The new evidence revealed last night was damning.
I was in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 when Trump's mob stormed the building, ransacked our offices, and attacked public servants.
And as horrific as that was, we must always, always remember that they were storming our government, ransacking our democracy, and attacking our Constitution.
Our grandchildren's grandchildren will watch footage of last night's January 6th Committee hearing, and they will see clearly that it was an insurrection and invasion of the Capitol incited by the President of the United States in a desperate attempt to overthrow the duly elected government.
The new evidence revealed last night was damning. Donald Trump sought to secure power through violence that he did not earn through votes.
The mob that attacked the Capitol was not an accident, or a political rally that went overboard. It was a deliberate attack, fomented by President Trump and his allies as part of a long-term strategy to overturn the will of the voters.
We learned last night that senior leaders in the Trump campaign told him he had lost the election. We learned that the Attorney General told him he had lost and that his own daughter agreed.
We also learned that he met with a rogue's gallery of conspiracy theorists without White House lawyers present – and within an hour sent the infamous "Be there, will be wild!" tweet that rallied the insurrectionists to Washington.
We also saw in graphic detail the sheer brutality of the violence inflicted on police officers. And we saw the heroism of those officers personified in the courageous testimony of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards.
Make no mistake: This was an attempted coup that was planned, paid for, and carried out in service of Donald Trump's Big Lie.
Every single president has participated in the peaceful transfer of power, except Donald Trump. And for that, he and his MAGA allies must be held accountable.
I encourage you to watch last night's hearing if you missed it. I encourage you to share it with your friends and family. And I encourage you to watch the rest of the hearings as they unfold this month.
And hang in there. This is tough stuff, but we'll get through it together and defend democracy for our children and grandchildren.
Onward.
Jeff
