Here are the key findings in the January 6 committee's final report

2 years ago 72

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack connected  the US Capitol approves its last  reportImage source, EPA

By Kayla Epstein & Mike Wendling

BBC News

The January 6 committee investigating the onslaught connected the US Capitol has released its last report.

They person outlined their lawsuit that erstwhile President Donald Trump was chiefly liable for the 2021 riot astatine the US Capitol.

It is 1 of the astir thorough accountings yet of the forces that contributed to the deadly attack.

Mr Trump did not co-operate with the committee and declared the probe a "witch hunt".

The committee interviewed dozens of witnesses nether oath, including Trump medication officials and staff, Trump household members, witnesses to the attack, Capitol constabulary officers, rioters and militia members who were present, and more.

They besides subpoenaed materials from the Trump White House to summation an wrong look astatine what was happening astir President Trump before, during, and aft the attack.

The 845-page study includes a large woody of accusation that the House of Representatives committee unveiled done a bid of nationalist hearings this year. Here are the cardinal aspects of the report.

1) The committee argues Mr Trump continued to marque mendacious claims astir the election, adjacent though aides told him they were untrue

The committee said that Mr Trump's determination to falsely state triumph connected predetermination nighttime 2020 was "premeditated," and that lone his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, supported this action. The erstwhile president soon began making unfounded claims of widescale elector fraud, and continued to bash truthful with much frequence aft the predetermination was called for Joe Biden.

The committee points to their interviews with respective advisers and lawyers adjacent to Mr Trump, who accidental they did not judge these claims of fraud oregon could find nary grounds of the phenomenon.

Most notable among those voices was erstwhile Attorney General William Barr, who told the committee during a deposition: "I made it wide that I did not hold with the thought of saying the predetermination was stolen and putting retired this stuff, which I told the president was [expletive.]"

The president continued to sow predetermination conspiracies implicit the coming weeks, though apical Trump medication officials testified they informed him the claims were not true.

2) The committee says Trump's rhetoric brought rioters to DC

The committee makes the statement that the onslaught connected the Capitol was sparked by Mr Trump himself.

In summation to Mr Trump's repeated fraud claims, the committee points to a 19 December 2020 tweet, successful which Mr Trump wrote: "Big protestation successful DC connected January 6th. Be there, volition beryllium wild!"

In depositions and tribunal documents, rioters and militia members who were contiguous astatine the Capitol that time cited Mr Trump's tweet arsenic their rationale for coming to Washington. The committee cited men similar Robert Morss, who was recovered blameworthy of assaulting officers during the Capitol breach. Mr Morss "believed January 6th stood for the infinitesimal erstwhile '1776 Will Commence Again' due to the fact that President Trump asked them to 'Be there, Will beryllium Wild'", the study states.

The committee besides cites Secret Service warnings that radical were readying to travel to Washington connected January 6 and threatening to "be wild".

Image source, Getty Images

3) Trump failed to enactment during the riot

The committee argues that Mr Trump did not instrumentality enactment arsenic the January 6 onslaught commenced, and that helium ignored warnings coming from Congress that a superior onslaught was unfolding.

Some of their decision rests connected the grounds of erstwhile White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson, who appeared successful a blockbuster proceeding earlier this twelvemonth and besides gave depositions astir the chaos she says she witnessed successful the White House that day.

The committee besides cites communications betwixt lawmakers trapped successful the Capitol and White House main of unit Mark Meadows, who was receiving an progressively hopeless barrage of pleas from members of Congress who were forced into hiding.

4) Far-right groups planned - past acted

Tips astir equipped groups targeting Washington and adjacent the Capitol specifically started coming successful December 2020. The study notes that the FBI was sent messages circulating connected groups tally by the far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

"There is lone 1 way. It is not signs. It's not rallies. It's [expletive] bullets," said one.

Capitol Police and Secret Service agents - who are liable for protecting the president - received akin messages from insiders and others. Some specifically named the Capitol arsenic a absorption for perchance convulsive activity.

Some of the chatter came from backstage encrypted chat apps, but different messages were publically disposable connected pro-Trump websites and Twitter.

Members of the far-right groups ended up among the crowds wrong the Capitol connected 6 January.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Members of the Oath Keepers were seen astatine the Capitol riot

Alongside the report, the committee released dozens of earthy transcripts of grounds provided by witnesses successful closed-door sessions. Several of Trump's biggest supporters connected the far-right fringes - specified arsenic Roger Stone, Alex Jones and achromatic nationalist Nick Fuentes - refused to reply questions, citing their law close to debar self-incrimination.

But grounds from others - including Oath Keepers laminitis Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys person Enrique Tarrio - indicated communal suspicion, infighting, and conspiratorial reasoning among the far-right factions progressive successful the riot.

Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy and different charges past period and perchance faces decades successful prison, portion Mr Tarrio is presently connected trial.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

A Trump bust being held up during the time of the riot astatine the US Capitol

5) Mr Trump tried to unit Vice-President Mike Pence to illegally overturn the predetermination results

Part of Mr Trump's program to stay successful bureau revolved astir a arguable speechmaking of the US Constitution, which helium believed allowed Vice-President Mike Pence, who would preside implicit the predetermination certification, to state him the victor.

On 6 January, Trump attempted to telephone Mr Pence, shouting astatine aides to get him connected the phone, the study states. The erstwhile president past falsely told Mr Pence helium had the powerfulness to intervene successful the certification.

Witnesses told the committee that astatine 1 point, Mr Trump called the vice-president a "wimp" and said helium was "not pugnacious enough".

Addressing a assemblage connected 6 January, Mr Trump said helium hoped Mr Pence would "do the close thing". Later, successful the midst of the attack, rioters would chant "Hang Mike Pence" arsenic they stormed the Capitol.

Read Entire Article