Tag: Trump incited his supporters to insurrection

Trump sued by Democrat over mob attack on Capitol

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Former President Trump, his eldest son and several of his allies were sued on Friday by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) over their role in the run-up to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

The 65-page complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., accuses Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani of inciting the riot and violating a number of federal and D.C. laws.

Each defendant was among the speakers at a pro-Trump rally that immediately preceded the deadly Capitol breach. The lawsuit depicts the incendiary rally speeches as a tipping point that culminated a months-long disinformation campaign to push the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. Continue reading.

D.C. Guard chief says ‘unusual’ restrictions slowed deployment of backup during Capitol riot

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The commanding general of the D.C. National Guard told lawmakers Wednesday that restrictions the Pentagon placed on him in the run-up to the Capitol riot and lag time in decision-making by his chain of command prevented him from more quickly sending forces to help quell the violence.

Maj. Gen. William J. Walker said his hands were tied by the Pentagon for more than three hours after he received a call from the Capitol Police chief saying a request for backup was imminent, delaying the arrival of military forces at the premises as lawmakers evacuated or barricaded themselves in offices during one of the biggest national security failures since the 9/11 attacks.

Walker described how he had troops ready and waiting to be sent to the Capitol but did not have sign-off from the Pentagon, which in directives ahead of the events had restricted his leeway to respond to contingencies. Continue reading.

Wray: FBI deemed Jan. 6 attack domestic terrorism

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FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that officials have classified the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by former President Trump‘s supporters as domestic terrorism.

“That attack, that siege, was criminal behavior, plain and simple, and it’s behavior that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism,” Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wray said the FBI has received more than 270,000 tips from Americans that have helped the bureau identify the numerous people who allegedly participated in the attack. Continue reading.

Democrats don’t trust GOP on 1/6 commission: ‘These people are dangerous’

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said her proposal to install a Democratic majority on the investigative Jan. 6 commission is rooted in historic precedent and the simple prerogatives of sitting presidents.

But rank-and-file Democrats are citing a very different reason they don’t want the panel’s power split evenly between the parties: They simply don’t trust Republicans to investigate an attack on the Capitol that, in the eyes of livid Democrats, was kindled by those same GOP lawmakers.

“We do not owe delusional deniers a role or a platform in a commission designed to try to ferret out extremism and violence to prevent its recurrence,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who had predicted the Jan. 6 violence based on the rhetoric from then-President Trump and his GOP allies. “These people are dangerous.” Continue reading.

Opinion: If Republican senators acquit Trump, they will own the violence that follows

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House impeachment managers closed their prosecution Thursday with a warning to Republican senators: If they vote to acquit former president Donald Trump, the blood will be on their hands when he unleashes political carnage again.

“When” is the proper word, for, given Trump’s long pattern of inciting violent threats and actions, the next brutal outburst is not a question of “if.”

“If we don’t draw the line here, what’s next?” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead impeachment manager, asked the senators. “Is there any political leader in this room who believes that, if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way? … If he gets back into office and it happens again, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.” Continue reading.

GOP aide’s friends texted her right-wing conspiracy theories as she hid from Capitol rioters

GOP aide Leslie Shedd barricaded herself in her office as pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. But as she prayed for her safety, friends were texting her right-wing disinformation as the attack unfolded, according to an account published by VICE.

“As friends and family texted to make sure she was safe, two claimed in separate conversations that the rioters were really left-wing agitators in disguise, not the Trump supporters who’d flocked by the thousands to a rally where the president claimed the election was stolen from him. A third floated a conspiracy theory involving the Capitol Police,” VICE’s Cameron Joseph reports. 

One friend texted Shedd that the people storming the Capitol were really “BLM and antifa people” disguised as Trump supporters.  Continue reading.

Even Alan Dershowitz is stunned by Bruce Castor speech: ‘I have no idea what he’s doing’

Trump defense lawyer Bruce Castor had not even finished his opening remarks in the U.S. Senate before he was harshly criticized by Alan Dershowitz, who defended Donald Trump in his last impeachment trial.

