Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

This wasn't SNL on a Thursday night.

This was Wyoming's Republican primary debate.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1542866096537145345

[Rick Plant]

Two former Trump officials react to Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony

Former Trump administration officials Alyssa Farah Griffin and Olivia Troye react to ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s stunning testimony before the House select committee investigating January 6.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

What charges might Trump face for trying to overturn 2020 election?



NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol has sought to build a case that then-President Donald Trump behaved illegally when he sought to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat, but what charges might prosecutors bring against Trump and how might he defend himself?

Here are some ideas being floated now:

OBSTRUCTING AN OFFICIAL PROCEEDING

In a March 2 court filing, the committee detailed Trump's efforts to persuade then-Vice President Mike Pence to either reject slates of electors for Joe Biden, who won the election, or delay a congressional count of those votes..

The president's efforts likely violated a federal law making it illegal to "corruptly" obstruct any official proceeding, or attempt to do so, said David Carter, the California federal judge overseeing the case.

Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, said Trump dismissed concerns that some supporters gathered for his fiery speech outside the White House that day carried AR-15-style rifles, instead asking security to stop screening attendees with magnetometers so the crowd would look larger.

She testified Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol to join supporters rioting ahead of Pence's expected certification of the vote and tried to grab the steering wheel when his security detail insisted on returning him to the White House.

Hutchinson said the conversation was relayed to her by Tony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official who was Trump's deputy chief of staff for operations.

Ilya Somin, professor of law at George Mason University, said the testimony could "bolster the chances of indicting and convicting Trump, especially insofar as some potential charges hinge on his motives and state of mind."

Trump denied Hutchinson's account in a statement posted on Truth Social, his social media app, and called her story about him grabbing the steering wheel "fake" and "fraudulent." Trump has accused the committee of conducting a "sham investigation."

The New York Times and NBC, citing sources in the Secret Service, said the head of Trump's security detail, Robert Engel, and the limousine driver were prepared to testify under oath that Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.

CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES

In the March 2 filing, the committee said it was likely that Trump and others conspired to defraud the United States, which criminalizes any effort by two or more people to interfere with governmental functions "by deceit, craft or trickery."

In addition to Trump's efforts to pressure Pence, the committee cited his attempts to convince state election officials, the public and members of Congress that the 2020 election was stolen, even though several of his allies told him there was no evidence of fraud.

According to Hutchinson's testimony, Trump's White House press secretary at the time, Trump was so enraged by then-Attorney General Bill Barr's interview with the Associated Press saying there was no evidence of election fraud that Trump threw his lunch at the wall, breaking a porcelain dish and leaving ketchup dripping down the wall.

SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY

Prosecutors already have charged more than a dozen members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups who were at the Jan. 6 riot with seditious conspiracy, a rarely used statute that makes it illegal to overthrow the U.S. government by force.

To prove seditious conspiracy, prosecutors would need to show Trump conspired with others to use force, said Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and a former federal prosecutor.

"While her testimony is consistent with that theory, it does not alone establish it," McQuade said.

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

At the end of Hutchinson's testimony, Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican, presented possible evidence of witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

Cheney showed messages to unidentified witnesses advising them that an unidentified person would be watching their testimony closely and expecting loyalty.

If the committee has evidence that the people who sent the messages had a "tacit understanding" with Trump, prosecutors could use it to show there was a conspiracy to tamper with witnesses, said Daniel Medwed, a law professor at Northeastern University in Boston.

"They were setting the table for witness tampering and likely have other witnesses coming in to nail that down," he said.

The fact that Cheney did not identify the sender of the messages suggests it may be "more of a shot across the bow to get the person to knock it off," McQuade said.

TRUMP'S DEFENSE?

Trump has repeatedly denied doing anything illegal in connection with the Jan. 6 events.

If the Justice Department brings charges, prosecutors' main challenge will be proving that Trump acted with corrupt intent, experts said.

Trump could argue he sincerely believed that he won the election and that his well-documented efforts to pressure Pence and state election officials were not meant to obstruct Congress or defraud the United States, but to protect the election's integrity.

Hutchinson's account could make it more difficult for Trump to assert this defense, Medwed said.

"Prior to (Tuesday's) disclosures, the biggest hurdle to charging Trump related to mental state: to proving that he intended to obstruct an official proceeding or to agree with others to defraud the U.S. or foment rebellion," Medwed said.

"(Tuesday's) testimony offered powerful circumstantial evidence that it was his intent to do those things."

© Reuters

[Rick Plant]

Liz Cheney hints at 'more than one' criminal referral for Trump over Jan. 6

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) asserted that the Jan. 6 Committee has not ruled out "more than one" criminal referral to the Justice Department for former President Donald Trump.

During an interview on ABC, correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Cheney if the Jan. 6 hearings demonstrated that Trump "needs to be prosecuted."

"Ultimately the Justice Department will decide that," Cheney replied. "We may well as a committee have a view on that. And if you just think about it from the perspective of what kind of man knows that the mob is armed and sends the mob to attack the Capitol? And further incites that mob when his own vice president is under threat, when the Congress is under threat. It's very chilling."

"The committee will or will not make a criminal referral?" Karl pressed.

"We'll make a decision as a committee about it," Cheney replied.

"So it's possible there will be a criminal referral?" Karl said.

"The Justice Department doesn't have to wait for the committee to make a criminal referral," she noted. "And there could be more than one criminal referral."

Cheney said that she had great concerns "about what it would mean if people aren't held accountable for what's happened."

"I think it's a much graver constitutional threat if a president can engage in these activities and the majority of the president's party looks away," she remarked, "or we as a country decide, you know, we're not actually going to take our constitutional obligations seriously."

