Cheney says Trump was warned of Jan. 6 violence
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Jan. 6 Select Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Monday that former President Trump was warned of the possibility of violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Why it matters: The committee is tipping its hand as it seeks to paint a picture of a president who knowingly and willfully put lawmakers at risk in pursuit of overturning the election.
What they're saying: Cheney said at a Monday hearing that the committee has interviewed "hundreds of witnesses with knowledge of the events of Jan. 6," including "more than a dozen" former Trump staffers.
- "We have learned that President Trump and his team were warned, in advance and repeatedly, that the efforts they undertook to overturn the 2020 election would violate the law and our Constitution," she said.
- "They were warned that January 6th could, and likely would, turn violent."
- The hearing was to consider recommending holding former Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the panel's subpoenas.
Driving the news: Cheney pointed to a recent ruling by a federal judge that Trump most likely committed felony obstruction.
- "Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021," Judge David Carter wrote.
- Carter ruled that attorney and Trump ally John Eastman must turn over documents to the committee.
- "As a federal judge concluded today: 'The illegality of [President Trump’s] plan for January 6th was 'obvious,'" Cheney said of the ruling.
