would “take” or “invade” the Capitol.
● In the midst of the storm, Trump tweeted a video of the speech and new accusations against Mike Pence. By then, the vice president had just been evacuated from the Capitol. Several members of Congress called on Trump to try to stop the violence, but he remained silent as supporters managed to break through police barriers.
At 2:38 a.m., when the crowd had entered the corridors of power, a first tweet came from Trump that everyone should behave peacefully. When the riot had lasted for three hours, he posted a video urging the protesters to go home, while at the same time repeating lies about the stolen election. “We love you,” he added.
Read more:
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Suffering from the tragedy before the storm, now leading the charge against Trump
