A man named Jeremiah Caplinger is being tried for his involvement in the January 6, 2020 Capitol building uprising as he scaled a wall on the Capitol grounds and caused damage to public property. The trial, however, has a ‘Game of Thrones’ mention as prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum in which he used a reference from the popular HBO show, “I chose violence”.

While filing the memorandum, prosecutors explained to the court that this quote was used by a character named Cersei Lannister in the show. They explained, “Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in the HBO television series Game of Thrones. After being confronted by a group of politically-empowered religious zealots, who warn her that if she does not yield to them, ‘There will be violence,’ Cersei Lannister responds, ‘I choose violence.'”

It further explains that Cersei Lannister used “a weapon of mass destruction to blow up one of the largest and most important buildings in the capital city,” which contained “politicians and religious leaders.&nbsp;

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“In stating, ‘I choose violence’, Cersei Lannister embraced — and then carried out — mass murder to achieve her political ends,” the memorandum adds. “In the context of Caplinger posting this just two days after January 6, Caplinger’s adoption of this quote is alarming and provides insight into his mental state and intent in storming the Capitol.”&nbsp;

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The 25-year-old man was one of the many people who entered the Capitol building that day. The prosecutors are arguing for serious punishment for Jeremiah as he posted an image of a soldier from the American Revolution two days after the January 6 uprising with the caption: “As said by Cersi Lannister ‘I choose violence,'” according to the memorandum.

The man has pleaded guilty to one count of stepping on, climbing, removing, or injuring property on Capitol grounds. The court filing indicates he faces up to six months in prison when he is sentenced on February 1.

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A man named Jeremiah Caplinger is being tried for his involvement in the January 6, 2020 Capitol building uprising as he scaled a wall on the Capitol grounds and caused damage to public property.

A man named Jeremiah Caplinger is being tried for his involvement in the January 6, 2020 Capitol building uprising as he scaled a wall on the Capitol grounds and caused damage to public property. The trial, however, has a ‘Game of Thrones’ mention as prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum in which he used a reference from the popular HBO show, “I chose violence”. While filing the memorandum, prosecutors explained to the court that this quote was used by a character named Cersei Lannister in the show. They explained, “Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in the HBO television series Game of Thrones. After being confronted by a group of politically-empowered religious zealots, who warn her that if she does not yield to them, ‘There will be violence,’ Cersei Lannister responds, ‘I choose violence.'” It further explains that Cersei Lannister used “a weapon of mass destruction to blow up one of the largest and most important buildings in the capital city,” which contained “politicians and religious leaders. HBO releases first trailer for 'Game of Thrones' prequel, 'House of the Dragon' “In stating, ‘I choose violence’, Cersei Lannister embraced — and then carried out — mass murder to achieve her political ends,” the memorandum adds. “In the context of Caplinger posting this just two days after January 6, Caplinger’s adoption of this quote is alarming and provides insight into his mental state and intent in storming the Capitol.” Box office: 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is now world's number 6 on all-time rankings The 25-year-old man was one of the many people who entered the Capitol building that day. The prosecutors are arguing for serious punishment for Jeremiah as he posted an image of a soldier from the American Revolution two days after the January 6 uprising with the caption: “As said by Cersi Lannister ‘I choose violence,'” according to the memorandum. The man has pleaded guilty to one count of stepping on, climbing, removing, or injuring property on Capitol grounds. The court filing indicates he faces up to six months in prison when he is sentenced on February 1. From 'Spider-Man' to 'Avengers: Endgame': Check out top 10 highest-grossing superhero films of all time Paparazzi and its obsession with star kids: The most in-news Bollywood kids

Capitol attack: Prosecutors want serious punishment for man who used 'Game of Thrones' reference

After his defeat in the 2020 elections, Donald Trump allegedly drafted an executive order directing the US’ top military leader to seize voting machines, a report has revealed.

The explosive document, released by the National Archives and obtained by Politico, has revealed the extreme measures Trump may have been willing to take to keep Joe Biden from being declared as the next president.

The three-page draft, dated December 16, 2020, ordered the Secretary of Defense to “seize, collect, retain and analyze all machines, equipment, electronically stored information, and material records required for retention.”

The order also sought to appoint a special counsel to bring charges on any fraud allegations that arose from the seizures, but it was never signed.

It is also unclear as to who drafted the order.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/exclusive-jerusalem-extremism-analyst-who-predicted-jan-6-riots-talks-to-wion-442914">Exclusive: Jerusalem extremism analyst who predicted Jan 6 riots talks to WION</a>

The draft is part of the 750-plus documents submitted by the National Archives to the House of Representatives select committee investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection.

The then-president sought to block the release of the documents citing the “executive privilege” doctrine, but the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected his appeal.

Trump and his allies spent months pushing a false narrative of widespread electoral fraud, despite the government officials rebuffing the charges.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jan-6-panel-subpoenas-giuliani-digging-into-false-vote-fraud-claims-445946">Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Giuliani, digging into false vote fraud claims</a>

The claims were also rejected by Trump-appointed attorney general Bill Barr, and Trump was eventually impeached for inciting the attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Meanwhile, the probe committee investigating on Thursday invited Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, to provide information and participate in a voluntary interview.

Ivanka was a senior White House advisor to her father. The committee wants to ask her about Trump’s actions, or inaction, and his state of mind on January 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol and temporarily stopped Congress from confirming President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

(With inputs from agencies)

After his defeat in the 2020 elections, Donald Trump allegedly drafted an executive order directing the US’ top military leader to seize voting machines, a report has revealed.

After his defeat in the 2020 elections, Donald Trump allegedly drafted an executive order directing the US’ top military leader to seize voting machines, a report has revealed. The explosive document, released by the National Archives and obtained by Politico, has revealed the extreme measures Trump may have been willing to take to keep Joe Biden from being declared as the next president. The three-page draft, dated December 16, 2020, ordered the Secretary of Defense to “seize, collect, retain and analyze all machines, equipment, electronically stored information, and material records required for retention.” The order also sought to appoint a special counsel to bring charges on any fraud allegations that arose from the seizures, but it was never signed. It is also unclear as to who drafted the order. Also read | Exclusive: Jerusalem extremism analyst who predicted Jan 6 riots talks to WION The draft is part of the 750-plus documents submitted by the National Archives to the House of Representatives select committee investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection. The then-president sought to block the release of the documents citing the “executive privilege” doctrine, but the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected his appeal. Trump and his allies spent months pushing a false narrative of widespread electoral fraud, despite the government officials rebuffing the charges. Also read | Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Giuliani, digging into false vote fraud claims The claims were also rejected by Trump-appointed attorney general Bill Barr, and Trump was eventually impeached for inciting the attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Meanwhile, the probe committee investigating on Thursday invited Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, to provide information and participate in a voluntary interview. Ivanka was a senior White House advisor to her father. The committee wants to ask her about Trump’s actions, or inaction, and his state of mind on January 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol and temporarily stopped Congress from confirming President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. (With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump ordered to seize voting machines after electoral loss: Report

The House Select Committee investigating the last year’s insurrection on the US Capitol has issued subpoenas to three White House officials who worked closely with former President Donald Trump.

Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the select committee, issued subpoenas to Ross Worthington, former advisor of Trump, Andy Surabian and Arthur Schwartz—Donald Trump Jr.’s aides— the House Select Committee said in a statement.

Worthington had helped draft the former president's speech for a rally before Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“The committee is demanding records and testimony from three witnesses involved in planning and preparations for the January 6th rally at the Ellipse, which immediately preceded the violent attack on the Capitol,” the statement said.

The subpoenas have been issued to inquire whether the former president’s speech hinted at White House’s prior knowledge of plans to attack the Capitol.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/did-the-simpsons-forecast-us-capitol-riots-more-predictions-inside-278321">Did The Simpsons forecast US Capitol riots? More predictions inside!</a>

In that rally at the Ellipse park area near the White House, Trump told his supporters he would never concede the November 2020 presidential election.

“We have reason to believe the individuals we've subpoenaed today have relevant information and we expect them to join the more than 340 individuals who have spoken with the Select Committee,” the panel said.

Hundreds of Trump supporters had stormed to the Capitol in January 2021 to stop the US Congress from certifying his loss to Joe Biden after he falsely claimed that he lost due to electoral fraud.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-hill-violence-investigation-committee-issues-subpoenas-to-top-trump-lieutenants-427861">Capitol Hill violence: Investigation committee issues subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants</a>

Four people died in the hours-long chaos after Trump urged supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell.”

One police officer died that day after battling rioters, and four police officers later died by suicide.

Around 140 police officers were injured. US prosecutors have brought criminal charges against at least 725 people linked to the riot.

(With inputs from agencies)

The House Select Committee investigating the last year’s insurrection on the US Capitol has issued subpoenas to three White House officials who worked closely with former President Donald Trump.

The House Select Committee investigating the last year’s insurrection on the US Capitol has issued subpoenas to three White House officials who worked closely with former President Donald Trump. Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the select committee, issued subpoenas to Ross Worthington, former advisor of Trump, Andy Surabian and Arthur Schwartz—Donald Trump Jr.’s aides— the House Select Committee said in a statement. Worthington had helped draft the former president's speech for a rally before Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. “The committee is demanding records and testimony from three witnesses involved in planning and preparations for the January 6th rally at the Ellipse, which immediately preceded the violent attack on the Capitol,” the statement said. The subpoenas have been issued to inquire whether the former president’s speech hinted at White House’s prior knowledge of plans to attack the Capitol. Also read | Did The Simpsons forecast US Capitol riots? More predictions inside! In that rally at the Ellipse park area near the White House, Trump told his supporters he would never concede the November 2020 presidential election. “We have reason to believe the individuals we've subpoenaed today have relevant information and we expect them to join the more than 340 individuals who have spoken with the Select Committee,” the panel said. Hundreds of Trump supporters had stormed to the Capitol in January 2021 to stop the US Congress from certifying his loss to Joe Biden after he falsely claimed that he lost due to electoral fraud. Also read | Capitol Hill violence: Investigation committee issues subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants Four people died in the hours-long chaos after Trump urged supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell.” One police officer died that day after battling rioters, and four police officers later died by suicide. Around 140 police officers were injured. US prosecutors have brought criminal charges against at least 725 people linked to the riot. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump’s former aide, 2 Republican strategists receive subpoenas from Capitol attack probe committee

After a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last year, many Democrats and Republicans alike denounced the riot using terms like “terrorism.” But many Republicans later backed away from such condemnations as they sought to realign themselves with former President Donald Trump.

The highest-profile example yet came Thursday, when Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Sen. Ted Cruz of purposefully lying because he had continued to call the events of Jan. 6 a terrorist attack, including at a Senate hearing this week.

Cruz, R-Texas, apologised, calling his phrasing “frankly dumb” and saying that he was referring only to those rioters who assaulted police. Carlson, who has insinuated that Jan. 6 may have been a plot to justify a “purge” of Trump-supporting “patriots,” rejected Cruz’s explanation, citing his consistent use of that term over the past year to describe the Capitol attack.

Here is a closer look at the charged debate over the use of the word.

What is terrorism?

Essentially, it is politically motivated violence.

Denouncing Cruz, Carlson declared that “by no definition” was Jan. 6 “a terror attack.” But Congress has enacted a statute that defines domestic terrorism as criminal offences that are dangerous to human life, lack a foreign nexus and appear to be seeking “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.”

According to that definition, some of the events of Jan. 6 “were acts of domestic terrorism, and that’s accurate regardless of whether it applies to each individual,” said Mary McCord, who was a senior Justice Department national security official in the Obama administration and into the early Trump era.

She added, “We are talking about acts that were dangerous to human life and that were in violation of criminal laws, and they were certainly done to influence government policy because they were trying to prevent the counting of Electoral College votes.”

Did all the Jan. 6 rioters commit life-endangering crimes?

No more than 700 people have been charged to date in connection with the Capitol attack, and they are accused of a spectrum of crimes. Just as only some have been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding, only some have been charged with violent offences like assaulting police officers and destroying government property. Others have been charged only with nonviolent crimes, such as illegally entering a restricted building.

Cruz told Carlson that at the Senate hearing this week, he was not saying that “the thousands of peaceful protesters supporting Donald Trump are somehow terrorists.” Rather, he contended, he was merely using that term for people who attacked police officers — an explanation that Carlson, who agreed that such people should go to prison but maintained that they were not terrorists either, rejected.

On many occasions, Cruz has broadly called the assault on the Capitol an “act of terrorism” without specifically limiting his words to police assailants. In an interview a day after the riot, for example, he described the “terrorist attack” as “a traumatic experience for everyone in the building and everyone across the country,” and he referred to a rioter who “broke into the Senate chamber” and “did damage” as a “terrorist.”

Has anyone been charged ‘with terrorism’ over Jan. 6?

No. Carlson asked Cruz, “How many people have been charged with terrorism on Jan. 6?” The answer is zero — but that fact is deeply misleading.

