Former president Donald Trump encouraged far-right extremist groups to come to Washington and then incited them to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the US House of Representatives committee investigating the deadly insurrection said on Tuesday.
In its seventh public hearing presenting evidence from a year-long probe, the panel heard from the former spokesman of the Oath Keepers, who said the anti-government militia was well prepared for violence.
“We need to quit mincing words … It was going to be an armed revolution. I mean, people died that day,” Jason Van Tatenhove testified.
“There was a gallows set up … This could've been the spark that started a new civil war.”
He later said: “What else is he going to do if he gets elected again? All bets are off.”
The nine-member committee described how organisers behind various January 6 rallies had planned ahead of time to march on the Capitol, but co-ordinated to keep plans secret.
The panel presented evidence of an unpublished tweet Mr Trump drafted for the rally outside the White House — which included "March to the Capitol after. Stop the Steal!!" wording — and how members of the Trump team had told rally organisers that he would “unexpectedly” order protesters to the Capitol at the end of his speech.
Stephen Ayres, who took part in the Capitol riot, told the panel that he followed Mr Trump's orders on January 6 to march on the seat of American democracy.
“The president got everybody riled up, told everybody head on down. So we, basically, we're just following what he said,” Mr Ayres said and added that he had believed Mr Trump's false claims the 2020 election was stolen.
Representative Stephanie Murphy said Mr Trump's “goal was to stay in power for a second term despite losing the election. The assembled crowd was one of the tools to achieve that goal”.
The panel focused on Mr Trump's tweet on December 19, which read: “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
The tweet had a large effect on extremists and far-right militia groups, spurring online discussions on plans for the rally.
The panel shared forum posts in response: “Is the 6th D-Day? Is that why Trump wants everyone there?” and “Trump just told us all to come armed. This is happening,” and “It 'will be wild' means we need volunteers for the firing squad.”
Other posts shown included plans for violence: “Bring handcuffs and wait near the tunnels” and “Body armour, knuckles, shields, bats, pepper spray, whatever it takes.”
An anonymous former Twitter staffer told the committee about that tweet, saying: “My concern with the former president, for seemingly the first time, was speaking directly to extremist organisations giving directives.”
The panel also presented information about how Mr Trump's circle knew the 2020 election was not stolen, as he has continued to claim, and could find no evidence of electoral fraud following the November 3 vote.
Committee member Jamie Raskin presented evidence of Mr Trump's refusal to accept electoral results by showing video clips of several Trump officials suggesting he should concede.
They reached this conclusion after dozens of litigation efforts in US states failed and after the Electoral College meeting in mid-December, when states certified their results to confirm Joe Biden's victory.
But Mr Trump continued to meet conspiracy theorists such as Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who supported his attempts to cling to power.
The divide between those who knew the election was not stolen and conspiracy theorists spilt over in an “unhinged” White House meeting on December 18, when Mr Trump’s outside lawyers suggested that the military should seize state voting machines in a last-ditch push to prop up his claims of electoral fraud.
“These Americans did not have access to the truth like Donald Trump did,” said committee vice chairwoman Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the panel.
“They put their faith and their trust in Donald Trump. They wanted to believe in him. They wanted to fight for their country and he deceived them. For millions of Americans, that may be painful to accept, but it is true.”
Ms Cheney also said Mr Trump had tried to contact a witness the panel has not yet spoken with and they have passed on the information of potential witness tampering to the US Justice Department.
Pat Cipollone, former White House counsel for Mr Trump, testified last Friday and addressed questions about what happened in the White House in the weeks leading up to January 6.
“His testimony met our expectations,” Ms Cheney said.
His revelations came after last month's shocking public evidence by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mr Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows.
She told the committee that Mr Trump's behaviour was erratic in the days before the insurrection and that the former president knew of the dangerous threats that day. She also outlined his attempts to join the violent crowd of his supporters.
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
'Ashkal'
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.