Trump's Role in Capitol Unrest Unveiled
The chaotic event that transpired at the U.S. Capitol would not have occurred without the influence of the ex-President, as stated by a former special counsel. He labeled the former President as the primary instigator and the most liable individual involved in the unlawful plot to reverse the outcome of the 2020 elections.
The former special counsel had a private discussion with lawmakers. In this conversation, he gave a definitive account of his two investigations of the ex-President. The conversation revealed his staunch defense for the indictments against the ex-President. He strongly countered the idea that his investigations were driven by political bias.
"The evidence we gathered showed that the ex-President was primarily accountable for this conspiracy. The crimes committed were for his benefit. The Capitol attack, a key part of this case, would not have happened without him. The other individuals involved in this conspiracy were acting for his benefit," he said, responding to questions about whether his investigations were aimed at preventing the ex-President from running for office in 2024.
Investigations: A Closer Look
During the private discussion, the former special counsel stated his disagreement with any assertion that their work was intended to interfere with the ex-President's potential election run. This private discussion was the first and only time he has appeared on Capitol Hill since his resignation from his special counsel role. This adds to public knowledge of the decision-making involved in two of the most significant investigations in recent history.
The ex-President faced charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost and of intentionally keeping classified documents at his estate in Florida. Both cases were dropped after his election win in 2024, with the former special counsel citing a policy against indicting a sitting president.
Strong Evidence Against Trump
The former special counsel repeatedly asserted that the evidence collected against the ex-President was substantial enough for a conviction. He indicated that the strength of the case was heavily reliant on testimonies from allies and supporters of the ex-President who cooperated with the investigation.
He stated, "Our case was built on Republicans who placed their allegiance to the country before their party." Testimonies from Republicans who stood against the false claim that the election was stolen, despite the potential backlash, were described as the "most powerful" evidence against the ex-President.
In relation to the Capitol riot itself, the former special counsel said the evidence indicated that the ex-President "instigated it, exploited it, and should have foreseen it."
Trump's Influence on Supporters
When asked if there was evidence that the ex-President instructed supporters to riot at the Capitol, the former special counsel said that in the weeks leading up to the unrest, the ex-President made his followers believe in false claims of fraud. "He made false assertions to state legislatures, to his supporters in a variety of contexts, and was aware that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then directed them to the Capitol," he said.
Once the attack on the Capitol occurred, the ex-President refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that endangered the life of his vice president. "And when the violence was happening, he had to be repeatedly urged by his staff members to do anything to quell it," he added.
Examining Communication Records
Part of the discussion was centered on the anger of Republicans over the discovery that the former special counsel's team had obtained and analyzed phone records of GOP lawmakers who were in contact with the ex-President during the Capitol unrest. The former special counsel defended this action as lawful and standard procedure, suggesting that the outrage should be directed at the ex-President instead of his team.
He stated, "I believe the ex-President should be held accountable for this. These records are of people that the ex-President directed his co-conspirators to call to further delay the proceedings. He chose to do that. If the ex-President had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have obtained phone records for Democratic senators."
Key Witness Accounts
Communication between the ex-President and his Republican supporters in Congress played a crucial role in the case, he said. He mentioned an interview his office conducted with the ex-President's former chief of staff, who confirmed that a prominent Republican and current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee had been in contact with the White House on the afternoon of the riot.
He also discussed the claim made by a former White House aide that the ex-President grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service refused to let him go to the Capitol after a rally. Investigators interviewed the officer in the car, who reported that the ex-President was very angry and wanted to go to the Capitol, but the officer's account of events was not the same as what the former White House aide had heard secondhand.
