Thread by @ryanjreilly

Good morning from the D.C. federal courthouse, where opening arguments are set to begin in the first Jan. 6 trial.

And we’re off. Jurors are making their way into the courtroom.

The government's opening statement is being delivered by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler.

“In the defendant’s own words, he lit the match that started the fire,” says ASUA Nestler.

"The defendant was the tip of this mob’s spear,” says Nestler.

Nestler tells the jury they’re going to get a “short civics lesson” in the course of this trial, and goes on to explain the roles of Nancy Pelosi and Mitt McConnell.

Reffitt “wanted to stop Congress from doing its job” and had “two specific targets in mind: Pelosi and McConnell.

Lots of people where angry about Biden winning the 2020 election, Nestler argues.

“What makes this defendant stand out are the actions that he took,” Nestler tells the jury.

Nestler tells jurors that they’ll hear form Guy Reffitt’s own son during the trial.

He quotes a text Reffitt sent to his family: “What’s about to happen will shock the world, that’s why I’m going to D.C."

“I just want to see Pelosi’s head hitting every fucking stair” on the way out of the Capitol, Reffitt said, per DOJ. “I am dragging them the fuck out.”

Guy Reffitt’s attorney gave a brief opening, and went with the big talker defense.

“Guy does brag, he exaggerates, and he rants. He uses a lot of hyperbole, and that upsets people,” says William Welch.

Federal prosecutor Risa Berkower, who is on this case, has heard those kinds of arguments before: huffpost.com/entry/kansas-m…

Government’s first witness is now testifying. Initial piece here: nbcnews.com/politics/justi…

Current status of the trial:

Technical problem resolved in court, although those in the media room still can’t see the evidence being displayed (but that’s hopefully going to be fixed over lunch).

One hour lunch break starting now, to try to fix the issue. Back at 12:55.

The evidence feed is fixed, and the jury should be back soon.

Here’s a courtroom sketch of a photo exhibit showing Guy Reffitt at the Capitol.

Credit: Bill Hennessy

Former U.S. Capitol Police officer who served on Jan. 6 recalls feeling fearful of the angry mob on Jan. 6.

“We were outnumbered,” she says. “We were the only thing standing between thousands of these people and Congress."

Officer Shauni Kerkhoff IDs Guy Reffitt as the man she faced off with on Jan. 6. She’s now reviewing video showing her facing off with Reffitt.

Kerkhoff doesn’t recall directly what Reffitt said on a megaphone on Jan. 6, but that he was clearly very angry.

“Every time he took at step, they took a step,” Kerkhoff testifies as she watches videos of Guy Reffitt leading the crowd up the stairs.

Kerkhoff testifies that the crowd was telling officers “they supported us, and now we were betraying them.”

But, she said, “it’s my job to stand in their way.”

Security footage shows Guy Reffitt standing at the front of the mob, waving the crowd forward. Other members of the mob are using the tarp on the scaffolding to protect themselves from the OC spray.

“He appeared to be padded up,” Kerkhoff testifies. Says she may have fired 40-50 pepperballs at Reffitt, another officer fired a less lethal weapon that causes more pain, and another officer fired pepper spray when Reffitt continued to advance.

Government played @N2Sreports video, which plays a significant role in this trial.

https://twitter.com/FordFischer/status/1395865389951819780

Government is also playing surveillance videos that show the mob coming up the stairs on the side of the inauguration stage.