[Rick Plant]

'A swearing contest' has broken out between Cassidy Hutchinson and Trump's Secret Service guy: ex-ethics czar



Former impeachment lawyer and White House ethics czar Norm Eisen explained that there's a battle of facts between former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato.

Ornato previously served as a Secret Service Agent, but was appointed by Trump to serve in the White House and ultimately took a leave of absence from the agency. Ornato has not testified publicly before the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on Congress and the attempt to overthrow the election. Cassidy Hutchinson has testified for over 20 hours in addition to the four hours a the public hearing last week.

As Eisen explained, "to the extent this has turned into a swearing contest between Ornato and Cassidy Hutchinson, she didn't just provide 60 seconds in a yes or no about the details of Trump's anger wanting to march with that armed mob. Ornato has to answer all the questions and had a bird's eye view of what went on and we're rounding in as the hearings proceed to the hearing of these events. In the run-up, the funding and the organization of Jan. 6th, and what happened on Jan. 6th itself. Ornato has to answer all of those questions. That could be uncomfortable for him."

There have been questions about Ornato's credibility, as Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) tweeted on Thursday.

"'There seems to be a major thread here… Tony Ornato likes to lie," he explained.

Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) similarly explained to NBC News that Ornato "did not have as clear of memories from this period of time" as Hutchinson.

"We got a very important missing link from Cassidy Hutchinson and that is that President Trump knew the crowd was armed," Eisen closed. "He had reason to believe the danger that would occur and how he wanted to march with the crowd, how angry he was when he couldn't go and it puts on his tweet attacking Pence when we know not only that he didn't want to take action but Ms. Hutchinson heard the conversation between the president's chief of staff, Mr. Cipollone, his White House counsel, that Trump agreed with the crowd that was intending harm to his own vice president. That really creates the missing link of Trump wanting to see this violence occur and increases his criminal exposure."

It's still unknown if Ornato will be willing to testify publicly before the committee.

See the conversation below:

[Rick Plant]

Adam Kinzinger: Republicans 'are scared — and they should be'



Republicans had the opportunity to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on Congress, but instead of green-lighting the option, the House and Senate Republicans opposed it. It means there would be a House committee, but when Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was told he couldn't have members on it that could very well end up as witnesses, he "took his ball and went home."

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said as much while attacking McCarthy, Donald Trump, and other Republicans like Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on Twitter Sunday.

"When your friends say this committee isn’t fair, maybe remind them that those testifying are all Republicans, appointed by Trump," Kinzinger explained. "That Kevin McCarthy got a fair deal in a split commission, but then took his ball and went home."

The committee was formed and three members were going to be on it, but McCarthy pulled them off because there were two "who fomented the insurrection, were not allowed to stay on." As Kinzinger continued, "Kevin McCarthy could have then added two more, but Trump told him to pull his members."

Because Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Kinzinger joined the committee, the plot to make it a partisan hack job failed, making it a bipartisan effort that Americans overwhelmingly believe is legitimate.

Kinzinger explained that they have been able to find out things that up until recently were denied by the Jan 6th truthers. So, they are left with trying to discredit a young woman with more courage than they could muster in a lifetime. Except that isn’t working. Cassidy doesn’t seek the limelight, but she is compelled with honor. She didn’t even have to swear an oath to the Constitution like Kevin, Elise, Kristi Noem and others did. But she volunteered to come under oath to tell what she knows. She is a better person than them all. They’re all scared. They should be."

Adam Kinzinger @AdamKinzinger

1) When your friends say this committee isn’t fair, maybe remind them that those testifying are all republicans, appointed by trump.  That Kevin McCarthy got a fair deal in a split commission, but then took his ball and went home.  When the committee was then formed…

2) Kevin pulled his remaining three members after two, who foamented the insurrection, were not allowed to stay on. 
@GOPLeader COULD have then added two more, but Trump told him to pull his members…

3) he thought this “brilliant move” would pull the plug on the committee.  But it didn’t.  Cheney and I got on.  This BIPARTISAN committee has been able to find out things that up until recently were denied by the Jan 6th truthers…

4) so they are left with trying to discredit a young woman with more courage than they could muster in a lifetime.  Except… that isn’t working.  Cassidy doesn’t seek the limelight, but she is compelled with honor.  She didn’t even have to swear an oath to the constitution…

5) like Kevin, Elise, Kristi Noem and others did.  But she volunteered to come under oath to tell what she knows.  She is a better person than them all. 

They’re all scared.  They should be. 

/end

https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1543744271303544832

[Rick Plant]

Republicans like to pretend that high gas prices only exist in the United States but say nothing about the high gas prices all over the world which are even higher.

Republicans lie saying Joe Biden made gas prices high when it's Big Oil price gouging consumers and Putin's war in Ukraine which skyrocketed gas prices even higher.

House Republicans had the opportunity to vote on the "Big Oil and Gas Price Gouging Bill" which will stop Big Oil from gouging consumers at the pump. EVERY single Republican in the House voted "NO" to lower gas prices for you.

Senate Republicans are currently blocking this bill from being voted on because they don't want it to become law.

Mitch McConnell is purposely blocking this bill from becoming law to lower gas prices for you. McConnell wants gas prices to remain high, because he thinks high gas prices will help the Republicans win the November election so he can become Majority Leader in the Senate. So, McConnell is blocking this bill which would immediately lower gas prices, while he attacks Joe Biden daily on Twitter for high gas prices. That's the entire goal for Republicans which is to block and obstruct bills in the Senate, and then attack Biden.

Republicans are playing politics with your finances! The Republican Senate could pass this bill right now to lower gas prices but they are purposely blocking it for political purposes.   

Are Republicans going to blame Biden for the price of gas in Belgium, too?

And you can see the official House of Representatives vote where EVERY single Republican in the House voted NO to lower gas prices for you.

Remember in November!