Special Counsel Jack Smith has submitted the prosecution’s plans to introduce evidence outlining the actions taken by former President Donald Trump to undermine the 2020 election and stay in power “at any cost.” The filing, which is part of the broader investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, aims to demonstrate a pattern of behavior by Trump that embraced violence as a tool to challenge election results.
The prosecution's case includes numerous public statements made by Trump leading up to the 2020 election, in which he falsely claimed that the election would be rigged. Smith argues that these statements were part of a broader strategy to spur doubt about the election's integrity and to maintain power through dishonest means. This pattern is not new, as Trump has previously questioned the legitimacy of elections as far back as 2012, and again in 2016 when he first ran for president.
The evidence will bring new details in the case to light. Importantly, an “unindicted co-conspirator” from Trump’s campaign allegedly messaged an attorney in support of the Trump campaign at the TCF Center in Detroit after votes were cast, urging those present to riot and obstruct the counting of votes. This incident involved mostly white activists chanting "Stop the Count" in a predominantly Black city, drawing sharp criticism from civil rights leaders.
The evidence also suggests that Trump used social media to target individuals who spoke out against his false claims of a stolen election, such as attacking the former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee (RNC) for publicly affirming the legitimacy of the election results. Smith argues that this further illustrates Trump's pattern of encouraging violence against those who challenged his narrative.
This evidence will be introduced in the trial along with Trump's infamous "stand back and stand by" remark to the Proud Boys when he was asked to denounce the group during the September 2020 presidential debate.
The filing argues that Trump's ongoing support for those involved in the January 6 attack is a clear indication of his willingness to use violence and illegal means to achieve his goals.