Congress — despite establishing a legal definition for “domestic terrorism” — has not created any stand-alone federal crime called that. As a result, it is not possible for prosecutors to charge any of the Jan. 6 rioters “with terrorism” regardless of whether they committed terrorist acts.

Might some defendants nevertheless face longer sentences for terrorism-related offences?

Yes. Dozens of defendants are facing charges that will give prosecutors the opportunity to ask for longer sentences by invoking the context of domestic terrorism. It is not yet clear how harsh prosecutors and judges will be when it comes time to sentence uncooperative defendants who insist on going to trial and then get convicted, rather than striking plea deals.

In one statute, for example, Congress deemed about four dozen offences as eligible to count as a “federal crime of terrorism” if the acts were “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct.” Under sentencing guidelines, such a conviction can result in a much longer prison term.

The list includes the destruction of government property, a charge that 44 defendants are facing so far, according to the Justice Department’s tally of the Jan. 6 cases. The list also includes a “weapon of mass destruction” charge that may be brought if the FBI finds whoever put pipe bombs outside the Capitol Hill headquarters of both major political parties the night before the riot.

In addition, two defendants so far have been charged with making false statements. Under a separate law, prosecutors can ask for a sentence of up to eight years, rather than the normal five, if such lies involve domestic terrorism.

Why is the terrorism label subject to dispute?

Because nobody likes terrorists. And as a matter of ordinary speech as opposed to legal definitions, drawing the line between “terrorism” and less pejorative terms for politically motivated violence can be notoriously subjective.

“Why did you use that word?” Carlson asked Cruz.

He accused the senator of playing into a characterization by “the other side” seeking to smear the “entire population” of Trump supporters as “foreign combatants,” likening it to labels like “insurrection” and “coup.”

Notably, during the nationwide protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, Carlson called on the Justice Department to charge “every single person caught on camera torching a building, destroying a monument, defacing a church” with terrorism.

“Call them what they actually are — domestic terrorists,” he said, adding: “That would be their new government-approved title. Once they’re charged, it’s official. In fact, they are literally, as a factual matter, accused terrorists. And that would change minds right away.”

After a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last year, many Democrats and Republicans alike denounced the riot using terms like “terrorism.” But many Republicans later backed away from such condemnations as they sought to realign themselves with former President Donald Trump.

After a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last year, many Democrats and Republicans alike denounced the riot using terms like “terrorism.” But many Republicans later backed away from such condemnations as they sought to realign themselves with former President Donald Trump. The highest-profile example yet came Thursday, when Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Sen. Ted Cruz of purposefully lying because he had continued to call the events of Jan. 6 a terrorist attack, including at a Senate hearing this week. Cruz, R-Texas, apologised, calling his phrasing “frankly dumb” and saying that he was referring only to those rioters who assaulted police. Carlson, who has insinuated that Jan. 6 may have been a plot to justify a “purge” of Trump-supporting “patriots,” rejected Cruz’s explanation, citing his consistent use of that term over the past year to describe the Capitol attack. Here is a closer look at the charged debate over the use of the word. What is terrorism? Essentially, it is politically motivated violence. Denouncing Cruz, Carlson declared that “by no definition” was Jan. 6 “a terror attack.” But Congress has enacted a statute that defines domestic terrorism as criminal offences that are dangerous to human life, lack a foreign nexus and appear to be seeking “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” According to that definition, some of the events of Jan. 6 “were acts of domestic terrorism, and that’s accurate regardless of whether it applies to each individual,” said Mary McCord, who was a senior Justice Department national security official in the Obama administration and into the early Trump era. She added, “We are talking about acts that were dangerous to human life and that were in violation of criminal laws, and they were certainly done to influence government policy because they were trying to prevent the counting of Electoral College votes.” Did all the Jan. 6 rioters commit life-endangering crimes? No more than 700 people have been charged to date in connection with the Capitol attack, and they are accused of a spectrum of crimes. Just as only some have been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding, only some have been charged with violent offences like assaulting police officers and destroying government property. Others have been charged only with nonviolent crimes, such as illegally entering a restricted building. Cruz told Carlson that at the Senate hearing this week, he was not saying that “the thousands of peaceful protesters supporting Donald Trump are somehow terrorists.” Rather, he contended, he was merely using that term for people who attacked police officers — an explanation that Carlson, who agreed that such people should go to prison but maintained that they were not terrorists either, rejected. On many occasions, Cruz has broadly called the assault on the Capitol an “act of terrorism” without specifically limiting his words to police assailants. In an interview a day after the riot, for example, he described the “terrorist attack” as “a traumatic experience for everyone in the building and everyone across the country,” and he referred to a rioter who “broke into the Senate chamber” and “did damage” as a “terrorist.” Has anyone been charged ‘with terrorism’ over Jan. 6? No. Carlson asked Cruz, “How many people have been charged with terrorism on Jan. 6?” The answer is zero — but that fact is deeply misleading. Congress — despite establishing a legal definition for “domestic terrorism” — has not created any stand-alone federal crime called that. As a result, it is not possible for prosecutors to charge any of the Jan. 6 rioters “with terrorism” regardless of whether they committed terrorist acts. Might some defendants nevertheless face longer sentences for terrorism-related offences? Yes. Dozens of defendants are facing charges that will give prosecutors the opportunity to ask for longer sentences by invoking the context of domestic terrorism. It is not yet clear how harsh prosecutors and judges will be when it comes time to sentence uncooperative defendants who insist on going to trial and then get convicted, rather than striking plea deals. In one statute, for example, Congress deemed about four dozen offences as eligible to count as a “federal crime of terrorism” if the acts were “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct.” Under sentencing guidelines, such a conviction can result in a much longer prison term. The list includes the destruction of government property, a charge that 44 defendants are facing so far, according to the Justice Department’s tally of the Jan. 6 cases. The list also includes a “weapon of mass destruction” charge that may be brought if the FBI finds whoever put pipe bombs outside the Capitol Hill headquarters of both major political parties the night before the riot. In addition, two defendants so far have been charged with making false statements. Under a separate law, prosecutors can ask for a sentence of up to eight years, rather than the normal five, if such lies involve domestic terrorism. Why is the terrorism label subject to dispute? Because nobody likes terrorists. And as a matter of ordinary speech as opposed to legal definitions, drawing the line between “terrorism” and less pejorative terms for politically motivated violence can be notoriously subjective. “Why did you use that word?” Carlson asked Cruz. He accused the senator of playing into a characterization by “the other side” seeking to smear the “entire population” of Trump supporters as “foreign combatants,” likening it to labels like “insurrection” and “coup.” Notably, during the nationwide protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, Carlson called on the Justice Department to charge “every single person caught on camera torching a building, destroying a monument, defacing a church” with terrorism. “Call them what they actually are — domestic terrorists,” he said, adding: “That would be their new government-approved title. Once they’re charged, it’s official. In fact, they are literally, as a factual matter, accused terrorists. And that would change minds right away.”

Was the January 6 attack on the Capitol an act of ‘terrorism’?

The United States mourned the 1st anniversary of the 2021 January 6 Capitol riots on Thursday.&nbsp;

Videos from January 6, 2021, show the violence committed in the former president's name. There are videos showing attackers beating security officers with iron bars and clubs, and a policeman is crushed and howling in pain in a doorway.

A crowd of protesters clad in assault gear call for the vice president Mike Pence to be hanged, while Democratic and Republican legislators flee. During the riot, a woman was also shot in the Capitol hall and killed.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-retaliates-against-bidens-capitol-riot-anniversary-speech-calls-it-political-theatre-442812">Trump retaliates against Biden's Capitol riot anniversary speech, calls it 'political theatre'</a>

America was stunned by the hours-long assault, and so was much of the world that was used to seeing the United States as a model of stable democracy.

However, there was one man who had predicted this "insurrection" weeks in advance. A&nbsp;political analyst from Jerusalem had predicted the riots two weeks before they happened. Extremism analyst, Arieh Kovler had predicted that armed militias would try to storm the Capitol in January.&nbsp;

Kovler had made this prediction on Twitter.&nbsp;

In his tweet, he wrote "On January 6, armed Trumpist militias will be rallying in DC, at Trump's orders. It's highly likely that they'll try to storm the Capitol after it certifies Joe Biden's win. I don't think this has sunk in yet."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On January 6, armed Trumpist militias will be rallying in DC, at Trump's orders. It's highly likely that they'll try to storm the Capitol after it certifies Joe Biden's win. I don't think this has sunk in yet.
— Arieh Kovler (@ariehkovler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ariehkovler/status/1341016471795843080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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WION's correspondent Jodie Cohen&nbsp;had an exclusive conversation with the author of this tweet. We asked Kovler to explain how he foresaw the Capitol insurrection.&nbsp;

According to him, the prediction was based on his observation of events from before December 2020. He said that there was a huge number of Trump supporters, Republicans who thought there was zero chance they could lose.&nbsp;

"Whenever they saw any evidence that Joe Biden was in the lead, a poll...any kind of research they just didn't believe it. They said it was all fake and of course, they were supported in this by Trump, who's telling them the whole country is on their side, and that they're going to win 40 states. As elections came closer and closer they became more sure and so on the day of the election when it became within a day or two pretty clear that Joe Biden had won and had won a decent number of electoral seats, they didn't change that view."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-his-speech-on-the-anniversary-of-capitol-riots-biden-deems-trump-as-a-defeated-former-president-442730" hreflang="en">In his speech on the anniversary of Capitol riots, Biden deems Trump as a 'defeated former President'</a>

Interestingly, Donald Trump echoed the same sentiment, telling his most devoted supporters that he was still going to win, and he would prove it any day now. His followers believed he had a plan and that he would return to the office any day now, proving the election was a fraud.&nbsp;

"And as time went on the last possible day they could carry on believing that was the day Congress would confirm Joe Biden was the winner, January 6th. Then when Trump himself took to Twitter about three weeks before Jan 6 and said come to Washington DC for a big rally, it was pretty clear to me that it's only gonna go one way," explains Kovler.

&nbsp;"All of these people...thousands...tens of thousands..you could see them beginning to organise...carpool...take time off of work...were gonna come to Washington DC, thinking they're gonna see Trump's victory. And when they realised that's not gonna happen, they were gonna be really angry," he concluded.

Watch |&nbsp;Political analysts from Jerusalem had predicted the Capitol riots two weeks before they happened

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During his speech on the "insurrection's" anniversary, President Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump for his "lies" and attempt to discredit the results of the 2020 election, and vowed not to let anyone put a "dagger at the throat of democracy."&nbsp;

In a ceremony commemorating the tragedy, members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, paid tribute to police officers and officials who defended the US Capitol during a deadly attack by supporters of the former president.

The United States mourned the 1st anniversary of the 2021 January 6 Capitol riots on Thursday. Videos from January 6, 2021, show the violence committed in the former president's name.

The United States mourned the 1st anniversary of the 2021 January 6 Capitol riots on Thursday. Videos from January 6, 2021, show the violence committed in the former president's name. There are videos showing attackers beating security officers with iron bars and clubs, and a policeman is crushed and howling in pain in a doorway. A crowd of protesters clad in assault gear call for the vice president Mike Pence to be hanged, while Democratic and Republican legislators flee. During the riot, a woman was also shot in the Capitol hall and killed. Also read | Trump retaliates against Biden's Capitol riot anniversary speech, calls it 'political theatre' America was stunned by the hours-long assault, and so was much of the world that was used to seeing the United States as a model of stable democracy. However, there was one man who had predicted this "insurrection" weeks in advance. A political analyst from Jerusalem had predicted the riots two weeks before they happened. Extremism analyst, Arieh Kovler had predicted that armed militias would try to storm the Capitol in January. Kovler had made this prediction on Twitter. In his tweet, he wrote "On January 6, armed Trumpist militias will be rallying in DC, at Trump's orders. It's highly likely that they'll try to storm the Capitol after it certifies Joe Biden's win. I don't think this has sunk in yet." On January 6, armed Trumpist militias will be rallying in DC, at Trump's orders. It's highly likely that they'll try to storm the Capitol after it certifies Joe Biden's win. I don't think this has sunk in yet. — Arieh Kovler (@ariehkovler) December 21, 2020 × WION's correspondent Jodie Cohen had an exclusive conversation with the author of this tweet. We asked Kovler to explain how he foresaw the Capitol insurrection. According to him, the prediction was based on his observation of events from before December 2020. He said that there was a huge number of Trump supporters, Republicans who thought there was zero chance they could lose. "Whenever they saw any evidence that Joe Biden was in the lead, a poll...any kind of research they just didn't believe it. They said it was all fake and of course, they were supported in this by Trump, who's telling them the whole country is on their side, and that they're going to win 40 states. As elections came closer and closer they became more sure and so on the day of the election when it became within a day or two pretty clear that Joe Biden had won and had won a decent number of electoral seats, they didn't change that view." Also read | In his speech on the anniversary of Capitol riots, Biden deems Trump as a 'defeated former President' Interestingly, Donald Trump echoed the same sentiment, telling his most devoted supporters that he was still going to win, and he would prove it any day now. His followers believed he had a plan and that he would return to the office any day now, proving the election was a fraud. "And as time went on the last possible day they could carry on believing that was the day Congress would confirm Joe Biden was the winner, January 6th. Then when Trump himself took to Twitter about three weeks before Jan 6 and said come to Washington DC for a big rally, it was pretty clear to me that it's only gonna go one way," explains Kovler. "All of these people...thousands...tens of thousands..you could see them beginning to organise...carpool...take time off of work...were gonna come to Washington DC, thinking they're gonna see Trump's victory. And when they realised that's not gonna happen, they were gonna be really angry," he concluded. Watch | Political analysts from Jerusalem had predicted the Capitol riots two weeks before they happened During his speech on the "insurrection's" anniversary, President Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump for his "lies" and attempt to discredit the results of the 2020 election, and vowed not to let anyone put a "dagger at the throat of democracy." In a ceremony commemorating the tragedy, members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, paid tribute to police officers and officials who defended the US Capitol during a deadly attack by supporters of the former president.

