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The Lincoln Project released the following takeaways from the third January 6th Committee Hearing that took place June 16th:
- “Donald Trump and his allies and supporters are a clear and present danger to American democracy,” said Judge J. Michael Luttig, a critical witness before the committee. Luttig is a former Federal judge who is revered in conservative circles. His warning should send a shiver up the spine of every American who cares about democracy and the rule of law.
- The violence of January 6th was part of the legal and political strategy to overthrow the lawful results of the election. Donald Trump himself orchestrated and promoted the plot even though he and his team knew there was no constitutional basis for Pence’s ability to alter the outcome. They persisted because they needed a false legal narrative to provoke supporters into sending them money and attacking the capitol.
- John Eastman was warned there could be violence and civil unrest if Pence refused to certify the election. Trump and his allies didn’t care and were willing to risk widespread violence larger than January 6th to remain in power and end the American experiment.
- Trump and his cronies put in motion a campaign to pressure every level of government to overturn the election that persists to this day. The MAGA GOP is teaching its supporters how to challenge election results in critical precincts, or just flat out refusing to certify election results they do not like. The party only wants nothing more than to roll-back civil liberties and make a free and open election impossible going forward.
- There are no more reasonable Republicans; the lunatic fringe is in control. The MAGA GOP will double and triple down on the “Big Lie” so they do not risk their base leaving them. They need outrage in order to secure power for themselves. And they do not care what that outrage is about.
- We saw again that Fox News is knee deep in the events surrounding January 6th, with key personnel in regular communications with the White House. The American public must hold Fox accountable for repeatedly telling their viewers the election was stolen and helping Trump drive his supporters into a frenzy that resulted in violence and sedition at the Capitol.
- Attorney General Bill Barr destroyed the “Big Lie” and laughed at the claims being pushed by the Administration. His investigators found no ballot harvesting, no illegal votes being cast, and no votes being illegally counted. The Administration’s post-election push was the result of a drunk Rudy Guiliani and power-hungry John Eastman playing to Donald Trump’s increasingly unstable mind.
- Elise Stefanik and Kevin McCarthy want to be Speaker of the House, while Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, and Mike Pompeo all want to be President. They can no longer ignore the criminal revelations coming from the hearings. Will they double-down and continue to pin their political futures on a movement driven by criminal conspiracy or will they finally use this as an opportunity to break-up with Trump?
- Just this week, GOP candidate Doug Mastriano hired one of the architects of Trump’s “Big Lie”, Jenna Ellis, as his attorney. Together, they want to disenfranchise millions of Pennsylvanians and destroy America’s very soul. Does Mehmet Oz agree with his political godfather Donald Trump that the election in Pennsylvania was stolen and Trump was right all along? Or does he see things differently after all of the revelations – and knowing that more are to come?
- After three hearings we know for certain the nation is at one of the most dangerous moments in its history. These revelations will not change the true MAGA believers mind but will cause them to double and triple down on the “Big Lie” – making them more dangerous and perhaps more violent. Every single American needs to decide 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?
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.