Dershowitz was interviewed on Newsmax during Castor’s presentation.

“What are you making of Bruce Castor’s arguments so far?” the host asked. “Where is he going with this?”

“There is no argument,” Dershowitz replied. “I have no idea what he’s doing.” Continue reading.

Impeachment trial: Research spanning decades shows language can incite violence

Senators, acting in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump that begins on Feb. 9, will soon have to decide whether to convict the former president for inciting a deadly, violent insurrection at the Capitol building on Jan. 6. 

A majority of House members, including 10 Republicans, took the first step in the two-step impeachment process in January. They voted to impeach Trump, for “incitement of insurrection.” Their resolution states that he “willfully made statements that, in context, encourage – and foreseeably resulted in – lawless action at the Capitol, such as: ‘if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.’” 

Impeachment proceedings that consider incitement to insurrection are rare in American history. Yet dozens of legislators – including some Republicans – say that Trump’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol contributed to an attempted insurrection against American democracy itself.  Continue reading.

Capitol Rioter Jenny Cudd, Who Asked For Mexico Vacation, Hit With Five New Felonies

Early this week, Capitol rioter Jenny Cudd of Midland, Texas, asked the judge overseeing her case for a pass to go to Mexico on a work vacation. Cudd’s attorneys told the judge that she had already prepaid for the work retreat. It was a heartwarming story of white privilege and wacky delusions. Cudd is one of the Capitol insurgents who videotaped herself admitting to serious federal crimes, while committing said crimes. One of her self-shot videos includes this wide angle lens quote: “We did break down Nancy Pelosi’s office door and somebody stole her gavel and I took a picture sitting in the chair flipping off the camera and that was on Fox News.” At the time, Cudd was only charged with two misdemeanors and was released on a “personal recognizance bond,” hours after her arrest.

On Wednesday, Cudd, along with soon to be defendant Eliel Rosa, was indicted on five new criminal charges. Ruh? Those are felony charges. Ruh roh. Those counts include “corruptly obstructing an official proceeding of Congress; entering and remaining in a restricted building; committing disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building; committing disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.” While the judge has yet to rule on whether or not Cudd can go on her Mexican holiday, the five felony indictments puts a big damper on the chance that she will be allowed to.

Here’s Cudd talking into her camera saying how she would delight in attending a “public hanging” of “one of these traitors.” Who these “traitors” are I am sure we can deduce. She refers to being willing to travel down to “Guantanamo” to observe this public execution. But less you think she is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, she says she does believe that a single public execution will get everybody on board with her special form of Christianity and fascism. Oh, and the first clip is her detailing some of her crimes. Continue reading.

Professor explains how Trump’s ‘Save America’ rally contained not-so-subtle elements of fascist propaganda

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Hours before a mob of far-right insurrectionists — including members of the Proud Boys, QAnon supporters, White nationalists and members of various militia groups — violently stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, then-President Donald Trump held a “Save America” rally in Washington, D.C.’s Ellipse Park. Trump and his allies showed a propaganda video at that event, and according to Yale University professor Jason Stanley — author of the book “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” — that video was full of fascist themes.

Stanley has made no secret of the fact that he considers Trumpism a fascist movement. In an article published by Just Security on February 4, the Yale professor identifies some of the overtly fascist themes in the video presented at the Save America Rally.

“On January 6,” Stanley explains, “Trump supporters gathered at a rally at Washington D.C.’s Ellipse Park, regaled by various figures from Trumpworld, including Donald Trump, Jr. and Rudy Giuliani. Directly following Giuliani’s speech, the organizers played a video. To a scholar of fascist propaganda, well-versed in the history of the National Socialists’ pioneering use of videos in political propaganda, it was clear, watching it, what dangers it portended. In it, we see themes and tactics that history warns pose a violent threat to liberal democracy. Given the aims of fascist propaganda — to incite and mobilize — the events that followed were predictable.” Continue reading.