Trump's allies are 'generals' of the insurrection — and deserve charges for it: Rep. Zoe Lofgren
July 18, 2023
Over 1,000 people have been charged so far in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, with charges ranging from misdemeanor unlawful picketing and trespassing, to felony assaults on police officers, to seditious conspiracy. One of the defendants is even a former defendant from the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" neo-Nazi rally.
But former President Donald Trump and his immediate allies who pushed for people to gather in D.C. over baseless election conspiracy theories haven't been charged yet — even though it may be coming. And speaking to anchor Jake Tapper on CNN Tuesday, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) outlined why it's important that happen.
"The target letter, according to Trump, indicates the charges could be coming soon and that he needs to talk to the grand jury by Thursday at the latest," said Tapper. "You are also a lawyer. What crimes do you think he is likely to be charged with?"
"Well, I do not know what he is going to be charged with, and we have referred four matters to the Department of Justice," said Lofgren, who was a key member of the House January 6 Committee. "Obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, the submission of false statements, and incitement of insurrection. We felt that we had mounds of evidence to support each one of those four charges, which was why we send them to DOJ. Of course the special counsel has been able to talk to some people who refused to talk to us, for example, Mark Meadows. He may have information we could not get that might support additional charges. We will just have to wait and see."
Tapper then turned the questioning to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had just given him an interview this week.
"When asked about these potential charges, [DeSantis] said that he hopes Trump is not charged and that it would be bad for the American people," said Tapper. "He said if you want to defeat Donald Trump do it at the ballot box and not in court. What would your response be?"
"It is absurd," said Lofgren. "The special counsel is appointed so that the Biden administration would have no say in this. It is completely independent. Jack Smith should run for president? It is ridiculous. The idea that because someone is a candidate for president that they are above the law, that is not what our country is about. No one is above the law. I think, actually, all of the individuals who were the foot soldiers who attacked the police, in the case of the Oath Keepers, and others who engaged in seditious conspiracy, but they were the low-level people. That only the low-level people would be held to account and not the generals who orchestrated this, that will not be right."
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