Thousands of Donald Trump's supporters, fueled by his claims of voter fraud, flooded the nation's capital to protest the expected certification of Joe Biden's White House victory by the US Congress, and the former president was behind it, an inquiry by Capitol Hill lawmakers has found.
A congressional inquiry on Thursday, June 9, heard the former president played a crucial role in trying to violently stop the presidential elections from being authorized.
Trump said the election had been ‘stolen’ and ‘rigged’ by supporters of Joe Biden, claims which have been categorically proven false.
A huge mob, some of them armed, forced their way through police lines, many threatening to kill politicians inside, including vice president Mike Pence as they overran the building where legislators were meeting to certify the results of the election he lost to Joe Biden on January 6, 2021.
The inquiry on Thursday heard an account that claimed Trump said his former number two ‘deserves it’ as crowds chanted they would hang Mr Pence.
Five people died and more than 130 police officers were injured, as they battled to stay in control of the capitol hill.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney said: ‘President Trump summoned a violent mob.
‘When a president fails to take the steps necessary to preserve our union – or worse, causes a constitutional crisis – we’re in a moment of maximum danger for our republic.’
The hearing was played 12 minutes of new footage of the deadly violence, as well as testimony from Trump’s inner circle including his daughter Ivanka and son in-law Jared Kushner.
The House committee said the former president’s 'repeated lies' about election fraud and his public effort to stop Joe Biden’s victory led to the capitol attack .
Congressman Bennie Thompson, chairman of the panel, said during the hearing: ‘Democracy remains in danger.
‘January 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup, a brazen attempt, as one rioter put it shortly after January 6, to overthrow the government.
‘The violence was no accident.’