In the end, all roads of US Capitol riot inquiry lead to Donald Trump

Me: Better hurry up, Trump will be dead from old age, before then.

In the end, all roads of US Capitol riot inquiry lead to Donald Trump

By Farrah Tomazin October 14, 2022 — 4.09pm

Washington: After a 15-month investigation involving 1000 interviews, countless documents and nine televised public hearings, the committee probing the attack on the US Capitol held its final session before the midterm elections – and all roads led to former US president Donald Trump.

Over 2½ hours on Thursday (US time), the January 6 committee hammered home the message it has been presenting from the start: that Trump’s bid to overturn the 2020 election wasn’t just an assault on democracy. It was calculated, dangerous and downright unlawful.

Donald Trump is alleged to have been at the centre of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.Credit:AP

But the committee also went one step further, voting unanimously to subpoena Trump to testify – something he is unlikely to do and could ultimately prove futile if the Republicans take back control of Congress at the November 8 poll.

The committee knows, if that happens, the January 6 probe is all but dead, but members nonetheless insisted they had an obligation to demand answers.

“The vast weight of evidence presented so far has shown us that the central cause of January 6 was one man: Donald Trump, who many others followed,” Republican vice-chairwoman Liz Cheney said. “None of this would have happened without him. He was personally and substantially involved in all of it.”

The latest January 6 hearing did not include in-person testimony, which had been a hallmark of previous sessions, from the explosive evidence of former White House aid Cassidy Hutchinson, who revealed that Trump was well aware of the potential for violence on January 6 as he tried to subvert the 2020 election results, to the emotional story of Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a former Georgia electoral worker who faced death threats and was forced into hiding after Trump falsely accused her of rigging the election.

But members nonetheless showcased new and damning information in the hope of convincing undecided viewers, fence-sitting Republicans and the Department of Justice that Trump remains a “clear and present danger” whose ambition to return the White House in 2024 ought to be stopped.

Among the revelations was dramatic new video of congressional leaders – including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate leader Chuck Schumer – who were evacuated from the Capitol and desperately sought help as rioters stormed the building.

“Do you believe this?” Pelosi was heard saying, as politicians still trapped in the chamber were putting on gas masks to prepare for the breach.

There was also video footage of Trump ally Roger Stone, who was shown telling colleagues before the election that he suspected the result could “still be up in the air”.

“When that happens, the key thing to do is claim victory,” he said. “Possession is nine-tenths of the law. We won. Screw you.”

And there was chilling evidence suggesting the Secret Service had tips about expected violence on January 6, with one source warning that the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group, had plans to march into Washington armed with weapons.

“They think that they will have a large enough group to march into DC armed and will outnumber the police so they can’t be stopped,” a Secret Service email read.

“Their plan is to literally kill people … Please, please take this tip seriously and investigate further.”

The big question now is what happens next. It’s no secret that Trump wants to run for the White House again in 2024, and continues to dominate the Republican Party, whose ranks are filled with midterm election candidates who embrace his lie of a rigged election.

If Trump refuses to comply with the committee’s subpoena, the US House of Representatives, where the Democrats currently have the majority, could vote to hold him in contempt of Congress. If that happens, the Justice Department could then prosecute – just as it did with former Trump aid Steve Bannon.

But with four weeks until the midterms, the campaign in full swing and Trump a master of delaying tactics, much of this is highly unlikely.

The committee still has a final report to publish with recommendations designed to prevent the same kind of attack from happening again. It could also request that the Justice Department pursue charges against Trump or his former aides for their roles in helping to incite the January 6 attack and their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

But while Cheney closed the hearing by suggesting that the panel had evidence to make a criminal referral, it is not clear whether the committee will do so – or if it needs to.

When the committee began its work last year, there was widespread concern that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department weren’t doing enough to investigate Trump.

But much has changed since the committee’s last hearing months ago – most notably the FBI’s raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which is examining the apparent mishandling and retention of sensitive government documents.

In a separate grand jury probe, the Justice Department has issued subpoenas to dozens of people within Trump’s orbit as it expands its investigation into efforts to subvert the 2020 election. In Trump’s former home city of New York, he is now facing multiple investigations into his company and personal finances.

And in the battleground of Georgia, prosecutors are investigating whether Trump and his allies broke the law by trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in that state, too.

If something finally sticks to Teflon Trump – and that’s still a big if – history will show that the January 6 committee helped pave the way.

Farrah Tomazin is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Me: Better hurry up, Trump will be dead from old age, before then.