In the seventh televised hearing of the January 6th Committee, we learned that Trump knowingly planned and promoted the violent attack on the Capitol. Pre-recorded testimony confirmed that the march on the Capitol was premeditated by the Trump White House, which knew that the rally would involve armed, extremist militia members. Former White House Special Counsel Pat Cipollone detailed how Trump held an hours-long meeting with election conspiracy theorists like Sidney Powell, seeking to seize voting machines nationally. We heard live testimony from right-wing activists Jason Van Tatenhove and Stephen Ayres. Tatenhove, a former leading member of the white supremacist militant group known as the Oath Keepers, warned that the insurrection “was going to be an armed revolution.” Ayres, who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, testified that Trump’s tweet and planned statements mobilized supporters to march towards the Capitol. The tweet encouraged previously-unaffiliated right-wing militia groups to work together and connect with Trump affiliate Roger Stone. At the end of it all, after being informed that Oath Keepers and others were present with military-grade weapons, Trump encouraged his MAGA supporters to “fight like hell” and head to the Capitol. The Select Committee continues to lay out the evidence proving that Trump and MAGA Republicans knowingly encouraged extremist groups to undertake an armed insurrection, and never intended to stop trying to overturn the will of the people.
Huffington Post: Jan. 6 Committee Ties Trump Advisers To Violent Extremists Who Attacked Capitol. “The House Jan. 6 committee on Tuesday tied Donald Trump to leaders of the violent assault on the Capitol and revealed that a march on the building was long a part of his planned coup to remain in power despite losing reelection…The seventh public hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot also showed a half-dozen Republican members of Congress were involved in that effort, including a Dec. 21, 2020, meeting to discuss a plan to pressure Pence to obey Trump’s demands, and then later sought pardons.” [Huffington Post, 7/12/22]
New York Times: Trump Planned a March to the Capitol, Committee Says. “The House panel obtained a draft tweet saying supporters should go to the Capitol after his speech on Jan 6. The committee also presented evidence that the former president was going to call for supporters to march on Congress ‘unexpectedly.’” [New York Times, 7/12/22]
CNN: Evidence Shows Trump’s Call To Urge Supporters To March To The Capitol Was A ‘Deliberate Strategy,’ Committee Says. “Here are some takeaways from Tuesday’s hearing…Panel highlights Trump’s ‘call to arms’ tweet…Details uncovered for the planning behind Trump’s ‘unexpected’ call to march to the Capitol…Cipollone interview plays a key role in Tuesday’s hearing…Six witnesses detail ‘unhinged’ Oval Office meeting in December 2020…Committee follows Justice Department’s lead on extremists.” [CNN, 7/12/22]
Associated Press: Jan. 6 Takeaways: Extremists And ‘Screaming’ In Trump Meet. “At its seventh public hearing, the Jan. 6 panel is not only detailing the plans of extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers ahead of the attack, but is keeping its focus on what was happening inside the White House at the time. ‘A CALL TO ACTION … A CALL TO ARMS’ A major focus of the hearing is Trump’s Dec. 19 tweet about a “big protest” at the coming joint session of Congress: ‘Be there, will be wild!’” [AP News, 7/12/22]
Axios: Liz Cheney Says Trump Attempted To Reach Out To Jan. 6 Witness. “Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said at a Jan. 6 committee hearing on Tuesday that former President Trump personally called an unidentified Jan. 6 committee witness. Why it matters: Cheney says the committee has referred the matter to the Department of Justice, which has the power to prosecute the former president if it determines he tampered with a congressional witness. What they’re saying: ‘After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation, a witness you have not yet seen in these hearings,’ Cheney said.” [Axios, 7/12/22]
Bloomberg: ‘Unhinged’ 2020 Oval Office Meeting Portrayed In Jan. 6 Hearing. “Divisions between White House staff and outside advisers pressing Donald Trump to pursue election-fraud conspiracy claims exploded in an “unhinged” meeting that featured screaming, insults and a challenge to physical combat…arguments…broke out over efforts by Trump advisers Rudy Giuliani, Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell to persuade the former president to issue an executive order for the Defense Department to seize voting machines. There was also discussion of appointing Powell a special counsel to pursue election-fraud claims.” [Bloomberg, 7/12/22]
The Hill: DOJ Alerted After Trump Called Unseen Jan. 6 Witness, Says Cheney. “Former President Trump tried to call a witness expected to appear at a future hearing for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Tuesday, raising further questions about potential witness tampering…But Cheney’s comments on Tuesday are the first public confirmation that Trump had personally reached out to those who are communicating with the committee.” [The Hill, 7/12/22]
