"The American people voted [Trump] out of office. It was not because of a rigged system or election fraud."--Bennie Thompson #January6thCommitteeHearings
Barr told investigators in a deposition that he told Trump his fraud claims were "bullshit." #January6thCommitteeHearings
(Why didn't Barr say this in pubic at the time????)
Thompson: "Jan. 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup... the violence was no accident." #January6thCommitteeHearings
Thompson reminds the audience of the line Reagan loved to repeat, that America is a shining city on a hill, in calling on Americans to listen to the truth and defend the constitution. #January6thCommitteeHearings
Cheney emphasizes bipartisanship, then points to Trump justifying the attack on the day it happened, showing his tweet from early that evening. #January6thCommitteeHearings
Cheney is summarizing testimony we'll hear of former WH staffers who were with Trump that day.
"Maybe our supporters have the right idea. Mike Pence deserves it," she says Trump said after hearing about the "hang Mike Pence" chants.
Cheney: "There is no room for debate. Those who invaded our capitol and battled law enforcement for hours, were motivated by what Trump told them.... [he] lit the flames of this attack."
Cheney discussing plans to invade and occupy the Capitol, prior to the 6th. "We will identify elements of those plans and show specifically" how Proud Boys led the attack.
She says Trump *oversaw* a seven point plan to overturn the election, "a massive effort" to disseminate false information that the election was stolen.
Alex Cannon, Trump lawyer, told Mark Meadows they weren't finding any election fraud, or anything that would overturn the election. Meadows: "so there's no there there?"
Barr also told Trump he saw no evidence of fraud, and he hasn't seen any evidence of fraud since. Barr also told Trump the claims about Dominion had "zero basis... but they were made in such a sensational way, they were obviously influencing members of the public..."
"Complete nonsense" and "crazy,"Barr says (although he said nothing publicly at the time!)
Cheney: Eastman didn't really believe the legal theory he was advancing. "We've had occasion to present information to a federal judge... [who] reached conclusion... [the scheme] likely violated 2 federal statutes... [and] would have permanently ended peaceful transfer of power."
Cheney: DOJ is working with cooperating witnesses.
We will see, Cheney said, that WH was receiving "specific reports" indicating that elements in the crowd were preparing for violence, and on Jan. 5, Steve Bannon said on his podcast, "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow."
Cheney notes that @GOPLeader was "scared" by the mob, and pleaded with Trump to call an end to it.
Cheney uses texts between Sean Hannity and Kayleigh McEnany to show that those closest to Trump *knew* he was going to keep pushing conspiracy theories to try to stay in power.
CBS commentators are discussing Committee's focus on Proud Boys, and that we're going to find out more, over the course of the hearings, of who directed, financed, and led them.
Officer Caroline Edwards relates how she was called "Nancy Pelosi's dog" and "a traitor to my country" as she defended the Capitol against the violent mob. #January6thHearings
Committee learned that Proud Boys membership increased "exponentially" after Trump's "stand back and stand by" remark at the presidential debate in the summer of 2020.
Officer Caroline Edwards testifying that the rioters who attacked her were led by Proud Boy Joe Biggs. Group with orange hats joined group, and Biggs' rhetoric turned; he started harassing Capital Police, what they are paid, "started turning the tables on us."
"I felt the bike rack come on top of my head, I was pushed backwards... I blacked out, but the back of my head clipped the concrete stairs behind me" and Edwards was knocked unconscious. After regaining consciousness, she still returned to defending the Capitol complex.
Every time Trump, Fox News or their cronies spout their BS about January 6, please remember these brave officers, the risks they took, the injuries, physical and psychic, they endured. Some lost their lives.
Edwards says that day was like a "war scene." There were "officers on the ground," bleeding and vomiting, "I was slipping in peoples' blood. I was catching people as they fell. It was carnage, it was chaos."
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United in Purpose also played a central role in organizing the infamous June 2016 meeting between Trump and a thousand evangelical leaders in NYC.
According to the new Washington Post reporting, Thomas used an online platform that United in Purpose helped organize to send emails to state legislators, pressing them to illegally overturn the election results.
I've written that Mastriano is a Christian nationalist too. Just because he denies the label doesn't mean he isn't. And we *do* have a common name for it. Christian nationalism! That's why journalists have used it!
"Mastriano’s victory also highlights another story that’s bigger than this one contest: The role of Christian nationalism in fueling the growing insurrectionist streak on the right."
"The order doesn’t get more specific, but the judge did note that the documents included an invitation for Eastman to speak to the group on Dec. 8, sent by 'the group’s high-profile leader.' On the agenda: “State legislative actions that can reverse the media-called election ..."
How many groups fit this description and have high-profile leaders?
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the urgent issue of combatting domestic extremist terror, Chuck Grassley is both-sidesing the issue in his opening remarks, denying the facts of right-wing extremist terror.
Of all the people who are experts on domestic extremism, the Rs call a Jones Day attorney and Jonathan Turley. How are the Dems keeping a straight face and normal blood pressure?
Just watched this important, chilling, and very helpful summation of the evidence about what was in store for Mike Pence on Jan. 6, from @chrislhayes@allinwithchris.
How will evangelical MAGA land react to this? I'm not talking about the rank and file but the top evangelical leaders who stuck with Trump throughout it all, all scandals, both impeachments etc. 2/5
These are people who have been friends with Mike Pence far longer than they've known Donald Trump. Mike Pence is one of them, he comes from the same political and religious culture as them. He's *their friend.* 3/5