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Dr. Joanne Freeman

People at the Oval Office meeting:
It was NOT casual, NOT chit-chatting. It was intense.

Flynn & Powell attacked Cipollone verbally, aggressively. He asked: Where's the evidence?

Response: What do you mean? "General disregard for backing things up w/facts."

Dr. Joanne Freeman

The Oval Office meeting ended after midnight.

They show Hutchinson text messages about that night: "The west wing is UNHINGED."

Dr. Joanne Freeman

DJT supporters registered a website: "WILDPROTEST.COM"

Had event times, speakers, and details about transportation to D.C.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They're showing footage of Alex Jones and other podcast and YouTube commentators commenting that DJT has called on us to storm the Capitol.

"With enough people, you can push down any wall."

Jones: "The time for action is now. Where were you when history was happening?"

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Editorial: I didn't watch Game of Thrones. But the reference from a YouTube program DJT supporter that January 6 would be a "red wedding"......even I know what he meant.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They're playing a voice-disguised interview with a former Twitter employee who says that if DJT had been anyone else, Twitter would have acted against him because of his violence-calling tweets."

Twitter was where his supporters connected with him. They answered his call.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They're showing interviews, statements, even tweets from people saying they knew what DJT was saying in his "wild" tweet.

Calls for people to come armed.
Statements: it's time to kill the Democrats.
Cops don't have standing if they're lying in a pool of their own blood.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They're showing tweets and other statements showing that some of the online discussion of the coming events on 1/6 were openly homicidal (focused on killing people) and white nationalist.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

While they're on break, witnesses have entered and been seated.

One is a former Oath Keeper spokesman -- though he left years before 1/6. He's going to testify on what the Oath Keepers are.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Editorial: I think the other witness is a junior member of one of the white supremacist organizations (Proud Boys?) who will discuss why he felt that DJT had called him to DC on 1/6.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Donell Harvin, former head of Homeland Security & Intelligence for DC:
When you have armed militia collaborating w/white supremacist groups & conspiracy theory folk--coordinating efforts on media channels (What are you bringing? What will you wear?) -- it's a red alert.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Roger Stone was guarded by several Oath Keepers who were later indicted for 1/6 activities. They testified that they were ready to use "lethal force" against anyone who tried to remove DJT from power.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Raskin notes -- as others on the committee have -- that they've gotten significant evidence since the hearings began, and it will be discussed or shown to the public at a later point.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They have a draft tweet of DJT's from the National Archives. Interesting.

"I will be making a Big Speech at 10AM on January 6 ...March to the Capitol After. Stop the Steal"

Dr. Joanne Freeman

DJT supporters clearly knew that DJT was going to tell his supporters to march to the Capitol at the end of his speech -- though it wasn't publicly discussed.

The surge to the Capitol wasn't spontaneous.
It was planned, and supporters knew.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They repeat a DJT statement to DOJ from an earlier hearing.

Just claim the election was corrupt, and leave the rest to me & Republican congressmen.

There it is.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Cipollone: The VP had no authority to do what DJT supporters wanted him to do.

Cipollone said at the time: I'll take the blame. I'm a lawyer. This is my legal opinion. Just blame me.

Cipollone thinks that VP Pence did a major service for his country by doing his duty on 1/6, and deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his actions.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

The White House phone log shows DJT spoke with Bannon twice on 1/5.

Bannon then went public and said: "All hell will break loose [tomorrow]....All I can say is, strap in."

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Former WH staffer recalls DJT in the Oval Office "dictating a tweet he wanted sent out." He was in a great mood that nite, hadn't been for awhile.

As a historian, I would use that "dictating a tweet" detail for all it was worth. Sometimes, tiny details reveal a LOT.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Others in the Oval Office note that DJT on 1/5 in the Oval Office was fired up -- and was excited that the crowd was fired up as well.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

They show footage of Flynn and Ali Alexander speaking at a rally near the White House on 1/5:

Calling for 1776 again.
Getting the crowd to chant: "1776! 1776!"

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Former Twitter employee sent a Slack message to someone on 1/5 and said: When people start shooting at each other tomorrow, I will know that I did all I could do to prevent it. If we don't intervene, people will die.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Recently released recording bet. Republican congressmen on the night of 1/6:

Rep. Debbie Lesko said she wanted a safety plan for members. There were thousands of people; DJT supporters who actually believed that DJT won -- and when they learned he didn't, they'll go nuts.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

DJT made a last minute change to his speech on 1/6. He added a "tough" message attacking Pence. He was riled up against Pence.

