The House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol will focus this week on former President Donald Trump's campaign to overturn his election loss.
There was a big protest in D.C. Be there, it will be crazy. The president wrote, "December 19, 2020."
The investigators believe that the message acted as a battle cry to the far-right extremists who were wrongly convinced the election had been stolen.
Lawmakers on the select committee will use their latest public hearing in the wide-ranging investigation to advance their case that Trump's allies acted in cahoots with the violent extremists who would eventually storm the Capitol.
There was a meeting at the White House where some of Trump's closest allies pushed him to seize voting machines. Trump ultimately decided against the idea, but as options dwindled to remain in power, he shifted gears to focus on a protest.
The first full-throated endorsement of that protest was sent by Trump in the early hours of December 19th. Trump urged his supporters to attend the wild protest in Washington on January 6.
The committee is leaning on that message to bolster their allegations that Trump orchestrated the Capitol attack in a last-ditch attempt to cling to power.
It was the first time in American history that a president had called a protest against his own government in order to stop the counting of electoral college votes.
Raskin said that people would hear about the story of the Trump World and the effect it had on the domestic violent extremists.
The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, both of which were at the forefront of the Capitol insurrection, will be the focus of Tuesday's hearing.
The panel will look at the role of a far-right political movement that believes that the country is governed by a group of Satan worshippers.
A select committee aide said Monday that they would show how some of the right-wing extremists who came to D.C. had ties to Trump associates.
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, both of whom were vocal figures in the "Stop the Steal" movement and used members of those groups for protective services, were both associated with the extremists.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) noted that Dan Scavino had interacted with an online forum called "The Donald.win" and with a cult.
According to aides for the select committee, they would have more information to give on the efforts of Republican lawmakers, including their involvement in a pressure campaign against the vice president.
The involvement of members of Congress became more apparent in the last days of the election when they were involved in trying to overturn the results.
Reports say that a former spokesman for the Oath Keepers will testify at the hearing.
A number of groups are said to have been created by Trump.
On or about December 21, Ali Alexander applied for a permit to use the Capitol grounds.
The leader of the Proud Boys started a "Ministry of Self Defense" chapter that would serve as the group's "national rally planning" group, according to prosecutors. The launch of the group fell around a week after he visited the White House.
According to an indictment for Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, the far-right militia group started planning to travel to the rally in late December.
Seditious conspiracy is a crime that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
TheDonald.win, a page dedicated to the president on Reddit, as well as other pro-Trump platforms, were excited by the president's message.
They learned that Trump was calling them to come to D.C. and start fighting.
It is not possible for him to tell you to revolt. One user said that this is the closest he will ever get.
Another user said that he read that as armed.
They said to bring the guns.
Some drew parallels to the Wild West when they focused on the wild part of Trump's message.
One user wrote that "'Will Be Wild' is a hidden message for us to be prepared."
Evidence of an intelligence failure leading up to the attack has always been used by Trump supporters.
It was documented that it wasn't just chatter.
Law enforcement largely overlooked plans to storm the Capitol, according to reviews.
The seditious conspiracy case against various Oath Keepers members shows that they staged a "quick reaction force" at a Comfort Inn in Virginia, wheeling in "bags and large bins of weapons, ammunition, and essential supplies to last 30 days."
The only hearing this week is on Tuesday and there will be another one the following week.
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