Jack Smith’s Files on Donald Trump’s Attemped Coup Jan 6, 2021

Overview

It’s a tragic that we have had to wait so many years for these files to be released. It’s even more tragic that they weren’t released during the trial of Trump. It was for his Coup and violent attack on the members of the United States Congress. He should have been barred from running for any office in.our government. But citizens and historians will access these documents. They will use them to understand the corruption that occurred in 2020 – 2021.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report details investigations into former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. It also examines his retention of classified documents. It outlines Trump’s pressure on state officials, fraudulent elector schemes, and misuse of Justice Department power. The report concludes that prosecution was warranted. This is based on substantial evidence of criminal conduct. It emphasizes adherence to the rule of law.

Ten main findings in Smith’s report on Trump

1. Criminal Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election: The investigation found that Donald J. Trump engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election. This effort included pressuring state officials. Additionally, it involved organizing fraudulent electors and attempting to obstruct the congressional certification of the election results.
2. False Claims of Election Fraud: Trump knowingly spread false claims of outcome-determinative election fraud. He was repeatedly informed by advisors, state officials, and courts that these claims were baseless.
3. Fraudulent Elector Scheme: Trump and co-conspirators organized fraudulent slates of electors in seven states he lost. They intended to use these false certifications to obstruct the congressional certification process.
4. Pressure on State Officials: Trump pressured state officials to ignore legitimate vote counts. He urged them to appoint his electors. He often targeted officials from states he lost. He used false claims of fraud.
5. Misuse of Presidential Power: Trump attempted to use the Justice Department to spread false claims of election fraud. He also pressured states to overturn election results. This included considering the appointment of a Justice Department official willing to support his false claims.
6. Pressure on Vice President Pence: Trump repeatedly pressured Vice President Mike Pence. He asked him to reject legitimate electoral votes during the January 6 certification process. Pence refused. He had legal advice that he lacked such authority.

1. Incitement of Violence on January 6: Trump directed his supporters to march to the Capitol during his Ellipse speech. He used inflammatory language. This language contributed to the violent attack on the Capitol.
2. Impact of Trump’s Actions: The attack on the Capitol resulted in significant violence, injuries to law enforcement officers, and threats to lawmakers and election officials, many of whom were targeted by Trump’s public statements.
3. Dismissal of Criminal Cases: The Department of Justice dismissed the criminal cases against Trump due to the constitutional prohibition on indicting or prosecuting a sitting President, not because of a lack of evidence or merit in the charges.
4. Presidential Immunity: The Supreme Court ruled that Trump had absolute immunity for core presidential conduct and presumptive immunity for other official acts, limiting the scope of the prosecution and evidence admissible in court.

How did Trump’s speech on January 6 influence the Capitol attack?

According to the report, Donald Trump’s speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, played a significant role in influencing the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Here are the key points:

1. Inflammatory Language: During his speech, Trump repeated false claims of widespread election fraud, asserting that the election was “stolen” and that the country would no longer exist if this alleged crime was not stopped. He used phrases like “fight like hell” and “we’re not going to let it happen,” which were interpreted by many in the crowd as calls to action.
2. Direct Call to March to the Capitol: Trump explicitly directed his supporters to march to the Capitol, saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol,” and encouraged them to “give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.”
3. Encouragement of Strength and Action: Trump told the crowd to “show strength” and “be strong,” which further fueled the crowd’s resolve to act. He also stated that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
4. False Hope Regarding Pence’s Role: Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to overturn the election results during the certification process. This gave his supporters the false belief that their actions could influence the outcome of the election.
5. Rioters’ Response to Trump’s Words: Many rioters cited Trump’s speech as their motivation for marching to the Capitol and engaging in the attack. Video evidence captured rioters crediting Trump for their presence and actions, with some shouting that they were “invited by the President of the United States.”
6. Escalation of Violence: Trump’s speech, combined with his earlier tweets and public statements, created a charged atmosphere that contributed to the violent actions of the crowd. Rioters attacked law enforcement officers, breached the Capitol, and threatened lawmakers, chanting slogans like “Hang Mike Pence!” and “Where’s Nancy?”

The report concludes that Trump’s speech was a critical factor in inciting the crowd and directing them toward the Capitol, where they carried out the violent attack. His rhetoric and false claims of election fraud were instrumental in motivating his supporters to disrupt the certification of the election results.

What evidence links Trump’s speech to the violence?

The report provides several pieces of evidence linking Donald Trump’s January 6 speech at the Ellipse to the violence at the U.S. Capitol. Key evidence includes:

1. Direct Calls to Action

• Trump explicitly directed his supporters to march to the Capitol, saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol,” and encouraged them to “fight like hell” to stop the certification of the election results.
• He told the crowd to “show strength” and “be strong,” which many interpreted as a call to take aggressive action.

2. False Claims About Pence’s Authority

• Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the election results during the certification process. This gave his supporters the false belief that their actions could influence the outcome of the election.
• Rioters were heard chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” and searching for him in the Capitol, directly referencing Trump’s statements.

3. Rioters’ Statements

• Video evidence captured rioters crediting Trump for their presence and actions at the Capitol. For example, one rioter shouted, “We were invited here! We were invited by the President of the United States!”
• Another rioter told law enforcement officers, “We’re listening to Trump—your boss.”

4. Social Media Posts

• Trump’s tweets leading up to January 6, including his December 19, 2020, post stating, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” were cited by rioters as their motivation for traveling to Washington, D.C.
• Rioters shared Trump’s tweets and expressed their intent to follow his directives, with some stating they would come armed.

5. Rioters’ Actions After Trump’s Speech

• After Trump’s speech, thousands of his supporters marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where they breached barriers, attacked law enforcement officers, and stormed the building.
• The timing of the march and the escalation of violence coincided with Trump’s speech, suggesting a direct link between his words and the actions of the crowd.

6. Statements from Law Enforcement and Witnesses

• Law enforcement officers and witnesses at the Capitol described the crowd as being motivated by Trump’s speech and his repeated false claims of election fraud.
• Officers reported hearing rioters chant slogans and make statements that directly referenced Trump’s rhetoric.

7. Trump’s Refusal to Act

• During the attack, Trump resisted calls from advisors and officials to issue calming messages to his supporters. Instead, he tweeted criticism of Pence at 2:24 p.m., further inflaming the crowd.

8. Rioters’ Reaction to Trump’s Tweets

• After Trump tweeted a video at 4:17 p.m. asking his supporters to leave the Capitol while still claiming the election was stolen, some rioters explicitly stated they were following his orders and began to leave.

The report concludes that Trump’s speech, combined with his prior false claims of election fraud and his public statements, created a charged atmosphere that directly incited the crowd to march to the Capitol and engage in violence.