Exclusive: Jerusalem extremism analyst who predicted Jan 6 riots talks to WION

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said that the United States President Joe Biden will speak about the truth of what had happened when the US Capitol was attacked last year on January 6.&nbsp;

The US President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will address the nation, marking the first anniversary of the January 6 attack against Congress. The event is scheduled for 9:00am local time.&nbsp;

Last year, on January 6, supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol to block Congress from certifying Biden's presidential election victory.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-progress-with-russia-so-long-as-gun-to-ukraines-head-blinken-442529">No progress with Russia so long as 'gun to Ukraine's head': Blinken</a>

During the White House media briefing, aiming at former President Donald Trump, Psaki said that the President is going to speak the truth, "not the lies" that some have spread since. She said that the lies posed peril to the rule of law and the "system of democratic governance".&nbsp;

So far, Biden has mostly opted to ignore Trump, despite the repeated claims made by some of the Republicans, especially Trump that there were discrepancies in the 2020 elections.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Psaki said that Biden has been "clear-eyed about the threat the former President represents to our democracy". She added that Biden acknowledges how the former President [Donald Trump] "constantly works to undermine basic American values and rule of law".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/george-floyds-4-year-old-niece-shot-in-her-houston-home-442504">George Floyd’s 4-year-old niece shot in her Houston home</a>

On being asked about whether Biden will mention Trump's role in the riot during his address, Psaki said, "I would expect that President Biden will lay out the significance of what happened at the Capitol and the singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage that we saw."

"And he will forcibly push back on the lie spread by the former President in an attempt to mislead the American people and his own supporters, as well as distract from his role in what happened," she added.&nbsp;

She also added that Biden sees January 6 attacks on US Capitol as a "tragic culmination of what those four years under President Trump did to our country". She added that the speech is not finalised yet, but people will know who he is referring to.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Why is Melania Trump auctioning her possessions from White House?

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said that the United States President Joe Biden will speak about the truth of what had happened when the US Capitol was attacked last year on January 6.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said that the United States President Joe Biden will speak about the truth of what had happened when the US Capitol was attacked last year on January 6. The US President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will address the nation, marking the first anniversary of the January 6 attack against Congress. The event is scheduled for 9:00am local time. Last year, on January 6, supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol to block Congress from certifying Biden's presidential election victory. ALSO READ | No progress with Russia so long as 'gun to Ukraine's head': Blinken During the White House media briefing, aiming at former President Donald Trump, Psaki said that the President is going to speak the truth, "not the lies" that some have spread since. She said that the lies posed peril to the rule of law and the "system of democratic governance". So far, Biden has mostly opted to ignore Trump, despite the repeated claims made by some of the Republicans, especially Trump that there were discrepancies in the 2020 elections. Meanwhile, Psaki said that Biden has been "clear-eyed about the threat the former President represents to our democracy". She added that Biden acknowledges how the former President [Donald Trump] "constantly works to undermine basic American values and rule of law". ALSO READ | George Floyd’s 4-year-old niece shot in her Houston home On being asked about whether Biden will mention Trump's role in the riot during his address, Psaki said, "I would expect that President Biden will lay out the significance of what happened at the Capitol and the singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage that we saw." "And he will forcibly push back on the lie spread by the former President in an attempt to mislead the American people and his own supporters, as well as distract from his role in what happened," she added. She also added that Biden sees January 6 attacks on US Capitol as a "tragic culmination of what those four years under President Trump did to our country". She added that the speech is not finalised yet, but people will know who he is referring to. WATCH | Gravitas: Why is Melania Trump auctioning her possessions from White House? ×

Joe Biden to blame Donald Trump for 'singular responsibility' in January 6 'chaos and carnage': White House

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place. The citadel of democracy is almost inaccessible to the public it is supposed to welcome and serve.

The January&nbsp;6, 2021, assault has shaken the foundations of the Capitol, a symbol of American strength and unity, transforming how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another. A dark mood lingers, and the scars will be long in healing.

“I have colleagues, to be honest with you, I can’t stand looking at, and I don’t want to get into an elevator with them when we are going to roll-call votes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., referring to Republicans he considers complicit in the attack a year ago and unapologetic about it today.

The Capitol has been the site of significant violence over the centuries. There was its torching by British troops in 1814, the bloody caning of Sen. Charles Sumner in 1856, a spray of gunfire from the House spectator’s gallery by Puerto Rican nationalists that wounded five representatives in 1954, the murder of two Capitol Police officers standing guard in 1998, and the killing of another at a traffic barricade last April.

But the attack of a year ago was uniquely shattering in that it was a brutal effort by marauding Americans to keep former President Donald Trump in office despite his election loss by interrupting one of the nation’s essential civic functions: the tallying of the electoral votes for president. Lawmakers who were on hand are still struggling to comprehend it.

“That’s the difference,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had argued that Congress should shut down Thursday to spare staff workers the trauma of reliving a horrific day. “The last time the Capitol was breached and taken over was in 1814 by British forces. Here, we had our fellow Americans storming the Capitol.”

The events of last year have turned everyday spaces in the Capitol into testaments to what transpired. Here is a spot where they fought their way into the building; there is a window they broke or a wall they scaled.

A heavily-trafficked marble staircase on the Senate side of the building is no longer just a way to reach the second floor. It is now etched in memory as the stairway where Officer Eugene Goodman, acting alone, diverted a mob away from a set of back stairs, allowing Vice President Mike Pence and senators to escape unharmed to a secure location before the intruders breached the Senate chamber.

Senators cannot help but look at the presiding officer’s desk in their inner sanctum and remember that it was roughly commandeered by Trump supporters — one shirtless and wearing horns on his head — who rifled through the historic desks in a chamber considered sacred by its usual occupants.

“Have you ever had your house broken into or been a victim of a burglary, and when you walked back into the house, it felt differently, it felt violated?” asked Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. “I felt that way for the longest time — and I still do.”

In the House, the speaker’s lobby, a narrow, portrait-lined hallway off the floor where lawmakers could relax and kibitz with reporters, is now the place where the mob tried to break through glass and a hastily erected barricade before one of them, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed.

McGovern, chair of the House Rules Committee, who was presiding over the chamber just moments before, was standing near the entryway as the intruders approached the door, putting them within reach of lawmakers.

“If you want me to describe what hate looks like, I tell you it is what I saw in the eyes of those people smashing the windows to try to get to us,” said McGovern. “I still have a tough time coming to grips with the fact that it happened. All of us have to walk through the speaker’s lobby every day and relive that day.”

For others, the ever-present reminders of the attack are the officers who were charged with repelling it as best they could, sustaining serious injuries as they did so.

“I remember them with their faces cut, and I see and talk to them every day,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who as chair of the Rules Committee was a central figure in the counting of electoral ballots. “It is the faces of the officers that trigger that day for me. It is a constant reminder of what they did and what they are still up against.”

One of the joys of the Capitol before the assault and the ongoing pandemic was its status as a working landmark, a place where nationally recognized political figures hurried through hallways crowded with school groups and awestruck tourists craned their necks to peer up at the dome from the Rotunda.

But continuing health and security concerns have kept the building mostly closed off, even after the National Guard troops summoned to secure the Capitol in the wake of the riot were sent home and the 7-foot-high, razor-wire-topped fence that ominously encircled the complex was removed.

Much of the time, the once-vibrant Capitol seems eerily empty and footsteps echo loudly off the marble floors.

“It is sad,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House majority leader, who has spent countless hours in the Capitol over the last 40 years and said he hoped it could host visitors again at some point. “It is a stark change.”

In the ensuing 12 months, Democrats and Republicans have inhabited almost parallel universes when it comes to the assault.

Democrats, via a special House committee formed after the Senate rejected a bipartisan commission, continue to press for accountability for those who took part and those who instigated it, starting with Trump. Republicans have increasingly sought to play down or even deny the attack, characterizing it as little more than a routine protest.

It appears few Republicans will be on hand to commemorate the anniversary, with many senators scheduled to be at a funeral for a former colleague in Georgia. The only Republican lawmakers who have publicized an event are two far-right members of the House closely allied with Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, who have promised to “expose the truth” about Jan. 6 during a news conference on Capitol Hill.

Republicans say they see partisanship at work, calling the metal detectors outrageous and accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats of trying to win political advantage by demonizing their party. On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the chief objectors to counting the electoral ballots a year ago, said in an op-ed for Fox News that the “day’s true legacy was the left’s attempt to use the Capitol unrest to foster a permanent climate of fear and oppression.”

Other Republicans have tried to deflect responsibility, faulting the Democratic speaker for the inadequate security preparations at the Capitol that allowed the breach to occur, or changing the subject altogether.

“I think we’ve gotten over it,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, said in a recent interview. “We’ve gotten back to normal and are doing the people’s business and having raucous debates over how we see things.”

But to Democrats, there will not be any getting over it until Republicans disavow Trump’s claim that the election was stolen and acknowledge that the Jan. 6 assault was a criminal attempt to overturn legitimate election results.

“When there are people in the Senate who refuse to tell their supporters the truth about Donald Trump’s big lie, I think it has made it harder to work together,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “They certainly know better, and it has created a real risk to democracy.”

But Hoyer still holds out hope.

“Ultimately, I believe democracy really works,” he said. “It doesn’t work overnight, and it doesn’t work perfectly. But ultimately, people get what they want over time.”

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place.

