The twice-impeached ex-president who lost the popular vote twice and tried to stage a coup has had a busy week. He’s had to do some outraged damage control after evidence of what is clearly a crime was released by the Department of Justice showed numerous top secret documents that had been hidden away in Mar-a-lago. He spent days on his social media platform posting about Biden’s “divisiveness” and how “mean” people are. And of course, he’s been busy on the campaign trail for his endorsed candidates talking mostly about himself and the Big Lie.
That lie continues to be investigated by the Jan. 6 committee and poses just as much a threat to Trump as those stolen documents do.
Jamie Raskin on CBS: "Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are, one, they don't accept the results of elections that don't go their way, and two, they embrace political violence. And I think that's why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week." pic.twitter.com/9S13L7ZG3D
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 4, 2022
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a member of the committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021, appeared on the CBS show Face the Nation on Sunday to discuss the ongoing investigation and plans for the future. Asked about Trump’s recent bashing of President Biden for calling Trump and his allies “fascists,” Raskin said he agreed with the president. Warnings about the dangers of Donald Trump moving the Republican Party toward fascism came early in Trump’s presidency. Raskin reminded viewers what fascism looks like, and it looks a lot like MAGA Republicans.
‘Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are one, they don’t accept the results of elections that don’t go their way and two, they embrace political violence. And I think that’s why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week about these continuing attacks on our constitutional order from the outside by Donald Trump and his movement.’
Raskin on Gingrich describing the J6 committee as a Stalinist show trail: "It's interesting that he'd invoke Stalinism when all of the Stalinists are on Donald Trump's side, like Vladimir Putin … or the dictator of North Korea, who Donald Trump writes love letters to." pic.twitter.com/k4gFwjspBD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 4, 2022
Rep. Raskin also said that well-known political figures tied to the January 6th attack like Newt Gingrich, Ginni Thomas, and former Vice President Mike Pence each had something to offer the committee and should, out of a sense of patriotism, come forward to give it. The vice president, particularly, appears to be possibly be expected to speak to the committee.
‘Vice President Pence was the target of Donald Trump’s wrath and fury and effort to overthrow the election on January 6, the whole idea was to get Pence to step outside his constitutional role, and then to declare unilateral lawless powers to reject Electoral College votes from the states. So I think he has a lot of relevant evidence, and I would hope he would come forward and testify about what happened.’
New: Jan. 6 committee member Jamie Raskin says on CBS for the first time about cooperation from former VP Pence: “I would assume he is going to come forward and testify voluntarily”
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) September 4, 2022
Raskin also said that the committee’s report would include all of the evidence, including that which has not been seen on television. With the clock ticking down to January 2023, when the makeup of the House and Senate may change significantly, Raskin said that the report is imminent.
‘Certainly by the end of the year, because, you know, we’re like Cinderella, at midnight, our license runs out at the end of the year. But under House Resolution 503, that’s a significant part of our responsibility to report to the American people about how to prevent coups, insurrections, political violence and attacks on our democratic process going forward.’
Jan. 6 committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin says the panel will issue the full report on the investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack "certainly by the end of the year." pic.twitter.com/3RPj0ESsQe
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 4, 2022
