Tag: Trump big lie

Audio: Trump says he spoke to a ‘loving crowd’ at Jan. 6 rally

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The former president described the atmosphere on Jan. 6 as largely friendly and peaceful in an exclusive interview for the new book ‘I Alone Can Fix It’

When former president Donald Trump sat down for an interview in late March at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., he described the events of Jan. 6 as largely peaceful and his supporters as friendly, saying the audience he addressed at a rally on the Ellipse before the attack on the U.S. Capitol was a “loving crowd.”

Five people later died after thousands of his supporters beat back police to storm through barricades and charge inside the Capitol, and hundreds of lawmakers and their staffers were forced to scramble for safety. But Trump, speaking in an exclusive interview for the new book “I Alone Can Fix It,” said the mob was “ushered in” by police.

“Personally what I wanted is what they wanted,” he said of the crowd. “They showed up just to show support because I happen to believe the election was rigged at a level like nothing has ever been rigged before.” Continue reading.

Weapon arguments made during hearing for former Rocky Mount officer charged in Jan. 6 riot

The federal hearing for a former Rocky Mount police officer accused of violating the conditions of his bond ended Wednesday morning without a ruling from the judge.

Thomas “T.J.” Robertson and another former Rocky Mount officer, Jacob Fracker, face federal charges for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. On June 30, prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Robertson’s bond after a search of his Ferrum home found firearms and explosive devices. Prosecutors contend Robertson violated the conditions of his release.

Wednesday’s hearing took place in Washington, D.C., with Robertson appearing in person. Robertson’s attorney, Mark Rollins, said the former police officer is being held in Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange County because he personally knows most of the police in Southwest Virginia. Continue reading.

Jim Jordan actually tries to blame Democrats for the Jan. 6 attack

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U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) attacked nearly half of American adults Wednesday, falsely claiming Democrats “normalized anarchy,” after Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to allow him on the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.

Jordan suggested because Democrats supported the Black Lives Matter protests against police killing of unarmed Black people, Trump supporters had every right to break federal laws, damage federal property, attempt to overturn an election, and threaten the lives of duly-elected House and Senate representatives, and the vice president of the United States.

Jordan insisted the “fundamental question” the January 6 Select Committee should investigate is not who lied to the American people, who incited the insurrection, and the attempted coup — but “why wasn’t there a proper, proper security presence at the capitol that day.” Continue reading.

‘Helmet boy’ Capitol insurrectionist demands plea deal in ‘off the rails’ hearing: ‘Can I get an offer?’

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The Capitol insurrectionist who became known as “helmet boy” — after being captured on video using a riot helmet to smash a window to the Speaker’s Lobby during the Jan. 6 riot — demanded a plea bargain from prosecutors during an “off the rails” court appearance on Wednesday.

Zach AZach Alam, who remains in jail, spoke over his attorney and demanded to represent himself, at one point directly asking a federal prosecutor assigned to the case, “Can I get a deal?” according to a live report from Scott MacFarlane, an investigative reporter for Washington, D.C.’s NBC affiliate.

Alam said he was making an “offer” — for prosecutors to drop all charges — before demanding, “Make me a counteroffer.” Continue reading.

Mike Lindell offers $5 million election ‘bounty’ in desperate attempt to hype ‘cyber symposium’

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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell claimed on Wednesday that he will pay $5 million to anyone who attends his cyber symposium and can prove that data in his possession did not come from the 2020 election.

During an appearance on Real America’s Voice, Lindell presented strict rules for winning the $5 million bounty. He said that participants would need to be invited to his August “cyber symposium” in Sioux Falls to be qualified.

“I want it to be the most-watched event ever,” he told host Steve Bannon. Continue reading.

DEA agent trespassed at Capitol on Jan. 6 and lied about it, prosecutors say

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A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent trespassed with his government-issued firearm on the Capitol grounds Jan. 6 and then lied about his actions, according to federal prosecutors.

Mark Ibrahim, who was arrested Tuesday, is not accused of entering the Capitolbuilding. Prosecutors say he entered the restricted grounds around the building shortly after barricades were torn down by the mob and then repeatedly showed off his badge and gun to other protesters. He then falsely claimed he was there to help the FBI, prosecutors say.

According to the court record, Ibrahim, of Orange County, Calif., arrived at the Capitol just after 1 p.m. Jan. 6 and was there when the barricades around the building were torn down. He appears in several photographs inside the collapsed barricades, near the Senate steps. About 3 p.m., he filmed a video of himself on the Peace Monument outside the building. Ibrahim took personal leave to attend the Jan. 6 rally, the government said. He was released Tuesday until a hearing in September. Continue reading.

Texas Republican Urges Election Audit — In Counties Biden Won

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Texas state Rep. Steve Toth (R) on Monday announced that he had filed legislation calling for a “forensic audit” of the state’s 2020 election results.

Former President Donald Trump won Texas in 2020 by nearly six percentage points despite ultimately losing the national electoral college and popular vote to President Joe Biden.

Toth’s bill, the “Texas Voter Confidence Act,” would not audit all of the 11 million-plus votes that were cast in the state. Instead, the legislation calls for an audit in “every precinct in each county with a population of 415,000 or more.”

This would disproportionately target counties that voted for Biden. Continue reading.

Tampa man, 20, admits intending to block Congress with Oath Keepers in new Capitol riot guilty plea

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A Tampa man pleaded guilty Tuesday to joining a “stack formation” of Oath Keepers members and associates who allegedly breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, becoming the latest to cooperate with prosecutors and the first among the formation to specify that he intended to hinder Congress that day using intimidation and coercion.

Caleb Berry, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstructing an official proceeding.

In a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to request lowering an estimated prison term of 51 to 63 months under federal guidelines for Berry, who has no criminal record and is one of the youngest defendants charged in the Capitol riots, in exchange for his substantial assistance. Continue reading.

MAGA rioter’s hearing turns ‘ugly’ after she yells at judge while declaring herself a ‘sovereign citizen’

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A court hearing for MAGA rioter Pauline Bauer went off the rails on Monday after she began yelling at the judge while declaring herself a “sovereign citizen.”

NBC 4 Washington’s Scott MacFarlane reports that Bauer, who infamously called for the hanging of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during the Capitol riots, immediately went off the deep end by telling the judge that she is not subject to American laws.

According to MacFarlane, Bauer during her court hearing repeatedly interrupted the judge while also demanding that the court recognize her own personal judicial authority. Continue reading.

AG’s office refuses to reveal Marshall’s whereabouts before or after Jan. 6

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AG Steve Marshall’s office denied APR’s request for his calendar during the lead up to, and after, the Jan. 6 attack.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall won’t say where he was on the days leading up to and following the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

Marshall leads the Republican Attorneys General Association’s dark-money nonprofit Rule of Law Defense Fund, which paid for robocalls detailing when and where citizens should meet. 

Then-Republican Attorneys General Association director Adam Piper attended a Jan. 5 meeting at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., along with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama; Donald Trump Jr.; Eric Trump; Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn; adviser Peter Navarro; Trump’s 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski; and 2016 deputy campaign manager David Bossie, according to Charles W. Herbster, who was then the national chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Advisory Committee in Trump’s administration.