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place. The citadel of democracy is almost inaccessible to the public it is supposed to welcome and serve. The January 6, 2021, assault has shaken the foundations of the Capitol, a symbol of American strength and unity, transforming how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another. A dark mood lingers, and the scars will be long in healing. “I have colleagues, to be honest with you, I can’t stand looking at, and I don’t want to get into an elevator with them when we are going to roll-call votes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., referring to Republicans he considers complicit in the attack a year ago and unapologetic about it today. The Capitol has been the site of significant violence over the centuries. There was its torching by British troops in 1814, the bloody caning of Sen. Charles Sumner in 1856, a spray of gunfire from the House spectator’s gallery by Puerto Rican nationalists that wounded five representatives in 1954, the murder of two Capitol Police officers standing guard in 1998, and the killing of another at a traffic barricade last April. But the attack of a year ago was uniquely shattering in that it was a brutal effort by marauding Americans to keep former President Donald Trump in office despite his election loss by interrupting one of the nation’s essential civic functions: the tallying of the electoral votes for president. Lawmakers who were on hand are still struggling to comprehend it. “That’s the difference,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had argued that Congress should shut down Thursday to spare staff workers the trauma of reliving a horrific day. “The last time the Capitol was breached and taken over was in 1814 by British forces. Here, we had our fellow Americans storming the Capitol.” The events of last year have turned everyday spaces in the Capitol into testaments to what transpired. Here is a spot where they fought their way into the building; there is a window they broke or a wall they scaled. A heavily-trafficked marble staircase on the Senate side of the building is no longer just a way to reach the second floor. It is now etched in memory as the stairway where Officer Eugene Goodman, acting alone, diverted a mob away from a set of back stairs, allowing Vice President Mike Pence and senators to escape unharmed to a secure location before the intruders breached the Senate chamber. Senators cannot help but look at the presiding officer’s desk in their inner sanctum and remember that it was roughly commandeered by Trump supporters — one shirtless and wearing horns on his head — who rifled through the historic desks in a chamber considered sacred by its usual occupants. “Have you ever had your house broken into or been a victim of a burglary, and when you walked back into the house, it felt differently, it felt violated?” asked Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. “I felt that way for the longest time — and I still do.” In the House, the speaker’s lobby, a narrow, portrait-lined hallway off the floor where lawmakers could relax and kibitz with reporters, is now the place where the mob tried to break through glass and a hastily erected barricade before one of them, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed. McGovern, chair of the House Rules Committee, who was presiding over the chamber just moments before, was standing near the entryway as the intruders approached the door, putting them within reach of lawmakers. “If you want me to describe what hate looks like, I tell you it is what I saw in the eyes of those people smashing the windows to try to get to us,” said McGovern. “I still have a tough time coming to grips with the fact that it happened. All of us have to walk through the speaker’s lobby every day and relive that day.” For others, the ever-present reminders of the attack are the officers who were charged with repelling it as best they could, sustaining serious injuries as they did so. “I remember them with their faces cut, and I see and talk to them every day,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who as chair of the Rules Committee was a central figure in the counting of electoral ballots. “It is the faces of the officers that trigger that day for me. It is a constant reminder of what they did and what they are still up against.” One of the joys of the Capitol before the assault and the ongoing pandemic was its status as a working landmark, a place where nationally recognized political figures hurried through hallways crowded with school groups and awestruck tourists craned their necks to peer up at the dome from the Rotunda. But continuing health and security concerns have kept the building mostly closed off, even after the National Guard troops summoned to secure the Capitol in the wake of the riot were sent home and the 7-foot-high, razor-wire-topped fence that ominously encircled the complex was removed. Much of the time, the once-vibrant Capitol seems eerily empty and footsteps echo loudly off the marble floors. “It is sad,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House majority leader, who has spent countless hours in the Capitol over the last 40 years and said he hoped it could host visitors again at some point. “It is a stark change.” In the ensuing 12 months, Democrats and Republicans have inhabited almost parallel universes when it comes to the assault. Democrats, via a special House committee formed after the Senate rejected a bipartisan commission, continue to press for accountability for those who took part and those who instigated it, starting with Trump. Republicans have increasingly sought to play down or even deny the attack, characterizing it as little more than a routine protest. It appears few Republicans will be on hand to commemorate the anniversary, with many senators scheduled to be at a funeral for a former colleague in Georgia. The only Republican lawmakers who have publicized an event are two far-right members of the House closely allied with Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, who have promised to “expose the truth” about Jan. 6 during a news conference on Capitol Hill. Republicans say they see partisanship at work, calling the metal detectors outrageous and accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats of trying to win political advantage by demonizing their party. On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the chief objectors to counting the electoral ballots a year ago, said in an op-ed for Fox News that the “day’s true legacy was the left’s attempt to use the Capitol unrest to foster a permanent climate of fear and oppression.” Other Republicans have tried to deflect responsibility, faulting the Democratic speaker for the inadequate security preparations at the Capitol that allowed the breach to occur, or changing the subject altogether. “I think we’ve gotten over it,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, said in a recent interview. “We’ve gotten back to normal and are doing the people’s business and having raucous debates over how we see things.” But to Democrats, there will not be any getting over it until Republicans disavow Trump’s claim that the election was stolen and acknowledge that the Jan. 6 assault was a criminal attempt to overturn legitimate election results. “When there are people in the Senate who refuse to tell their supporters the truth about Donald Trump’s big lie, I think it has made it harder to work together,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “They certainly know better, and it has created a real risk to democracy.” But Hoyer still holds out hope. “Ultimately, I believe democracy really works,” he said. “It doesn’t work overnight, and it doesn’t work perfectly. But ultimately, people get what they want over time.”

One year later, assault still casts a pall over the Capitol and its occupants

Joe Biden wrapped up 2021 on an optimistic note, with analysts describing it as the "strongest first-year economic track record" of any US president in the last 50 years.

Joe Biden wrapped up 2021 on an optimistic note, with analysts describing it as the "strongest first-year economic track record" of any US president in the last 50 years. But without a doubt, 2021 was one of the most tumultuous years in the political history of the United States. It was most definitely a significant year for the country in more than one way, and mostly negative. In 2021, the US has seen it all: a change of administration in the first month of the year to insurrection, impeachment, infrastructure bill chaos, jeopardised diplomatic ties with some countries, not to forget innumerable crises driven by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. When the US president was busy promoting and pushing the $1.75 trillion 'Build Back Better' plans forward, the world criticised the Biden administration for issues of greater significance. There's is no denying the fact that the BBB plan, which promises lower cost of child care and prescription drugs, support for the purchasing power of households, investing in the transition to clean energy, is crucial for the country. But the world might have missed the underlying powers of the Superpower. The Biden administration faced questions during the botched evacuation process of troops from Afghanistan, experts had varied opinions on the US ties with China and other countries like Russia and France, hate crimes against Asians, gun violence, etc. ALSO READ | The larger dimensions of the Russia–US standoff over Ukraine After coming into power, the Biden administration faced first massive backlash over the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country. At least 123,000 diplomats, foreigners and Afghans were flown out in a chaotic evacuation. The last remaining troops pullout on August 30, marking the dramatic end of the United States' longest war. Then, the US was put on a pedestal when there were calls to boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics scheduled to take place in Beijing. The voices were raised due to China's reported human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. However, in early December, the US announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The decision was followed by Canada, Australia and Britain also. But will it send any message to China? The Games will happen as planned. What does diplomatic boycott even mean? Has it helped in sending a strong message? Amid Ukraine stand-off, the US president warned Russian Vladimir Putin in December that Moscow will face unprecedented economic sanctions, should the tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border launch an attack. But have sanctions helped? Joe Biden's health issues and Vice President Kamala Harris' diminishing popularity are also major concerns for the administration. Issues related to curbing the record-setting levels of illegal immigration as hundreds of thousands entered the country through the southern border with Mexico. Politics within the party as Biden's BBB plans were derailed as the opposition came from members of his own party. Legislation for building up the nation's infrastructure was ended after Dem Sen Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he could not support it. COVID-19, vaccination and the pandemic-related economic issues persist. The virus cases in the country continued to rise with new variants like Delta and Omicron making the situation even worse for the health sector. What's next? The socio-economic and other mentioned issues pose bigger challenges for the Biden administration in 2022 and it will be interesting to see how it will cope with them in the coming days. What's next when the Taliban will ask the US for formal recognition? What will be the step towards US-China relations? How can the US lead the world amid extreme climate events? What should the country do to control inflation? It surged 6.8 per cent in November, the largest annual jump in 39 years. These are just some of the issues in the immediate future of not just US, but also has implications for the whole world. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Joe Biden wraps 2021 with optimism, but what's next for US in 2022 after tumultuous year?

A new review of the US’ Defence Department has revealed that nearly 100 service members actively took part in the Capitol attack that was carried out by Trump supporters on January 6.<o:p></o:p>

In February 2021, the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin had ordered a review of the department’s policies on countering extremism within the ranks. This review was initiated after doubts that some members may have had a role in the horrifying Capitol riot that took place in Washington.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-united-states-on-the-cusp-of-a-civil-war-a-new-book-analyses-political-events-in-the-country-438591">Is United States on the cusp of a civil war? A new book analyses political events in the country</a></o:p>

As per the review, in the past year, nearly 100 active duty or reserve members of the US military took part in extremist activities which are prohibited to a service member, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed.<o:p></o:p>

"The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the Department of Defense serve this country with honor and integrity," Austin said in a statement.<o:p></o:p>

However, he also added that it is only a few members of the institution who have violated these regulations. "They respect the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Austin said. "We believe only a very few violate this oath by participating in extremist activities."

<o:p>Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-here-is-a-look-at-the-important-events-of-2021-437920">In Pics | Here is a look at the important events of 2021</a></o:p>

The authorities have not revealed what kind of activities were the defence personnel involved in, but clarified that ‘domestic terrorism’ or favouring overthrowing the ruling government were examples of prohibited activities for US military service personnel.<o:p></o:p>

Authorities will also start educating and training service members about what constitutes prohibited extremist activity, which acts are not allowed for service members and more. "That includes very specifically, the guidelines for social media, what's permissible and what's not, with respect to extremist prohibited activities," Kirby said.<o:p></o:p>

Oddly, this time, the recommendations and guidelines do not list specific extremist groups.

<o:p>(With inputs from agencies)</o:p>

A new review of the US’ Defence Department has revealed that nearly 100 service members actively took part in the Capitol attack that was carried out by Trump supporters on January 6.

A new review of the US’ Defence Department has revealed that nearly 100 service members actively took part in the Capitol attack that was carried out by Trump supporters on January 6. In February 2021, the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin had ordered a review of the department’s policies on countering extremism within the ranks. This review was initiated after doubts that some members may have had a role in the horrifying Capitol riot that took place in Washington. Also read | Is United States on the cusp of a civil war? A new book analyses political events in the country As per the review, in the past year, nearly 100 active duty or reserve members of the US military took part in extremist activities which are prohibited to a service member, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed. "The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the Department of Defense serve this country with honor and integrity," Austin said in a statement. However, he also added that it is only a few members of the institution who have violated these regulations. "They respect the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Austin said. "We believe only a very few violate this oath by participating in extremist activities." Have a look | In Pics | Here is a look at the important events of 2021 The authorities have not revealed what kind of activities were the defence personnel involved in, but clarified that ‘domestic terrorism’ or favouring overthrowing the ruling government were examples of prohibited activities for US military service personnel. Authorities will also start educating and training service members about what constitutes prohibited extremist activity, which acts are not allowed for service members and more. "That includes very specifically, the guidelines for social media, what's permissible and what's not, with respect to extremist prohibited activities," Kirby said. Oddly, this time, the recommendations and guidelines do not list specific extremist groups. (With inputs from agencies)

Nearly 100 people in US military took part in extremist activity, Pentagon reveals

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy. Thus did we see US President Joe Biden holding a “Summit for Democracy” on December 9-10 to which 110 countries were invited. &nbsp;

He had promised to hold such a summit in the course of his election campaign. The summit’s stated purpose was "to renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad". Doubtless, democracy is shrinking not only in the number of countries sliding towards authoritarian modes of government but also within countries, and the focus of the summit is as important as it is topical for our times.&nbsp;

For that very reason it was surprising to see countries with dubious democratic credentials being invited while deserving democracies were kept out. Clearly, the selection of countries appears to have been dictated by military, strategic and bloc considerations which determine Washington’s foreign policy and security interests. While the merits of Pakistan being invited have been debated, the exclusion of&nbsp;Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka is surprising. More damning is the revelation, by Pakistan, that it stayed away because of being slotted for partial participation. So, there were participants, non-participants and a third category of “partial participants”.

Just as the US created categories of “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”, which translates as those Washington can do business with and those it cannot, there is now emerging a scenario of “good democracies” and “bad democracies”. Needless to say, countries that stand with the US to subserve its military, strategic, geopolitical, diplomatic, economic and business interests would be deemed “good”.Those not prone to do Washington’s bidding or heed its counsel would be condemned as “bad”. Such a conclusion is inevitable given the State Department’s arbitrary choice of participants with no light cast on the criteria applied for excluding countries that are obviously democracies.

As suspect as the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of countries is the US setting itself up as the sole judge of what constitutes democracy. There cannot be one single authority for defining democracy given the many forms it has assumed in practice across the world. This is a value-based judgment and no one country, not even the US, can claim to be the sole repository of all the values that define a democracy. The violent “insurrection” in the US capital which preceded President Biden’s oath-taking showed the world that the foundations of US democracy are vulnerable to the menacing depredations of the very people elected, including to the highest office, under the admirable provisions of the American constitution.

No less disturbing than the questionable selection of participants is that it is the US that has retreated, as the world saw, from backing the forces of democracy in Afghanistan; and, remained a spectator to the army’s atrocities in Myanmar.

There is no denying that US democracy is by far the best the world has. For all its deformities, democracy within the US is envied worldwide by people who are deprived of rights and freedoms as well as those reeling under deficient or authoritarian forms of democracy. Equally undeniable is that US prestige not only as the world’s biggest military power but also as the world’s greatest democracy has taken a severe hit in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, the pullout from Afghanistan, the general indifference to autocracies and the country’s decline as a force for good.

Amidst this cheerless situation, the credentials of the US and western democracies are further sullied by the endless persecution of Julian Assange. His extradition to the US, now cleared by a UK court, is a setback to the cause of press freedom and makes a mockery of the protection the press enjoys under the First Amendment. Assange’s extradition being allowed happened around the time of the “Summit for Democracy”. For all his emphasis on freedom and the importance of a free press, Biden has no qualms about persisting in the footsteps of his predecessor Donald Trump when it comes to hounding Assange.&nbsp;

Democracy, as is all too evident, has neither a conscience nor a keeper.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy.

