Jan. 6 hearings prove Trump's 'culpability' for riot was 'through the roof': legal expert

During an appearance on "CNN This Morning," the former Asst. Attorney General under President George H.W. Bush bluntly stated that he has seen enough evidence to indict former president Donald Trump for his actions on Jan. 6.

Just hours before the House select committee investigating the insurrection was scheduled to hold its last public hearing, attorney Donald Ayer claimed there is no doubt that Trump bears responsibility for the riot that forced lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to flee for their lives.

Speaking with co-hosts Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins, Ayer broke down what the committee has presented to the public.

"From what I've seen I think there's enormous evidence, as I said before, of Donald Trump's -- number one there are three factors that the department (DOJ) thinks about prominently when they're looking at this," he began. "One is the nature and seriousness of the offense. Well, what could be more serious? The second element is the importance of deterrence. Is it important to deter this conduct in the future? We have people out there working to try to do this again next time."

"The final question -- not the final question but the third in order of priority, is the culpability of the person you're focused on prosecuting," he continued. "We now know from these hearings that Donald Trump's level of culpability is through the roof -- he's the one that made this happen. So all of those factors line up."

"The question for [special counsel] Jack Smith who doesn't have to sit here and think as Merrick Garland would, well 'I'm in the cabinet of the president of the United States, who defeated Donald Trump. Oh, this is going to look like a banana republic -- we don't want to be part of this.' Jack Smith is 'I'm a prosecutor. I have a question to ask, can I prosecute this case?' And another element is, can you probably win it before a jury?"

"That's his job that's what he's going to do and he's going to look at that," he added.

Watch below or at this link.

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