Capitol riot committee weighing an 'explosive question' on Trump's criminal liability: report

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) earlier this week subtly implicated former President Donald Trump in potentially committing a felony -- and according to a new report from Politico, Cheney wasn't just speaking off the cuff.

According to the publication, "members of the Jan. 6 select committee are homing in on a politically explosive question: Did Donald Trump’s actions amid the Capitol attack amount to criminal obstruction of Congress?"

While many individual rioters who stormed the Capitol that day have been charged with criminal obstruction of Congress, Trump so far has not faced any criminal charges.

However, newly released text messages given to the committee by former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows show that Trump allies were begging him to intervene to stop the riots -- and despite this, Trump did nothing about them for more than three hours.

The Politico report details specific elements of the crime that could apply to Trump if they're successfully deployed against MAGA rioters.

"To convict someone of that crime, a jury must determine that a defendant took an obstructive action, affected an 'official proceeding' and acted with 'corrupt' intentions," the publication writes. "There are several obstruction statutes in the criminal code, but the one deployed by prosecutors in Jan. 6 cases is among the most severe, carrying a whopping 20-year maximum sentence."

Determining Trump's mindset during the riots would be key to proving this charge, which is why the committee has been seeking people who were in the room with him as the riots were unfolding to testify about his actions.

Read the whole report here.