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy. Thus did we see US President Joe Biden holding a “Summit for Democracy” on December 9-10 to which 110 countries were invited. He had promised to hold such a summit in the course of his election campaign. The summit’s stated purpose was "to renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad". Doubtless, democracy is shrinking not only in the number of countries sliding towards authoritarian modes of government but also within countries, and the focus of the summit is as important as it is topical for our times. For that very reason it was surprising to see countries with dubious democratic credentials being invited while deserving democracies were kept out. Clearly, the selection of countries appears to have been dictated by military, strategic and bloc considerations which determine Washington’s foreign policy and security interests. While the merits of Pakistan being invited have been debated, the exclusion of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka is surprising. More damning is the revelation, by Pakistan, that it stayed away because of being slotted for partial participation. So, there were participants, non-participants and a third category of “partial participants”. Just as the US created categories of “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”, which translates as those Washington can do business with and those it cannot, there is now emerging a scenario of “good democracies” and “bad democracies”. Needless to say, countries that stand with the US to subserve its military, strategic, geopolitical, diplomatic, economic and business interests would be deemed “good”.Those not prone to do Washington’s bidding or heed its counsel would be condemned as “bad”. Such a conclusion is inevitable given the State Department’s arbitrary choice of participants with no light cast on the criteria applied for excluding countries that are obviously democracies. As suspect as the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of countries is the US setting itself up as the sole judge of what constitutes democracy. There cannot be one single authority for defining democracy given the many forms it has assumed in practice across the world. This is a value-based judgment and no one country, not even the US, can claim to be the sole repository of all the values that define a democracy. The violent “insurrection” in the US capital which preceded President Biden’s oath-taking showed the world that the foundations of US democracy are vulnerable to the menacing depredations of the very people elected, including to the highest office, under the admirable provisions of the American constitution. No less disturbing than the questionable selection of participants is that it is the US that has retreated, as the world saw, from backing the forces of democracy in Afghanistan; and, remained a spectator to the army’s atrocities in Myanmar. There is no denying that US democracy is by far the best the world has. For all its deformities, democracy within the US is envied worldwide by people who are deprived of rights and freedoms as well as those reeling under deficient or authoritarian forms of democracy. Equally undeniable is that US prestige not only as the world’s biggest military power but also as the world’s greatest democracy has taken a severe hit in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, the pullout from Afghanistan, the general indifference to autocracies and the country’s decline as a force for good. Amidst this cheerless situation, the credentials of the US and western democracies are further sullied by the endless persecution of Julian Assange. His extradition to the US, now cleared by a UK court, is a setback to the cause of press freedom and makes a mockery of the protection the press enjoys under the First Amendment. Assange’s extradition being allowed happened around the time of the “Summit for Democracy”. For all his emphasis on freedom and the importance of a free press, Biden has no qualms about persisting in the footsteps of his predecessor Donald Trump when it comes to hounding Assange. Democracy, as is all too evident, has neither a conscience nor a keeper. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

On The Margin | High and low of democracy summit

The House select committee that is conducting an investigation about the Capitol attack has voted to recommend criminal prosecution for former US president Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows.<o:p></o:p>

This decision has been taken as Meadows denied cooperating and testifying in the January 06 investigation. The group decided to put the matter to vote before bringing this issue forward in front of the full House of Representatives, which may approve the citation by Tuesday.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-would-have-won-if-us-election-were-held-today-poll-434920">Donald Trump would have won if US election were held today: Poll</a></o:p>

Meadows had earlier handed over his records to the investigators. However, soon after he stopped answering any questions related to the investigation, which made it a case of noncompliance and uncooperative behaviour.<o:p></o:p>

“It comes down to this,” Bennie Thompson, the chair of the select committee, said in an opening statement. “Mr Meadows started by doing the right thing: cooperating. He handed over records that he didn’t try to shield behind some excuse. But in an investigation like ours, that’s just a first step.<o:p></o:p>

“When the records raise questions – as these most certainly do – you have to come in and answer those questions. And when it was time for him to follow the law, come in, and testify on those questions, he changed his mind and told us to pound sand. He didn’t even show up.”

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-blasts-disloyal-and-ungrateful-netanyahu-for-congratulating-biden-after-presidential-polls-436098">Trumps blasts ‘disloyal and ungrateful’ Netanyahu for congratulating Biden after presidential polls</a></o:p>

His noncompliant behaviour has forced the committee to take this action against him. Although Meadows started by providing records on his own, he quickly started going in an uncooperative zone after that, which made it difficult for the committee to continue the investigation.<o:p></o:p>

Among the over 9,000 documents handed over by Meadows, authorities found a powerpoint presentation titled “Election Fraud, Foreign Interference and Options for 6 JAN”. As per this, Trump was supposed to declare a national security emergency which would have, according to him, brought him back to the White House.<o:p></o:p>

Several text messages such as Trump’s son saying “we need an Oval Office address” to stop the Capitol attack, to lawmakers saying “Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states. I’m sorry nothing worked.”<o:p></o:p>

However, now, Meadows has decided to not answer any questions as he heard that the committee had subpoenaed his personal phone records.<o:p></o:p>

“Mr Meadows has shown his willingness to talk about issues related to the select committee’s investigation across a variety of media platforms – anywhere, it seems, except to the select committee,” the panel said in the contempt report.<o:p></o:p>

The House select committee that is conducting an investigation about the Capitol attack has voted to recommend criminal prosecution for former US president Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows.

The House select committee that is conducting an investigation about the Capitol attack has voted to recommend criminal prosecution for former US president Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows. This decision has been taken as Meadows denied cooperating and testifying in the January 06 investigation. The group decided to put the matter to vote before bringing this issue forward in front of the full House of Representatives, which may approve the citation by Tuesday. Also read | Donald Trump would have won if US election were held today: Poll Meadows had earlier handed over his records to the investigators. However, soon after he stopped answering any questions related to the investigation, which made it a case of noncompliance and uncooperative behaviour. “It comes down to this,” Bennie Thompson, the chair of the select committee, said in an opening statement. “Mr Meadows started by doing the right thing: cooperating. He handed over records that he didn’t try to shield behind some excuse. But in an investigation like ours, that’s just a first step. “When the records raise questions – as these most certainly do – you have to come in and answer those questions. And when it was time for him to follow the law, come in, and testify on those questions, he changed his mind and told us to pound sand. He didn’t even show up.” Also read | Trumps blasts ‘disloyal and ungrateful’ Netanyahu for congratulating Biden after presidential polls His noncompliant behaviour has forced the committee to take this action against him. Although Meadows started by providing records on his own, he quickly started going in an uncooperative zone after that, which made it difficult for the committee to continue the investigation. Among the over 9,000 documents handed over by Meadows, authorities found a powerpoint presentation titled “Election Fraud, Foreign Interference and Options for 6 JAN”. As per this, Trump was supposed to declare a national security emergency which would have, according to him, brought him back to the White House. Several text messages such as Trump’s son saying “we need an Oval Office address” to stop the Capitol attack, to lawmakers saying “Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states. I’m sorry nothing worked.” However, now, Meadows has decided to not answer any questions as he heard that the committee had subpoenaed his personal phone records. “Mr Meadows has shown his willingness to talk about issues related to the select committee’s investigation across a variety of media platforms – anywhere, it seems, except to the select committee,” the panel said in the contempt report.

Trump's former aide, Mark Meadows, recommended for criminal prosecution by Jan 6 committee

A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the U.S. Capitol rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman" for his horned headdress to 41 months in prison for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack by followers of then-President Donald Trump.

Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth to impose a longer 51-month sentence on Jacob Chansley, who pleaded guilty in September to obstructing an official proceeding when he and thousands of others stormed the building to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election.

The sentence matches one Lamberth imposed on a former mixed martial artist filmed punching a police officer during violence, who was sentenced&nbsp;last week&nbsp;to 41 months in prison. The two are the stiffest sentences handed down in any of the roughly 675 riot prosecutions.

Lamberth said he believed Chansley, 34, had done a lot to convince the court he is "on the right track."

Chansley's attorney asked the judge for a sentence of time served for his client, who has been detained since his January arrest. Chansley appeared in court in a dark green prison jumpsuit, with a beard and shaved head.

"The hardest part of this is that I know I am to blame," Chansley said in a lengthy statement before he was sentenced, describing a difficult childhood and saying he had taken responsibility for his behavior.

"I thought I was going to get 20 years solitary confinement," he said, adding: "This trauma has done something to me ... I have the white hairs to prove it ... on my chest ... on my arms... I should not have white hairs your honor."

While in detention, Chansley was diagnosed by prison officials with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. When he entered his guilty plea, Chansley said he was disappointed Trump had not pardoned him.

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot for a fiery speech that preceded it in which he told his followers to "fight like hell."

Four people died in the violence. A Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the day after the riot and four police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol later took their own lives. About 140 police officers were injured.

Most of the guilty pleas in Jan. 6 prosecutions so far have been in cases involving non-violent misdemeanors, but government lawyers are seeking prison sentences for some defendants facing more serious felony charges.

A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the U.S. Capitol rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman" for his horned headdress to 41 months in prison for his role in the deadly Jan.

A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the U.S. Capitol rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman" for his horned headdress to 41 months in prison for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack by followers of then-President Donald Trump. Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth to impose a longer 51-month sentence on Jacob Chansley, who pleaded guilty in September to obstructing an official proceeding when he and thousands of others stormed the building to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election. The sentence matches one Lamberth imposed on a former mixed martial artist filmed punching a police officer during violence, who was sentenced last week to 41 months in prison. The two are the stiffest sentences handed down in any of the roughly 675 riot prosecutions. Lamberth said he believed Chansley, 34, had done a lot to convince the court he is "on the right track." Chansley's attorney asked the judge for a sentence of time served for his client, who has been detained since his January arrest. Chansley appeared in court in a dark green prison jumpsuit, with a beard and shaved head. "The hardest part of this is that I know I am to blame," Chansley said in a lengthy statement before he was sentenced, describing a difficult childhood and saying he had taken responsibility for his behavior. "I thought I was going to get 20 years solitary confinement," he said, adding: "This trauma has done something to me ... I have the white hairs to prove it ... on my chest ... on my arms... I should not have white hairs your honor." While in detention, Chansley was diagnosed by prison officials with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. When he entered his guilty plea, Chansley said he was disappointed Trump had not pardoned him. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot for a fiery speech that preceded it in which he told his followers to "fight like hell." Four people died in the violence. A Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the day after the riot and four police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol later took their own lives. About 140 police officers were injured. Most of the guilty pleas in Jan. 6 prosecutions so far have been in cases involving non-violent misdemeanors, but government lawyers are seeking prison sentences for some defendants facing more serious felony charges.

Judge sentences US Capitol rioter 'QAnon Shaman' to over three years in prison

Legislators investigating the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6 have now slapped subpoenas on top Donald Trump aides charged with plotting to overturn the defeat in a 'war room' at a luxury Washington hotel.&nbsp;

One of the advisors summoned is lawyer John Eastman. His role in the talks at the Willard InterContinental during the storming of Congress to stop certification of Democratic Candidate Joe Biden's election victory has been questioned

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-sues-us-committee-investigating-jan-6-capitol-hill-riots-to-block-release-of-white-house-records-421934">Trump sues US committee investigating Jan 6 Capitol Hill riots to block release of White House records</a>

Eastman is alleged to have written a memo advising Trump that his vice president Mike Pence has the authority to reject the election results in certain states and thereby deny Biden's victory.

On January 2, he also reportedly spoke to around 300 state lawmakers about fixing "this egregious conduct" and ensuring that "we're not putting in the White House some guy that didn't get elected."

"Your documents and testimony are directly relevant to the select committee's investigation, as you appear to have been instrumental in advising President Trump that Vice President Pence could determine which electors were recognized on January 6, a view that many of those who attacked the Capitol apparently also shared," the committee told Eastman in its subpoena.&nbsp;

Also read&nbsp;|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melania-trump-refused-to-condemn-capitol-hill-attack-despite-a-chance-413024">&nbsp;Melania Trump refused to condemn Capitol Hill attack despite a chance</a>

During the days leading up to the attack, Eastman is reported to have attended a January 5 "war room" meeting at the Willard and spoken at a rally near the White House.&nbsp;

He reportedly emailed Pence's lawyer during the siege, saying that it had taken place "because YOU and your boss did not do what was necessary to allow this to be aired in a public way."

The other subpoenas target mostly Trump's reelection campaign staff, officials or aides.&nbsp;

They include former NYPD chief Bernard Kerik and former campaign advisor Jason Miller, who were both reportedly present at the "war room" on January 5.

Watch |&nbsp;Capitol riots: US panel holds Steve Bannon in contempt

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/capitol-riots-us-panel-holds-steve-bannon-in-contempt-422280/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the panel, these individuals promoted his false claim that the presidential election was rigged.&nbsp;

Re-election campaign manager William Stepien and executive assistant Angela McCallum were also summoned along with disgraced former national security advisor Mike Flynn.

"The select committee needs to know every detail about their efforts to overturn the election, including who they were talking to in the White House and in Congress, what connections they had with rallies that escalated into a riot, and who paid for it all," panel chairman Bennie Thompson said in a statement.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-riot-us-committee-votes-to-hold-criminal-contempt-charge-against-trumps-ex-aide-steve-bannon-422167">Capitol riot: US committee votes to hold criminal contempt charge against Trump’s ex-aide Steve Bannon</a>

This is the first time the committee has issued subpoenas since it asked the Justice Department to file criminal contempt charges against Trump ally Steve Bannon after he defied a congressional order to appear.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Legislators investigating the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6 have now slapped subpoenas on top Donald Trump aides charged with plotting to overturn the defeat in a 'war room' at a luxury Washington hotel.

