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JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE HEARING

TAKEAWAYS FOR JULY 12th

The Lincoln Project released the following takeaways from the seventh January 6th Committee Hearing that took place July 12th:

• Trump continues his illegal behavior even under the intense scrutiny of the January 6th Committee. His willingness to contact a witness is a pathetic attempt to cover up his crimes to stay out of jail. Trump is a wanna-be autocrat who is committed to regaining power any way he can. 

• It is time for every American to choose if they are the side of the seditionists who tried to tear down a free and fair election, or do they support our Republic and its democratic principles?

• After seven hearings, it is clear that Donald Trump directed a conspiracy to overthrow the results of a valid election and install himself as the illegitimate ruler of the United States of America. 

• His conspiracy included creating legal fictions to sow doubts about election security, reject the outcome of an election he knew he lost, team with white supremacists to cause an insurrection, and then cover it up with a story of deflection and blame to keep the truth hidden.  

• As we learned from previous hearings, Trump was obsessed with staying in power. He personally tried every avenue available to overturn the election by trying to create political and legal illusions at a scale never before seen. If it were not for patriots standing up to do the right thing in the face of real threats of violence and extreme intimidation, Trump and his cronies may have succeeded in ending democracy.

• Trump knowingly empowered “the crazies” – his most ardent and aggressive defenders. They knew exactly what he wanted: To take over the Capitol and keep him in power. In the run-up to the day, right-wing extremists joined together to plan a violent take-over of the Capitol believing they were doing the bidding of the President. They came armed and ready to murder to keep Trump in power. 

• Warned that violence was possible, Trump did nothing to lower the temperature, counting on violence for an opportunity to remain in power. Even members of  Trump’s staff admitted the events of January 6th were Trump’s responsibility. Brad Parscale told colleagues that Trump had stoked a civil war and people were killed because of his rhetoric that day. 

• Trump’s Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, was well aware of the violence that was coming in the days before January 6th, yet he did nothing to prevent it. Even as the attack unfolded, he had to be goaded into action by the White House legal counsel. His request for a pardon shows that he was involved in the President’s efforts to stay in power.  

• People only ask for pardons if they think they’ve committed a crime. The guilt oozes from Andy Biggs, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mo Brooks, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan and Scott Perry. Their constituents deserve to know why they needed get-out-of-jail-free cards. 

• Congressman Jamie Raskin said it best when he declared, “American carnage, that’s Donald Trump’s true legacy.” Trump has left a legacy of encouraging violence and empowering authoritarianism.

• The campaign to pressure every level of government to overturn elections persists to this day. The patriots who saved the nation in 2020 are being replaced with ULTRA-MAGA supporters who will take whatever measures are necessary to obtain power – even illegitimately. The ULTRA-MAGA GOP is teaching its supporters to challenge election results in critical precincts, or just flat out refuse certifying election results they do not like. They want to make free and open elections impossible. 

• On January 6th, Trump set into motion a wider, more direct effort to impose an authoritarian government that will continue with or without him. The Supreme Court, led by Clarence Thomas, combined with candidates like Doug Mastriano, Eric Greitens, and Governor Ron DeSantis are all actively working to stifle dissent, strangle their opposition, and consolidate power in the hands of their chosen few.

• Ron DeSantis’s profile is growing and he is seeing increased support from major Trump backers. Will the hearings result in him becoming the standard-bearer for the Party?  

• Where are the cowards Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell and Elise Stefanik? They have been silent in the face of the overwhelming evidence that Trump led an insurrection. Will they finally stand up to the Trump wanna-be’s like Doug Mastriano or are they power hungry enough to pretend the hearing’s don’t exist in order to keep his support? 

• The possibility of violence has not disappeared and may be greater now than ever. Former Oath Keeper, Jason Van Tatenhove, warned the nation about the possibility of violence surrounding the 2024 election. “If a president who is trying to instill, and encourage, to whip up a civil war among his followers using lies and deceit and snake oil, regardless of the human impact, what else is he going to do if he gets elected again?”

The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy.

To learn more about The Lincoln Project, go to lincolnproject.us.

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