Former President Donald Trump is facing new charges in the ongoing investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. election results. Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a new brief accusing Trump of launching a “private criminal effort” to subvert the election outcome, asserting that Trump should not be shielded by presidential immunity. The charges come just two months before the next presidential election.
Trump, who is running as a Republican candidate, lashed out against the charges, labeling them as “election interference.” He took to his social media platform, Truth Social, writing, “For 60 days prior to an election, the Department of Injustice is supposed to do absolutely nothing that would taint or interfere with a case…They disobeyed their own rule in favour of complete and total election interference.” Trump maintains his innocence, stating, “I did nothing wrong, they did!”
One of the key charges centers around Trump’s tweet on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol riot. Prosecutors allege that while watching the chaos unfold, Trump tweeted criticism of Vice President Mike Pence, accusing him of lacking “courage,” even as his supporters breached the Capitol.
Another charge focuses on Trump’s alleged dismissive response when informed that Pence was being evacuated during the riot. According to witnesses, Trump replied, “So what?” showing little concern for the vice president’s safety.
Prosecutors claim Trump demonstrated disregard for the election outcome when he allegedly told Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, “It doesn’t matter if you won or lost the election. You still have to fight like hell,” highlighting his intent to contest the results regardless of the actual vote.
Smith’s team also accuses Trump of fabricating voter fraud claims, such as falsely stating that 36,000 noncitizens voted in Arizona. These figures, they argue, were deliberately exaggerated to mislead the public.
Trump’s promise to provide evidence of voter fraud to then-Arizona Governor Doug Ducey never materialized. Ducey likened Trump’s situation to being in the “ninth inning” with little hope of overturning the election.
The brief reveals that Trump reportedly mocked his legal ally, Sidney Powell, referring to her claims of election fraud as “crazy” and “unhinged.” This raises questions about his confidence in those defending his case.
Another charge focuses on Trump’s communications with Steve Bannon on January 5, 2021. Just hours after their conversation, Bannon predicted on his podcast that “all hell is going to break loose” the next day.
Prosecutors plan to present forensic evidence of Trump’s phone usage during the Capitol riot, demonstrating that he was actively tweeting and engaging with the unfolding events throughout the day.
Inciting Potential Violence in Michigan
Trump is also accused of being connected to discussions about potential riots in Michigan. Prosecutors allege that a Trump campaign employee encouraged chaos at polling locations in an attempt to challenge the election results.
Shifting Legal Strategy
The final charge focuses on Trump’s decision to sideline his legal team in favor of Rudy Giuliani in November 2020. This shift in strategy reportedly led to further disorganization, including a mishap where Giuliani sent a critical document to the wrong number.
Ongoing Legal and Political Battle
As these new charges surface, Trump and his allies continue to denounce the legal proceedings as politically motivated, further intensifying the already charged atmosphere leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