Legislators investigating the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6 have now slapped subpoenas on top Donald Trump aides charged with plotting to overturn the defeat in a 'war room' at a luxury Washington hotel. One of the advisors summoned is lawyer John Eastman. His role in the talks at the Willard InterContinental during the storming of Congress to stop certification of Democratic Candidate Joe Biden's election victory has been questioned Also read | Trump sues US committee investigating Jan 6 Capitol Hill riots to block release of White House records Eastman is alleged to have written a memo advising Trump that his vice president Mike Pence has the authority to reject the election results in certain states and thereby deny Biden's victory. On January 2, he also reportedly spoke to around 300 state lawmakers about fixing "this egregious conduct" and ensuring that "we're not putting in the White House some guy that didn't get elected." "Your documents and testimony are directly relevant to the select committee's investigation, as you appear to have been instrumental in advising President Trump that Vice President Pence could determine which electors were recognized on January 6, a view that many of those who attacked the Capitol apparently also shared," the committee told Eastman in its subpoena. Also read | Melania Trump refused to condemn Capitol Hill attack despite a chance During the days leading up to the attack, Eastman is reported to have attended a January 5 "war room" meeting at the Willard and spoken at a rally near the White House. He reportedly emailed Pence's lawyer during the siege, saying that it had taken place "because YOU and your boss did not do what was necessary to allow this to be aired in a public way." The other subpoenas target mostly Trump's reelection campaign staff, officials or aides. They include former NYPD chief Bernard Kerik and former campaign advisor Jason Miller, who were both reportedly present at the "war room" on January 5. Watch | Capitol riots: US panel holds Steve Bannon in contempt According to the panel, these individuals promoted his false claim that the presidential election was rigged. Re-election campaign manager William Stepien and executive assistant Angela McCallum were also summoned along with disgraced former national security advisor Mike Flynn. "The select committee needs to know every detail about their efforts to overturn the election, including who they were talking to in the White House and in Congress, what connections they had with rallies that escalated into a riot, and who paid for it all," panel chairman Bennie Thompson said in a statement. Also read | Capitol riot: US committee votes to hold criminal contempt charge against Trump’s ex-aide Steve Bannon This is the first time the committee has issued subpoenas since it asked the Justice Department to file criminal contempt charges against Trump ally Steve Bannon after he defied a congressional order to appear. (With inputs from agencies)

Capitol Hill violence: Investigation committee issues subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants

At least five former What House staffers of the Trump administration have spoken with the US Congress committee that is investigating the January 6 riot on the Capital, according to a report by the CNN.

The report claims that all five people spoke voluntarily after lawyers working with the select House committee reached out to them through email or text.&nbsp;

The committee has reportedly contacted a number of former staffers, ranging from those on the junior level to individuals who were more senior.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-riot-us-house-votes-to-hold-trumps-former-advisor-steve-bannon-in-criminal-contempt-422816">Capitol riot: US House votes to hold Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt</a>

While several people voluntarily spoke with the committee, others have declined the committee's request or not responded at all.

“I've got good reason to believe a number of them are horrified and scandalized by what took place on January 6 and they want to do their legal duty and their civic duty by coming forward to explain exactly what happened," Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the committee, told CNN.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-claim-of-executive-privilege-in-the-jan-6-inquiry-explained-422321">&nbsp;Trump’s claim of executive privilege in the Jan. 6. inquiry, explained</a>

According to five former Trump aides, counsel for the committee has emailed or texted them directly to ask whether they are interested in coming in to talk to the congressional investigators, often looking for context on what happened inside the West Wing before the insurrection on January 6.

The latest development comes as former President Donald Trump has sued the National Archives, the custodian of his administration's White House records, to prevent from giving documents to Congress that he believes are privileged.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least five former What House staffers of the Trump administration have spoken with the US Congress committee that is investigating the January 6 riot on the Capital, according to a report by the CNN.

At least five former What House staffers of the Trump administration have spoken with the US Congress committee that is investigating the January 6 riot on the Capital, according to a report by the CNN. The report claims that all five people spoke voluntarily after lawyers working with the select House committee reached out to them through email or text. The committee has reportedly contacted a number of former staffers, ranging from those on the junior level to individuals who were more senior. Also read | Capitol riot: US House votes to hold Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt While several people voluntarily spoke with the committee, others have declined the committee's request or not responded at all. “I've got good reason to believe a number of them are horrified and scandalized by what took place on January 6 and they want to do their legal duty and their civic duty by coming forward to explain exactly what happened," Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the committee, told CNN. Also read | Trump’s claim of executive privilege in the Jan. 6. inquiry, explained According to five former Trump aides, counsel for the committee has emailed or texted them directly to ask whether they are interested in coming in to talk to the congressional investigators, often looking for context on what happened inside the West Wing before the insurrection on January 6. The latest development comes as former President Donald Trump has sued the National Archives, the custodian of his administration's White House records, to prevent from giving documents to Congress that he believes are privileged. (With inputs from agencies)

At least five former Trump administration staffers talking to Capitol riot probe committee

The US House of Representatives has voted to hold former president Donald Trump’s advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a probe into the January 6 insurrection on the United States Capitol.

According to CNN, the vote, which took place on Thursday, was split at 229-202, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to recommend the charges against Bannon, who served as chief strategist for the former president.

US Attorney-General Merrick Garland will make the final decision on whether to prosecute.

“The Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances, we'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision, consistent with the principles of prosecution,” CNN quoted Garland as saying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-sues-us-committee-investigating-jan-6-capitol-hill-riots-to-block-release-of-white-house-records-421934">Trump sues US committee investigating Jan 6 Capitol Hill riots to block release of White House records</a>

Bannon had refused to comply with subpoenas from the Jan 6 Select Committee seeking documents and his testimony, citing Trump’s assertions that he is protected by the legal doctrine of executive privilege.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-riot-us-committee-votes-to-hold-criminal-contempt-charge-against-trumps-ex-aide-steve-bannon-422167">Capitol riot: US committee votes to hold criminal contempt charge against Trump’s ex-aide Steve Bannon</a>

According to experts, the action marks a significant escalation in how far Democrats are willing to go to rebuke individuals who refuse to cooperate as the House select committee investigates the violent attack that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election

“What sort of precedent would it set for the House of Representatives if we allow a witness to ignore us flat out without facing any consequences?” Democrat Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Select Committee, said in debate before the vote.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/capitol-riots-us-panel-holds-steve-bannon-in-contempt-422280/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The select committee voted unanimously on Tuesday in favour of the charges.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2024-poll-shows-80-republicans-want-donald-trump-to-run-422257">US election 2024: Poll shows 80% Republicans want Donald Trump to run</a>

The Democratic-led panel hopes the threat of jail time - contempt of Congress carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a US $100,000&nbsp;fine - will encourage cooperation from the 18 other Trump aides and rally organisers who also have been subpoenaed.

Most of Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress opposed creating either an independent commission or a select committee to investigate the events surrounding Jan 6.

Only two Republicans - Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - are on the nine-member select committee.

On January 6, thousands of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol after he reportedly urged them in a fiery speech to protest his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden in a November 2020 election that Trump falsely claims was stolen.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US House of Representatives has voted to hold former president Donald Trump’s advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a probe into the January 6 insurrection on the United States Capitol.

The US House of Representatives has voted to hold former president Donald Trump’s advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a probe into the January 6 insurrection on the United States Capitol. According to CNN, the vote, which took place on Thursday, was split at 229-202, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to recommend the charges against Bannon, who served as chief strategist for the former president. US Attorney-General Merrick Garland will make the final decision on whether to prosecute. “The Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances, we'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision, consistent with the principles of prosecution,” CNN quoted Garland as saying. Also read | Trump sues US committee investigating Jan 6 Capitol Hill riots to block release of White House records Bannon had refused to comply with subpoenas from the Jan 6 Select Committee seeking documents and his testimony, citing Trump’s assertions that he is protected by the legal doctrine of executive privilege. Also read | Capitol riot: US committee votes to hold criminal contempt charge against Trump’s ex-aide Steve Bannon According to experts, the action marks a significant escalation in how far Democrats are willing to go to rebuke individuals who refuse to cooperate as the House select committee investigates the violent attack that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election “What sort of precedent would it set for the House of Representatives if we allow a witness to ignore us flat out without facing any consequences?” Democrat Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Select Committee, said in debate before the vote. Watch The select committee voted unanimously on Tuesday in favour of the charges. Also read | US election 2024: Poll shows 80% Republicans want Donald Trump to run The Democratic-led panel hopes the threat of jail time - contempt of Congress carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a US $100,000 fine - will encourage cooperation from the 18 other Trump aides and rally organisers who also have been subpoenaed. Most of Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress opposed creating either an independent commission or a select committee to investigate the events surrounding Jan 6. Only two Republicans - Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - are on the nine-member select committee. On January 6, thousands of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol after he reportedly urged them in a fiery speech to protest his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden in a November 2020 election that Trump falsely claims was stolen. (With inputs from agencies)

Capitol riot: US House votes to hold Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon in criminal contempt

As Washington gears for a right-right rally, the House speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, has compared the January 06 Capitol riot to the heinous 9/11 terrorism attack.<o:p></o:p>

Pro-Trump supporters are readying to march outside the Capitol building to raise their voices in support of people who had attacked the high-security area on January 06. The far-right demonstrators will be taking to the streets to protest the arrest of the people who destroyed the Capitol building and the idea of democracy in the US in January 2021.<o:p></o:p>

To avoid repetition of the deadly attack, this time the US Capitol Police are better prepared to handle any form in violent or non-violent attacks.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fire-breaks-out-in-building-near-capitol-building-before-far-right-rally-413580">Fire breaks out in building near Capitol building before far-right rally</a></o:p>

This time the Capitol Police has installed new security fencing all around the Capitol building to keep protestors away from the high-security area.&nbsp;In addition to this, new and improved surveillance cameras have also been set up in the area to keep an eye on every little detail during and around the protest.<o:p></o:p>

"What we're concerned about, I think more than anything, is the possibility of counter-demonstrators making it to this demonstration and there being violence between those two groups," Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters.<o:p></o:p>

Termed as 'Justice for J6', this rally is being organised by a non-profit organisation, Look Ahead America. The organisation is controlled by a former analyst of the Republican Party, Matt Braynard.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Pelosi, a strong Trump critic, has likened the January 06 riot to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kabul-airstrike-us-military-admits-it-killed-10-civilians-and-targeted-wrong-vehicle-413911">WATCH |</a></o:p>

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Pelosi justified her statement by saying that while the 9/11 terrorism attack on the World Trade Center was an attack on US from outside, the January 06 attack (promoted by Donald Trump) was an assault on the US democracy from within the country.<o:p></o:p>

It "was an assault on Congress, constitution and our democracy. How we deal with it is really the measure of the strength of our democracy,"&nbsp;Pelosi said.<o:p></o:p>

She also urged Republicans to mend their ways and request their followers to stop violent attacks on the country. <o:p></o:p>

"I would say to my Republican friends – and I do have some – take back your party, the Republican party. The Grand Old Party has made tremendous contributions to our country founded by Lincoln. Don’t let your party be hijacked by a cult – essentially, that is what is happening," Pelosi said. "This is not conservative. This is radical rightwing, off the spectrum, anti-governance and if you are anti-governance it is very difficult to govern."<o:p></o:p>

As Washington gears for a right-right rally, the House speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, has compared the January 06 Capitol riot to the heinous 9/11 terrorism attack.

As Washington gears for a right-right rally, the House speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, has compared the January 06 Capitol riot to the heinous 9/11 terrorism attack. Pro-Trump supporters are readying to march outside the Capitol building to raise their voices in support of people who had attacked the high-security area on January 06. The far-right demonstrators will be taking to the streets to protest the arrest of the people who destroyed the Capitol building and the idea of democracy in the US in January 2021. To avoid repetition of the deadly attack, this time the US Capitol Police are better prepared to handle any form in violent or non-violent attacks. Also read | Fire breaks out in building near Capitol building before far-right rally This time the Capitol Police has installed new security fencing all around the Capitol building to keep protestors away from the high-security area. In addition to this, new and improved surveillance cameras have also been set up in the area to keep an eye on every little detail during and around the protest. "What we're concerned about, I think more than anything, is the possibility of counter-demonstrators making it to this demonstration and there being violence between those two groups," Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters. Termed as 'Justice for J6', this rally is being organised by a non-profit organisation, Look Ahead America. The organisation is controlled by a former analyst of the Republican Party, Matt Braynard. Meanwhile, Pelosi, a strong Trump critic, has likened the January 06 riot to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. WATCH | Pelosi justified her statement by saying that while the 9/11 terrorism attack on the World Trade Center was an attack on US from outside, the January 06 attack (promoted by Donald Trump) was an assault on the US democracy from within the country. It "was an assault on Congress, constitution and our democracy. How we deal with it is really the measure of the strength of our democracy," Pelosi said. She also urged Republicans to mend their ways and request their followers to stop violent attacks on the country. "I would say to my Republican friends – and I do have some – take back your party, the Republican party. The Grand Old Party has made tremendous contributions to our country founded by Lincoln. Don’t let your party be hijacked by a cult – essentially, that is what is happening," Pelosi said. "This is not conservative. This is radical rightwing, off the spectrum, anti-governance and if you are anti-governance it is very difficult to govern."