Reuters: Trump Incited Jan. 6 Attack After ‘Unhinged’ White House Meeting, Panel Told. “U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday accused Donald Trump of inciting a mob of followers to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a last-ditch bid to remain in power as Congress was formally certifying the then-president’s election loss.” [Reuters, 7/12/22]
USA Today: Jan. 6 Rioter Blames His Participation On Trump, False Claims Of Election Fraud: Live Updates. “I do fear for this next election cycle because who knows what that might bring,” said Van Tatenhove. “If a president that is willing to try to instill and encourage, to whip up a civil war amongst his followers using lies and deceit and snake oil, regardless of the human impact.” [USA Today, 7/12/22]
Wall Street Journal: Jan. 6 Hearing Describes Heated Argument in White House Over Election Fraud Claims. “The committee also displayed parts of a memo it said was drafted by a group of Trump allies and attorneys on Dec. 16 recommending that ‘the Secretary of Defense shall seize, collect, retain and analyze’ voting machines. Mr. Cipollone said he fiercely opposed the move in his recorded testimony. ‘To have the federal government seize voting machines, it’s a terrible idea, that’s not how we do things in the United States,’ he said. Mr. Trump dropped the idea.” [Wall Street Journal, 7/12/22]
Washington Post: The Proud Boys Didn’t Need To Be Told What To Do On Jan. 6. “But even without a smoking gun connecting the White House to the Proud Boys, it’s clear that Trump and his allies did nothing to deter the Proud Boys from engaging in the sorts of demonstrations and violence that were magnified that day on Capitol Hill. Trump didn’t need to tell the Proud Boys what to do, and that’s the point.” [Washington Post, 7/12/22]
Los Angeles Times: Trump’s Call To March On The Capitol Was Planned In Advance, Committee Shows. “Then-President Trump’s call for his supporters to march on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was planned in advance, and he intended to go with them, evidence presented at Tuesday’s congressional hearing on the insurrection showed…A draft tweet obtained by the Jan. 6 House Select Committee showed that prior to the insurrection, Trump had written: ‘I will be making a Big Speech at 10AM on January 6th at the Ellipse (South of the White House). Please arrive early, massive crowds expected. March to the Capitol after. Stop the steal!!’ Trump never sent the tweet.” [Los Angeles Times, 7/12/22]
In The States
AZCentral: Jan. 6 Rioter Blames His Participation On Trump, False Claims Of Election Fraud. “GOP lawmakers met with Trump about overturning the election: Several Republican members of Congress met Dec. 21 with Trump and top advisers to discuss what role Vice President Mike Pence could play in overturning election results. They included: Brian Babin, R-Tx.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.; Louie Gohmert, R-Texas; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; Andy Harris, R-Md.; Jody Hice, R-Ga.; Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Scott Perry, R-Pa. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who at the time had been elected to Congress but not sworn in, also attended.” [AZCentral, 7/12/22]
Las Vegas Sun: Jan. 6 Panel Probes ‘Unhinged’ Meeting, Trump Rally Call. “The Jan. 6 committee on Tuesday divulged details of an “unhinged” late night meeting at the White House with defeated President Donald Trump’s outside lawyers suggesting the military seize state voting machines in a last-ditch effort to pursue his false claims of voter fraud before he summoned a mob to the U.S. Capitol. The committee investigating last year’s attack at the Capitol is working to show how far-right extremists answered Trump’s call to come for a big rally in Washington. As dozens of lawsuits and his claims of voter fraud fizzled, Trump met late into the night of Dec. 18 with attorneys at the White House before tweeting the rally invitation — “Be there, will be wild!” Members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups are now facing rare sedition charges over the siege.” [Las Vegas Sun, 7/12/22]
Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump Associates Ties To Extremists Are Being Probed By The Jan. 6 Committee. “After members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, their leader called someone on the phone with an urgent message for then-President Donald Trump, another extremist told investigators.While gathered in a private suite at the Phoenix Park Hotel, an Oath Keeper member says he heard their leader, Stewart Rhodes, repeatedly urge the person on the phone to tell Trump to call upon militia groups to fight to keep the president in power.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/12/22]
