'Planning to foment a coup': Legal experts say new evidence shows Trump trying 'to overthrow the government'
Legal experts are cautiously weighing in on the bombshell news out of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee and The New York Times revealing how the former president, Donald Trump, pressured top DOJ officials to declare the election "corrupt" and help him overturn it.
NBC News and MSNBC Legal Analyst Glenn Kirschner, a former fed prosecutor, calls Trump pressuring the DOJ "evidence of an intent to overthrow the government," and asks what more will it take for him to be indicted.
And this statement constitutes evidence of an intent to overthrow the government/stop the lawfully elected incoming president from assuming power. How much additional evidence of Trump\u2019s crimes will DOJ require before indicting him? JusticeMattershttps://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/1421128690121981953\u00a0\u2026— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner) 1627667208
Constitutional law scholar, University Professor Emeritus at Harvard University Laurence Tribe says this is "part of a pattern showing Trump's criminal planning to foment a coup":
"'Just say the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me' & to congressional allies, [Deputy Acting AG Richard] Donoghue wrote in summarizing Mr. Trump\u2019s response." That's part of a pattern showing Trump's criminal planning to foment a coup:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/us/politics/trump-justice-department-election.html?smid=tw-share\u00a0\u2026— Laurence Tribe (@Laurence Tribe) 1627659490
Noted attorney George Conway, who turned down a position of solicitor general in the Trump administration says Trump "should be prosecuted":
It's difficult to overstate how much this reeks of criminal intent on the part of the former guy.https://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/1421128690121981953\u00a0\u2026— George Conway (@George Conway) 1627660619
It literally would have been a crime for Trump merely to have ordered the acting attorney general to march down Pennsylvania Avenue with a "Trump 2020" flag. See 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 610. \n\nThis is way beyond the pale and should be prosecuted.https://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/1421128690121981953\u00a0\u2026— George Conway (@George Conway) 1627659510
Law Professor and former Bush chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter:
Put this together with the November 2020 White House meeting with General Flynn and Trump would have had DOJ clearance for a military coup.\n\nTrump Pressed Justice Dept. to Declare Election Results Corrupt, Notes Showhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/us/politics/trump-justice-department-election.html?smid=tw-share\u00a0\u2026— Richard W. Painter (@Richard W. Painter) 1627669500
Now we know that they were just waiting for DOJ to declare the election illegal so they could move the troops into Pennsylvania, Georgia Michigan...\nIt\u2019s called a coup.\n\nInvoking Martial Law to Reverse the 2020 Election Could be Criminal Seditionhttps://www.justsecurity.org/73986/invoking-martial-law-to-reverse-the-2020-election-could-be-criminal-sedition/\u00a0\u2026— Richard W. Painter (@Richard W. Painter) 1627669687
Condé Nast Legal Affairs Editor Luke Zaleski sums it all up and concludes: "Trump is guilty. He tried to overthrow the government."
Trump is guilty. He tried to overthrow the government. It\u2019s a simple case. He stood to benefit. He lied for months. Gathered violent militias and hate groups and confederates in DC. Whipped them up with violent rhetoric and sent them to the Capitol to attack. And they did-for himhttps://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/1421128690121981953\u00a0\u2026— Luke Zaleski (@Luke Zaleski) 1627665535
That Trump incited the insurrection to stop his loss is undeniable. It\u2019s self evident. We all watched it happen over months and on January 6th. It\u2019s like arguing he won the election or the chiefs won the super bowl. Anyone who defends trump is lying to you or themselves or both.— Luke Zaleski (@Luke Zaleski) 1627667865