Nancy Pelosi compares Capitol riot to 9/11 attack; US police ready for 'Justice for J6' rally

As the Capitol Police geared up for their biggest test since the January 06 attack, smoke was seen rising out of a building near the Capitol building in Washington DC.<o:p></o:p>

A far-right rally named "Justice For J6" is scheduled to take place in Washington DC on September 16 in which hundreds of people will take to the roads to show solidarity with the people who were arrested for participating in the January 06 riot.

<o:p></o:p>

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Update Working Fire 7th &amp; D Sts SW. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCsBravest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCsBravest</a> have made access to roof. Fire appears confined to roof and roofing materials on a building under construction. <a href="https://t.co/dHNxfgPRBc">pic.twitter.com/dHNxfgPRBc</a>
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcfireems/status/1438515226018672641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Learning from the previous massacre-like situation, the Capitol Police re-installed security fencing all around the Capitol to keep protestors away from the high-security area. New and improved surveillance cameras were also set up in the area to closely monitor the protestors.<o:p></o:p>

While the initial reports suggested that smoke was seen rising from the Capitol building, DC Fire and EMS tweeted that fire had broken out in a building on 7th &amp; D Sts SW.

As per the emergency services, the fire broke out&nbsp;on the roof of a hi-rise building which is under construction. The fire is reportedly contained to the "roof and roofing materials on a building under construction". For now, 20 units and 100 personnel have been deployed to contain the fire.

No injuries have been reported yet.

The fire comes a few days after the 10th anniversary of 9/11 attack and a few hours before the pro-right rally in the same area.

As the Capitol Police geared up for their biggest test since the January 06 attack, smoke was seen rising out of a building near the Capitol building in Washington DC.

As the Capitol Police geared up for their biggest test since the January 06 attack, smoke was seen rising out of a building near the Capitol building in Washington DC. A far-right rally named "Justice For J6" is scheduled to take place in Washington DC on September 16 in which hundreds of people will take to the roads to show solidarity with the people who were arrested for participating in the January 06 riot. Update Working Fire 7th & D Sts SW. #DCsBravest have made access to roof. Fire appears confined to roof and roofing materials on a building under construction. pic.twitter.com/dHNxfgPRBc — DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 16, 2021 × Learning from the previous massacre-like situation, the Capitol Police re-installed security fencing all around the Capitol to keep protestors away from the high-security area. New and improved surveillance cameras were also set up in the area to closely monitor the protestors. While the initial reports suggested that smoke was seen rising from the Capitol building, DC Fire and EMS tweeted that fire had broken out in a building on 7th & D Sts SW. As per the emergency services, the fire broke out on the roof of a hi-rise building which is under construction. The fire is reportedly contained to the "roof and roofing materials on a building under construction". For now, 20 units and 100 personnel have been deployed to contain the fire. No injuries have been reported yet. The fire comes a few days after the 10th anniversary of 9/11 attack and a few hours before the pro-right rally in the same area.

Fire breaks out in building near Capitol building before far-right rally

Seven US Capitol Police officers have filed lawsuits against their former President Donald Trump. The officers were assaulted during the January 6 Capitol riots.

Seven Capitol Police officers sue Donald Trump over riots

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out&nbsp;coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots.

An inquiry was opened on Tuesday to investigate the attack of Trump supporters at the Capitol police and Capitol building on January 06.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-capitol-riots-man-from-florida-sentenced-to-8-months-in-prison-in-first-felony-sentence-399140" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-capitol-riots-man-from-florida-sentenced-to-8-months-in-prison-in-first-felony-sentence-399140&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjs7IiBwIPyAhWUwTgGHcLvDT0QFjACegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jr2GccyTkQImgF-lbARz-" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-capitol-riots-man-from-florida-sentenced-to-8-months-in-prison-in-first-felony-sentence-399140" target="_blank">US&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;Riots: Man from Florida sentenced to 8 months in prison</a>

Armed with video and picture evidence, Thompson claimed the Capitol riot was the most violent attack since the British assailed the US legislature in 1814.

"A violent mob was pointed toward the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;and told to win a trial by combat. Some descended on this city with clear plans to disrupt our democracy,"&nbsp;Thompson said. "We know there is evidence of a coordinated planned attack. We know that the men and women who stormed the Capitol wanted to derail the peaceful transfer of power in this country."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/directionless-and-poor-management-senate-report-highlights-faulty-leadership-during-capitol-riots-390235">Directionless and poor management: Senate report highlights faulty leadership during Capitol riots</a>

On the first day of the hearing, the lawmakers will be hearing first-hand accounts of the Capitol police officers who were attacked mercilessly by the rioters, while hoping to find leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence.

Four police officers, including Michael Fanone who was stun-gunned and brutally beaten by protestors, are scheduled to testify at the hearing today. One of the officers described this attack like a 'medieval battle’ and claimed he feared he would die.

It was "something from a medieval battle. We fought hand to hand, inch by inch, to prevent an invasion of the&nbsp;Capitol," said Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol police officer. He also added that at the moment all he could think was "this is how I'm going to die, defending this entrance".

The hearing chair said it is very clear that the Capitol attack was coordinated to derail the peaceful transfer of power. The attack took place on the same day when the certification process of Joe Biden’s November presidential election victory was taking place in the Capitol building.

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots.

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots. An inquiry was opened on Tuesday to investigate the attack of Trump supporters at the Capitol police and Capitol building on January 06. Also read | US Capitol Riots: Man from Florida sentenced to 8 months in prison Armed with video and picture evidence, Thompson claimed the Capitol riot was the most violent attack since the British assailed the US legislature in 1814. "A violent mob was pointed toward the Capitol and told to win a trial by combat. Some descended on this city with clear plans to disrupt our democracy," Thompson said. "We know there is evidence of a coordinated planned attack. We know that the men and women who stormed the Capitol wanted to derail the peaceful transfer of power in this country." Also read | Directionless and poor management: Senate report highlights faulty leadership during Capitol riots On the first day of the hearing, the lawmakers will be hearing first-hand accounts of the Capitol police officers who were attacked mercilessly by the rioters, while hoping to find leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence. Four police officers, including Michael Fanone who was stun-gunned and brutally beaten by protestors, are scheduled to testify at the hearing today. One of the officers described this attack like a 'medieval battle’ and claimed he feared he would die. It was "something from a medieval battle. We fought hand to hand, inch by inch, to prevent an invasion of the Capitol," said Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol police officer. He also added that at the moment all he could think was "this is how I'm going to die, defending this entrance". The hearing chair said it is very clear that the Capitol attack was coordinated to derail the peaceful transfer of power. The attack took place on the same day when the certification process of Joe Biden’s November presidential election victory was taking place in the Capitol building.

US Capitol rioters had coordinated plans to disrupt democracy': Hearing chair

A Florida man was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in the Capitol riots. This is the first sentencing of someone convicted for a felony over the attack.

US Capitol Riots: Man from Florida sentenced to 8 months in prison in first felony sentence

The Capitol riots in the US have left many injured, physically and mentally, but more importantly, it also raised questions on the security of one of the most important buildings of the country.

Now, after a few months of the riots, a previously undisclosed document has revealed that the former VP, Mike Pence, tried to regain control of the Capitol during the riots.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/revelatory-mike-pence-signs-seven-figure-two-book-deal-for-memoir-376006">Revelatory: Mike Pence signs seven-figure two-book deal for memoir</a>

“Clear the Capitol,” Pence had said as the&nbsp;supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> marched into the Capitol with the aim of destroying the federal property and interfere with the official ceremony declaring Joe Biden as the winner of the US election 2020.

The undisclosed document had been prepared by the officials of the Pentagon for internal use. It revealed new details of how the authorities tried to assert control and re-gain order.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-blocks-phrase-hang-mike-pence-as-trump-supporters-turn-against-him-355959">Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him</a>

Chuck Schumer, the senate majority leader, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were also heard desperately seeking help and asking the army to deploy the national guard.

“We need help,” Schummer could be heard yelling more than an hour after the breach of the Capitol chambers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-may-not-have-pence-as-running-mate-report-367892" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-may-not-have-pence-as-running-mate-report-367892&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjggPql3e3vAhXFzjgGHU_iAYoQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-h6MIzziDxQhEhzGcOcdp" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-may-not-have-pence-as-running-mate-report-367892" target="_blank">Donald Trump may not have&nbsp;Pence&nbsp;as running mate: Report</a>

Similarly, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, also urged Pentagon leaders to “establish order”.

The document also noted that the former US President and the main man accused of the riot, Donald Trump, did not ask his supporters to call off the riot, which led to a slowed response from the military.

It also called out the law enforcement officers for not being able to control the riot and highlighted bureaucratic delays, intelligence missteps and tactical errors from the government led by Trump.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-raised-funds-through-morally-incorrect-ways-in-us-election-2020-reports-375249">Trump raised funds through morally incorrect ways in US election 2020: Reports</a>

The report, however, fails to draw a complete picture of how did the rioters get full access so quickly into the Capitol, which later led to the death of five people and several others injured.

As the rioters marched towards the Capitol around 2:10 pm, the authorities were struggling to control the situation even two hours later as &nbsp;Capitol police chief, Steven Sund called Maj Gen William Walker, commander of the DC national guard to ask for at least 200 national guard members, and more if available.

Around 4:08 pm, according to the document, Pence demanded a deadline for securing the building, while holed into a safety bunker.

Trump broke his silence around 4:17 pm asking his supporters to “go home and go in peace”. Soon after, around 4:30 pm, military plans were finalised.

Pelosi and Schummer called for help to Gen Milley and other Pentagon officers around 4:40 pm in which the leaders “accuse[d] the national security apparatus of knowing that protesters planned to conduct an assault on the Capitol,” the Pentagon said.

The Capitol riots in the US have left many injured, physically and mentally, but more importantly, it also raised questions on the security of one of the most important buildings of the country.

The Capitol riots in the US have left many injured, physically and mentally, but more importantly, it also raised questions on the security of one of the most important buildings of the country. Now, after a few months of the riots, a previously undisclosed document has revealed that the former VP, Mike Pence, tried to regain control of the Capitol during the riots. Also read | Revelatory: Mike Pence signs seven-figure two-book deal for memoir “Clear the Capitol,” Pence had said as the supporters of Donald Trump marched into the Capitol with the aim of destroying the federal property and interfere with the official ceremony declaring Joe Biden as the winner of the US election 2020. The undisclosed document had been prepared by the officials of the Pentagon for internal use. It revealed new details of how the authorities tried to assert control and re-gain order. Also read | Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him Chuck Schumer, the senate majority leader, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were also heard desperately seeking help and asking the army to deploy the national guard. “We need help,” Schummer could be heard yelling more than an hour after the breach of the Capitol chambers. Also read | Donald Trump may not have Pence as running mate: Report Similarly, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, also urged Pentagon leaders to “establish order”. The document also noted that the former US President and the main man accused of the riot, Donald Trump, did not ask his supporters to call off the riot, which led to a slowed response from the military. It also called out the law enforcement officers for not being able to control the riot and highlighted bureaucratic delays, intelligence missteps and tactical errors from the government led by Trump. Also read | Trump raised funds through morally incorrect ways in US election 2020: Reports The report, however, fails to draw a complete picture of how did the rioters get full access so quickly into the Capitol, which later led to the death of five people and several others injured. As the rioters marched towards the Capitol around 2:10 pm, the authorities were struggling to control the situation even two hours later as Capitol police chief, Steven Sund called Maj Gen William Walker, commander of the DC national guard to ask for at least 200 national guard members, and more if available. Around 4:08 pm, according to the document, Pence demanded a deadline for securing the building, while holed into a safety bunker. Trump broke his silence around 4:17 pm asking his supporters to “go home and go in peace”. Soon after, around 4:30 pm, military plans were finalised. Pelosi and Schummer called for help to Gen Milley and other Pentagon officers around 4:40 pm in which the leaders “accuse[d] the national security apparatus of knowing that protesters planned to conduct an assault on the Capitol,” the Pentagon said.

'Clear the Capitol': Mike Pence's plea for help in Capitol riot revealed in Pentagon's document

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap.

But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.”

None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him.

The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat.

And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened.

Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence.

Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless.

Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football.

One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team.

After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X.

Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself.

“He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.”

The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.”

“Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said.

Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America.

Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty.

Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America.

A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it.

“I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.”

But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.”

“I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.”

Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter.

A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan.

Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings.

“From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam.

“The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.”

In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained.

In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.”

Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed.

By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap. But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.” None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him. The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat. And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened. Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence. Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless. Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football. One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team. After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X. Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself. “He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.” The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.” “Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said. Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America. Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty. Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America. A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it. “I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.” But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.” “I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.” Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter. A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan. Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings. “From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam. “The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.” In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained. In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.” Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed. By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

Capitol suspect struggled before attack, but motive remains unclear

Capitol Police have asked the Defense Department to extend the National Guard's deployment at the US Capitol for an additional two months.

US: Capitol Police asks Pentagon to extend National Guard deployment

The United States' Police alerted the lawmakers of the potential threat against the Capitol Hill building. Police said that intelligence has obtained of a possible plot by a militia group to breach the Capitol.

