Five predictions from Smith’s report on Trump’s 2020 election

Donald Trump The special counsel who allegedly tried to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election was included in the final report that spent two years investigating him.

In the year Much of the 140-page document was already known in a 2022 congressional inquiry and an earlier court filing by the report’s author, Jack Smith.

But he sheds new light on some of the evidence revealed by Smith’s team and outlines his own thinking on some fine points of law.

Trump, who will return to the White House next week, took no time to respond to the report’s release, maintaining his innocence and calling Smith “a mess.”

Here are five takeaways from the report.

The report details the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the building to thwart Biden’s declaration of victory after defeated candidate Trump spoke on the Ellipse in Washington, DC.

“Mr. Trump’s speech incited supporters to resort to physical violence,” the report said.

He continued, “Mr. Trump used the word ‘fight’ more than a dozen times in his speech, even though he once told his supporters to ‘make their voices heard in a peaceful and patriotic way.’

When Trump returned to office, he promised to pardon many of those charged with crimes related to the violence, which he wanted to redefine as “Valentine’s Day.”

Defenders rejected the idea that he had deliberately stirred up the crowd, pointing to the “peaceful” quote quoted by Smith above.

The report details the basis for Trump’s indictment, making it clear that Smith’s team intended to file charges against the then-president for “inciting sedition.”

The document says Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech on the Ellipse could meet the Supreme Court’s definition of campaigning, especially when viewed alongside a “long and deceptive voter-fraud narrative.”

The report notes that the day’s violence was “predictable” for Trump and that he wanted to “use” the events to delay Biden’s certification.

But Trump was ultimately not charged with instigation because Smith’s team did not find “direct evidence” of his intent to carry out the “full scope of violence” during the Capitol riots, making his conviction almost certain.

The document also mentions that “there are other powerful charges”.

Several people accused and convicted of involvement in the Capitol attack cited Trump’s influence as a motivating factor, the report said.

He cited some of the rioters, including Alex Harkrider, who asked to be released from prison before the sentencing, arguing that “like thousands of others” he was “responding to a plea” to Trump.

Another person, David Mahaffey, said, referring to Trump’s speech when he sought leniency, “I trust the president and that was a big mistake.”

What Smith failed to acknowledge in his report was that it was in these men’s legitimate interests to deflect responsibility from themselves.

In repeated conversations throughout the day, Trump used his position as Senate president to ask the vice president to change the results of the election without confirming the results, according to Smith’s report.

Pence refused, and at one point Trump told him that “hundreds of thousands” of people would “hate his guts” if he didn’t return.

The campaign of pressure against his deputy continued in public. In his speech, Trump said he hoped Pence would do so, but if he didn’t, “I wouldn’t like it very much.”

Trump called Pence one last time before leaving the White House to speak at the Ellipse before the attack on the Capitol, Smith said. The vice president told him on the call that he did not have the authority to carry out Trump’s wishes, prompting Trump to reintroduce some of the language he had previously designed to target Pence.

Minutes after the speech, Trump supporters roamed the halls of the Capitol, chanting “hang Mike Pence” and hunting his offices.

Smith recounts the experiences of law enforcement officers on duty during the mob storming the Capitol building, where at least 140 officers were attacked.

He further stated that 123 defendants have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing grievous bodily harm to law enforcement officers.

“This attack caused lasting damage,” the report said, highlighting that 223 officers suffered “invisible injuries, including depression and other psychological injuries.”

A footnote gives further accounts of officers’ feelings of “survivor’s guilt,” “shell-shock” and “not being able to move on after that day.”