Ivanka's chief of staff said that Ivanka, based on what DJT said about Pence in his office, wanted DJT to be calmed down.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Clearly, Pence's decision to do his duty as VP outraged DJT. Another way for DJT to grab power was defeated. So he spoke against Pence harsher than the script called him to.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

DJT lied that the election was stolen, directed the crowd to the Capitol, and said he would join them.

Brad Parscale, DJT advisor said at the time in a text message: "A sitting President calling for Civil War."

And he blamed DJT's rhetoric for what happened.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Oath Keeper former spokesman:
He was with them for sev'l years.
They may not want to call themselves a militia, but they are.
A largely violent militia.

Former Oath Keeper spokesman: saw radicalization of Oath Keepers over time. At a certain point, he had to break with them.

A dangerous organization driven by ego of Oath Keepers leader Elmer Rhodes, who sees himself a a paramilitary leader.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Former spokesman: Oath Keepers don't base their actions on the rule of law.

They use violence and rhetoric to sweep people up into their efforts.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Next witness, Stephen Ayres -- was in the crowd on 1/6, but wasn't in an extremist group.

Describes himself as a family man and working man.
Little more.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Thompson shows video showing Ayres entering the Capitol on 1/6.

Why did Ayres come to DC for 1/6? Ayres says he was "pretty hard core" into twitter, instagram, all the websites. Followed DJT. "I felt like I needed to be down here."

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres: said when he entered the Capitol, he believed that the election was stolen. Everything online told him so.

He was outraged, as were most DJT supporters. That's what got him to go to DC.

Asked if he still thinks the election was stolen: "Not so much now"....

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres: He said that he did online research after 1/6. Saw the court cases being defeated for lack of evidence of fraud.

If he'd known that there was truly no evidence of fraud, and that DJT knew it, he wouldn't have come to DC.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres: When he arrived in DC, he planned on going to the rally, period.

He had no plans to go to the Capitol.

It wasn't until the President got everyone riled up & told them to march to the Capitol that they did.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres: Everyone thought the President would be marching with them to the Capitol. He said so during his speech.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Oath Keepers leader Rhodes was obsessed with the Insurrection Act of 1807 (!) that said that the President had the power to call militias to put down unrest or insurrection.

He felt that it justified his actions.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 being used by the Oath Keepers leader as a legitimate way to be a paramilitary force.

That's....quite something.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres is asked: what led him to leave the Capitol on 1/6?

His reply? Everyone saw the DJT tweet at just after 4:00 asking people to go home, and a lot of the crowd left at that time. It got people talking. Ayres left at that time, and he saw a lot of others leave too.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Ayres: Says he was hanging on DJT's every word. That's why he was there. And some people still are doing the same. He -- and the Oath Keeper's witness -- worry about the next election.

Ayres says -- looking back -- he felt like he had horse-blinders on. He couldn't see.

He urges people to take a step back and look around.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Raskin will now give a closing statement.

DJT's tweet made him the first President to call a mob to march to the Capitol and overturn a free & fair election.

Says: our founders would have been shocked.

Oh God. Is the Hamilton quote going to appear again...?

Raskin: The Founders DID foresee this kind of thing. They knew about the danger of demagogues.

[Raskin DID quote Hamilton, but Federalist #1 -- not the quote I expected. Whew.]

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Dr. Joanne Freeman

Raskin references DJT's mention of "American carnage" during his inauguration speech.

It came to be an apt description of events of his presidency.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Raskin: "American carnage: that's DJT's true legacy."

"The Watergate break-in was like a cub scout meeting compared to these events."

DJT claims that the election was an insurrection, and that an insurrection was the real election.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Raskin: We have to defend our democracy & freedom with all we have, and ensure that this American carnage ends now.

Dr. Joanne Freeman

Cheney's closing:
We've outlined all but one of DJT's attempt to seize power. Trying to corrupt the DOJ. Trying to corrupt Pence. Fake electoral slates. Lies about the election. Summoning a mob.

DJT took part in each substantially & personally.

@Jezibaba Thank you Jezi. I really appreciate you doing this.

@Jezibaba Thank you so much for doing this. Wife and I couldn’t watch today so I read your posts to her as a summary. Very helpful!

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