News Alert: Police warn of Militant plot to breach Capitol Hill

FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the attack on the US Capitol as "domestic terrorism," and defended the bureau's handling of intelligence of violence on January 6.

FBI Director Wray says Capitol attack was domestic terrorism

The fallout from the Capitol attack continues as the Senate holds the first public meeting into security failures as part of a joint investigation by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

US: Hearing on security failures during Capitol attack

Ever since Donald Trump began his run for president, he has been surrounded by an ever-shifting cast of lawyers with varying abilities to control, channel and satisfy their mercurial and headstrong client.

During the final weeks of the 2016 campaign, Michael Cohen arranged for hush money payments to be made to a former pornographic film actress. In the second year of Trump’s presidency, John Dowd, head of the team defending the president in the Russia investigation, quit after he concluded that Trump was refusing to listen to his counsel.

By Trump’s third year in office, he had found a new lawyer to do his bidding as Rudy Giuliani first undertook a campaign to undermine Joe Biden and then helped lead the fruitless effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, with stops in Ukraine and at Four Seasons Total Landscaping along the way.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defence-says-trump-bears-no-responsibility-for-us-capitol-attack-as-impeachment-trial-set-to-conclude-363294">Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack</a>

On Friday, the latest members of Trump’s legal cast took center stage in his impeachment trial and for the most part delivered exactly what he always seems to want from his lawyers: not precise, learned legal arguments but public combat, in this case including twisted facts, rewritten history and attacks on opponents.

Despite an often unorthodox and undisciplined approach from his legal teams, Trump has survived more legal challenges as president than any of his recent predecessors. Although federal investigators uncovered the hush money payments and significant evidence he may have obstructed the Russia investigation, he was never charged. He was acquitted by the Senate in his first impeachment trial related to the Ukraine pressure campaign, and he appeared poised Friday to see a similar outcome in this impeachment.

Legal experts, white-collar defense lawyers and even some of Trump’s former lawyers acknowledge that his survival has largely been a function of the fact that he was the president of the United States, a position that gave him great powers to evade legal consequence.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-football-was-at-danger-during-capitol-riots-footage-reveals-363277" hreflang="en">US 'football' was at danger during Capitol riots, footage reveals</a>

“At the outset of the administration I would have said it would be remarkable for someone to run this gauntlet and survive,” said Chuck Rosenberg, a former longtime senior Justice Department official.

After initially stumbling in its first round of arguments Tuesday, the latest team — either the seventh or eighth to defend Trump since he became president, depending on your math — followed the playbook Trump has long wanted his lawyers to adhere to.

They channeled his grievances and aggressively spun, making what-about arguments that tried to cast his own behavior as not so bad when compared with the other side. Democrats found their performance infuriatingly misleading, but it potentially provided the vast majority of Republicans in the Senate opposed to convicting Trump with talking points they can use to justify their votes.

“Hypocrisy,” one of Trump’s lawyers, Michael van der Veen, said after they played a several-minutes-long clip of prominent Democrats and media commentators using language like “fight” in an effort to show that Trump’s own words before the riot could have had no role in inciting the violence.

“The reality is, Mr. Trump was not in any way, shape or form instructing these people to fight or to use physical violence,” van der Veen said. “What he was instructing them to do was to challenge their opponents in primary elections to push for sweeping election reforms, to hold Big Tech responsible.”

Serving as one of Trump’s lawyers is a true high-wire act for a range of reasons, from his indifference to the law and norms to his long-held belief that he is his own best defender and spokesman. In the 1970s, under the tutelage of lawyer Roy Cohn — whose aggressiveness was matched by his lack of adherence to ethical standards — Trump began conflating legal and public relations problems.

These factors have often led Trump to ignore legal advice and dictate to the lawyers what he wants them to do. Some lawyers have survived for years with Trump through various investigations, such as Jay Sekulow and Florida-based couple Marty and Jane Raskin. They were involved in defending Trump in his first impeachment battle. And they had successes defending Trump in the highest-profile investigation he faced as president, the special counsel inquiry into possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russian officials.

But those lawyers are not part of his current team.

Neither is Pat Cipollone, the former White House counsel who spent weeks at the end of the Trump term batting away various efforts to overturn the election results. As he did with a previous White House counsel, Donald McGahn, Trump repeatedly wanted the White House counsels to act as his personal lawyers.

And Trump’s willingness to listen to lawyers who tell him what he does not want to hear dwindled significantly after the Nov. 3 election. Instead, he relied on Giuliani, whom other Trump aides blame for ensnaring Trump in his two impeachment battles, to guide him in his effort to overturn the results of the election.

Giuliani repeatedly told associates that he would be involved in the impeachment defense, despite his status as a potential witness, since he addressed the Trump rally crowd on Jan. 6. Trump ultimately told Giuliani that he would not be involved.

But Trump’s advisers struggled to find a legal team that would defend him.

Finally, with help from an ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Trump’s advisers announced that he had hired Butch Bowers, a well-known lawyer with experience representing South Carolina politicians facing crises.

But just over a week before the trial was to begin, Bowers and the four lawyers connected to him abruptly left, though another lawyer, David Schoen, who was expected from the beginning to be part of the team, remained on board.

In another reminder of his ad hoc approach, Trump asked associates Thursday night whether it was too late to add or remove lawyers from the team, as Schoen briefly told the team he was quitting over a debate about how to use the video clips the defense showed Friday. Trump called Schoen and he agreed to rejoin the team, two people briefed on the events said.

Just a few hours before Trump’s team was to appear in the well of the Senate, the group was still hashing out the order of appearance of his two chief lawyers, Schoen and Bruce Castor. In the end, they decided that a third lawyer, van der Veen, would deliver the opening act.

The uncertainty apparently stemmed from Castor’s widely panned appearance Tuesday, when he delivered a rambling, unfocused opening statement that enraged his client. Trump has told advisers and friends he did not want to hear from Castor anymore, people familiar with the Trump team’s discussions said.

People familiar with the makeup of the legal team said Eric Herschmann, a lawyer and ally of the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who worked in the West Wing in the final year of the administration, was a key figure in putting it together.

When Trump asked Herschmann who had hired Castor after his disastrous outing Tuesday, Herschmann, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange, sought to lay the blame on Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff. Herschmann did not respond to an email seeking comment.

By the end of the day Friday, van der Veen, a personal injury lawyer from Philadelphia, had emerged as Trump’s primary defender, handling questions from senators, making a series of false and outlandish claims, calling the impeachment a version of “constitutional cancel culture” and declaring that Friday’s proceedings had been his “most miserable” experience in Washington.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead House impeachment manager, responded, “I guess we’re sorry, but man, you should have been here on Jan. 6.”

Ever since Donald Trump began his run for president, he has been surrounded by an ever-shifting cast of lawyers with varying abilities to control, channel and satisfy their mercurial and headstrong client.

Ever since Donald Trump began his run for president, he has been surrounded by an ever-shifting cast of lawyers with varying abilities to control, channel and satisfy their mercurial and headstrong client. During the final weeks of the 2016 campaign, Michael Cohen arranged for hush money payments to be made to a former pornographic film actress. In the second year of Trump’s presidency, John Dowd, head of the team defending the president in the Russia investigation, quit after he concluded that Trump was refusing to listen to his counsel. By Trump’s third year in office, he had found a new lawyer to do his bidding as Rudy Giuliani first undertook a campaign to undermine Joe Biden and then helped lead the fruitless effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, with stops in Ukraine and at Four Seasons Total Landscaping along the way. Also read| Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack On Friday, the latest members of Trump’s legal cast took center stage in his impeachment trial and for the most part delivered exactly what he always seems to want from his lawyers: not precise, learned legal arguments but public combat, in this case including twisted facts, rewritten history and attacks on opponents. Despite an often unorthodox and undisciplined approach from his legal teams, Trump has survived more legal challenges as president than any of his recent predecessors. Although federal investigators uncovered the hush money payments and significant evidence he may have obstructed the Russia investigation, he was never charged. He was acquitted by the Senate in his first impeachment trial related to the Ukraine pressure campaign, and he appeared poised Friday to see a similar outcome in this impeachment. Legal experts, white-collar defense lawyers and even some of Trump’s former lawyers acknowledge that his survival has largely been a function of the fact that he was the president of the United States, a position that gave him great powers to evade legal consequence. Also read| US 'football' was at danger during Capitol riots, footage reveals “At the outset of the administration I would have said it would be remarkable for someone to run this gauntlet and survive,” said Chuck Rosenberg, a former longtime senior Justice Department official. After initially stumbling in its first round of arguments Tuesday, the latest team — either the seventh or eighth to defend Trump since he became president, depending on your math — followed the playbook Trump has long wanted his lawyers to adhere to. They channeled his grievances and aggressively spun, making what-about arguments that tried to cast his own behavior as not so bad when compared with the other side. Democrats found their performance infuriatingly misleading, but it potentially provided the vast majority of Republicans in the Senate opposed to convicting Trump with talking points they can use to justify their votes. “Hypocrisy,” one of Trump’s lawyers, Michael van der Veen, said after they played a several-minutes-long clip of prominent Democrats and media commentators using language like “fight” in an effort to show that Trump’s own words before the riot could have had no role in inciting the violence. “The reality is, Mr. Trump was not in any way, shape or form instructing these people to fight or to use physical violence,” van der Veen said. “What he was instructing them to do was to challenge their opponents in primary elections to push for sweeping election reforms, to hold Big Tech responsible.” Serving as one of Trump’s lawyers is a true high-wire act for a range of reasons, from his indifference to the law and norms to his long-held belief that he is his own best defender and spokesman. In the 1970s, under the tutelage of lawyer Roy Cohn — whose aggressiveness was matched by his lack of adherence to ethical standards — Trump began conflating legal and public relations problems. These factors have often led Trump to ignore legal advice and dictate to the lawyers what he wants them to do. Some lawyers have survived for years with Trump through various investigations, such as Jay Sekulow and Florida-based couple Marty and Jane Raskin. They were involved in defending Trump in his first impeachment battle. And they had successes defending Trump in the highest-profile investigation he faced as president, the special counsel inquiry into possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russian officials. But those lawyers are not part of his current team. Neither is Pat Cipollone, the former White House counsel who spent weeks at the end of the Trump term batting away various efforts to overturn the election results. As he did with a previous White House counsel, Donald McGahn, Trump repeatedly wanted the White House counsels to act as his personal lawyers. And Trump’s willingness to listen to lawyers who tell him what he does not want to hear dwindled significantly after the Nov. 3 election. Instead, he relied on Giuliani, whom other Trump aides blame for ensnaring Trump in his two impeachment battles, to guide him in his effort to overturn the results of the election. Giuliani repeatedly told associates that he would be involved in the impeachment defense, despite his status as a potential witness, since he addressed the Trump rally crowd on Jan. 6. Trump ultimately told Giuliani that he would not be involved. But Trump’s advisers struggled to find a legal team that would defend him. Finally, with help from an ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Trump’s advisers announced that he had hired Butch Bowers, a well-known lawyer with experience representing South Carolina politicians facing crises. But just over a week before the trial was to begin, Bowers and the four lawyers connected to him abruptly left, though another lawyer, David Schoen, who was expected from the beginning to be part of the team, remained on board. In another reminder of his ad hoc approach, Trump asked associates Thursday night whether it was too late to add or remove lawyers from the team, as Schoen briefly told the team he was quitting over a debate about how to use the video clips the defense showed Friday. Trump called Schoen and he agreed to rejoin the team, two people briefed on the events said. Just a few hours before Trump’s team was to appear in the well of the Senate, the group was still hashing out the order of appearance of his two chief lawyers, Schoen and Bruce Castor. In the end, they decided that a third lawyer, van der Veen, would deliver the opening act. The uncertainty apparently stemmed from Castor’s widely panned appearance Tuesday, when he delivered a rambling, unfocused opening statement that enraged his client. Trump has told advisers and friends he did not want to hear from Castor anymore, people familiar with the Trump team’s discussions said. People familiar with the makeup of the legal team said Eric Herschmann, a lawyer and ally of the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who worked in the West Wing in the final year of the administration, was a key figure in putting it together. When Trump asked Herschmann who had hired Castor after his disastrous outing Tuesday, Herschmann, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange, sought to lay the blame on Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff. Herschmann did not respond to an email seeking comment. By the end of the day Friday, van der Veen, a personal injury lawyer from Philadelphia, had emerged as Trump’s primary defender, handling questions from senators, making a series of false and outlandish claims, calling the impeachment a version of “constitutional cancel culture” and declaring that Friday’s proceedings had been his “most miserable” experience in Washington. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead House impeachment manager, responded, “I guess we’re sorry, but man, you should have been here on Jan. 6.”

For the defense: Twisted facts and other staples of the Trump playbook

In a memorandum filed ahead of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, the House Democrats who will prosecute the case said that Trump is accountable for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Impeachment managers hold Donald Trump accountable for Capitol attack

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