- one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States applies to Trump’s repeated and widespread efforts to spread false claims about the November 2020 election while knowing they were not true and for allegedly attempting to illegally discount legitimate votes all with the goal of overturning the 2020 election, prosecutors claim in the indictment.
- one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding was brought due to the alleged organized planning by Trump and his allies to disrupt the electoral vote’s certification in January 2021.
- one count of obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding is tied to Trump and his co-conspirators’ alleged efforts after the November 2020 election until Jan. 7, 2021, to block the official certification proceeding in Congress.
- one count of conspiracy against rights refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to “oppress, threaten and intimidate” people in their right to vote in an election.Trump is in big trouble.
The Republicans, Trump, and his attorneys are presenting defenses for these alleged crimes that are being ridiculed by constitutional lawyers from both parties. Bogus legal assertions by Trump lawyers include claiming his First Amendment rights are being violated and that he was acting based on the advice of his lawyers. In the indictment, Jack Smith states Trump is not being charged for speech where he lies or states false beliefs. Rather, he is being charged for the actions he took in8 the false elector scheme and the attempt to stop the transfer of presidential power. The excuse that he was relying on the facts and advice presented to him by his attorneys is also debunked in Smith’s indictment. There is evidence in the indictment by Trump’s own words that he knew he lost and chose to construct a conspiracy to overturn the election. This conspiracy went on for the months between election day and election certification day on Jan. 6th. When the fake elector plot failed and pressuring Mike Pence to refuse to certify the votes cast by American citizens failed, Trump used the violence of the rioters to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power. He succeeded in delaying it, however Congress re-convened and democracy won that day.
The media needs to stop compulsively repeating that his base doesn’t care if Trump commits crimes. They need to stop reporting on his poll numbers increasing with every indictment. His followers are a pro-autocratic; anti rule of law, anti-fact minority group of cultists. The media attention emboldens them in the same way it emboldens Trump. They are a minority of the population who are being exploited by Trump who once said ” .
When Trump screamed “lock her up” about his political opponent Hillary Clinton in 2016, Republicans did not cry election interference. Ironically, since the indictments have occurred Trump and Republicans are protesting cries to “lock him up” calling DOJ actions ” election interference.
