The data from Harvard University's greatest examination of what inspired the Jan. 6 riots is apparent, according to researchers. The most prevalent comments centered on former President Donald Trump and his charges about the election.
The study, which was supplied with NBC News before publication, tracked and evaluated the motivations of 417 Capitol rioters, all of whom have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riots.
Harvard Research: Trump Summoned the Mob
The motivations were gleaned from 469 papers filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, which included charge filings and sentencing memos. According to the researchers from Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, the documents show that Jan. 6 committee member Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was mostly correct in her assessment that Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and let the flame of this attack.
The research adds to evidence from thousands of court papers in over 840 cases showing many individuals who stormed the US Capitol and conducted violent crimes were motivated by their support for Trump and their belief in misinformation about the 2020 election.
A majority of rioters claimed either their support for Trump (20.6%) or Trump's incorrect assumption that the election had been stolen (also 20.6%) as the principal motive for their conduct on January 6, which resulted in charges. The third most common reason given to law police for entering the Capitol by defendants was their belief that they were engaged in a revolution, civil war, or secession.
According to the study, about the same amount of defendants (7%) claimed to be at the Capitol to peacefully protest as those who claimed to be there owing to a "general interest in violence" (6.2%), according to NBC News.
Biden Says Trump "Lacked the Courage to Act" on Jan. 6
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden slammed former President Trump on Monday, accusing him of missing the fortitude to act on January 6, 2021, when a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Biden made the statements in a virtual presentation to the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference, which aired Monday afternoon, only days after the committee heard testimony concerning Trump's passivity as the mob engulfed the Capitol on January 6. The statements were notable since Biden had stayed away from the Jan. 6 public hearings on Capitol Hill, seldom commenting on the committee's probe, which finished its eighth public hearing on Thursday and is expected to continue in the autumn.
Biden's statements echoed some of the testimony given during last week's hearing about Trump watching the Capitol incident progress and refusing to help despite appeals from advisers. Biden similarly seldom discusses his predecessor and particularly avoids naming Trump.
When asked later about the choice to mention Trump and whether it represented a shift in tone, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reminded reporters that Biden has been clear that Trump is to blame for what happened on January 6.
Biden made a speech earlier this year on the anniversary of the Capitol bombing that featured a strong denunciation of Trump and his electoral deceptions. To avoid politicizing the subject, Biden has mostly avoided openly commenting on the Jan. 6 committee's conclusions. According to sources, Biden does not want to seem to be influencing Justice Department decisions on any January 6 investigations, The Hill reported
Will Trump Face Charges?
Though politicians are clamoring for charges to be filed against the former president, and at least one federal judge has stated that Trump and members of his administration most certainly violated the law, legal experts believe there is a scant indication of a robust federal investigation against him.
There are additional obstacles to filing charges. For example, Barbara McQuade, a former US attorney and law professor at the University of Michigan, told the committee that despite being told repeatedly that he had lost the election, Trump pressed Vice President Mike Pence and state authorities to reverse the results. According to committee evidence, Trump also knew the mob was armed when he pushed followers to march to the Capitol.
However, McQuade maintained that the evidence is nearly entirely one-sided. Prosecutors would also have to consider how the Trump team would respond to the charges.
According to legal experts, inciting a riot or encouraging an insurgency would be one of the finest paths for prosecution because the facts are undisputed. On the morning of the insurgency, Trump asked participants at his "Stop the Steal" event to fight for him by marching on the Capitol, but he did not instruct them to storm the Capitol, as per USA Today.
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