WASHINGTON (AP) — A presidential tweet that some noticed as a “name to arms.” An “unhinged” assembly within the White Home. Violent extremists planning to storm the Capitol as President Donald Trump pushed lies about election fraud.

At its seventh listening to, the Home Jan. 6 panel on Tuesday confirmed additional proof that Trump was advised, repeatedly, that his claims of fraud had been false — however that he continued to push them anyway. And on the identical time, he turned to the widest potential viewers on Twitter, calling his supporters, a few of them violent, to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, to not solely protest however “be wild” as Congress licensed President Joe Biden’s victory.

‘A CALL TO ACTION … A CALL TO ARMS’

A serious focus of the listening to was Trump’s Dec. 19 tweet a couple of “massive protest” on the coming joint session of Congress: “Be there, can be wild!”

Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy stated the tweet “served as a name to motion and in some instances as a name to arms.” She stated the president “referred to as for backup” as he argued that Vice President Mike Pence and different Republicans didn’t have sufficient braveness to attempt to block President Joe Biden’s win on the Jan. 6 joint session.

The tweet “electrified and galvanized” Trump’s supporters, stated Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, particularly “the damaging extremists within the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys and different far-right racist and white nationalist teams spoiling for a struggle.”

Raskin stated Trump emboldened the teams round a standard objective.

“By no means earlier than in American historical past had a president referred to as for a crowd to return contest the counting of electoral votes by Congress,” he stated.

AN ‘UNHINGED’ MEETING

The committee spliced collectively video clips from interviews to explain a gathering from Dec. 18, within the hours earlier than Trump’s tweet, in virtually minute-to-minute vogue.

Former White Home aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified stay earlier than the panel two weeks in the past, referred to as the assembly between White Home aides and casual advisers pushing the fraud claims “unhinged” in a textual content that night to a different Trump aide. Different aides described “screaming” within the assembly because the advisers floated wild theories of election fraud with no proof to again them up, and as White Home legal professionals aggressively pushed again.

The video clips included testimony from lawyer Sidney Powell, who had pushed a few of the wildest theories, together with of breached voting machines and hacked thermostats that she by some means tied to the false claims of fraud.

White Home lawyer Eric Herschmann, one of many aides who pushed again, stated the theories had been “nuts” and “it bought to the purpose the place the screaming was utterly, utterly on the market.”

The aides described a chaotic six hours of backwards and forwards, beginning with Trump speaking to a bunch of the casual advisers with no White Home aides current. Each Cipollone and Powell stated in interviews that Cipollone, the White Home counsel, rushed in to disrupt the gathering. Powell stated sarcastically that she thought Cipollone set a brand new “floor pace document” getting there.

Cipollone, who sat with the committee for a non-public interview final week after a subpoena, stated he didn’t suppose the group was giving Trump good recommendation and stated he and the opposite White Home legal professionals simply stored asking them, “the place is the proof?” However they didn’t obtain any good solutions, he stated.

Hours later, at 1:42 a.m., Trump despatched the tweet urging supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6.

A RIOTER, AND A FORMER OATH KEEPER

Two witnesses had been within the listening to room for testimony — a rioter who has pleaded responsible to getting into the Capitol and a former Oath Keeper who described his experiences with the group.

Stephen Ayres, who pleaded responsible final month to a misdemeanor rely of disorderly conduct and is scheduled to be sentenced in September, stated he was in Washington on Jan. 6 on the behest of Trump, and that he left the Capitol when Trump — after a number of hours — advised them in a tweet to go away. “Mainly we had been simply following what the president stated,” Ayres stated.

He stated his arrest lower than a month later “modified my life, not for the higher” and it makes him indignant that he held on Trump’s each phrase, and that some individuals are nonetheless doing that. Requested by Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney if he nonetheless believes the election was stolen, Ayres stated, “Not a lot now.”

Jason Van Tatenhove, a former ally of Oath Keepers chief Stewart Rhodes who left the group years earlier than the revolt, stated the group is a “violent militia.”

“I believe we have to give up mincing phrases and simply discuss truths and what it was going to be was an armed revolution,” he stated. “I imply, individuals died that day … This might have been the spark that began a brand new civil battle.”

Rhodes and different members of the Oath Keepers, together with one other far-right group, the Proud Boys, have been charged with seditious conspiracy in essentially the most critical instances the Justice Division has introduced to this point within the Jan. 6 assault.

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE

The committee additionally touched on what was occurring within the White Home because the assault unfolded and afterward.

In a single textual content alternate revealed by the panel, former Trump marketing campaign aide Brad Parscale wrote to aide Katrina Pierson: “This week I really feel responsible for serving to him win,” and “If I used to be Trump and knew my rhetoric killed somebody.”

“It wasn’t the rhetoric,” Pierson responded.

“Katrina,” wrote Parscale, who nonetheless participates in a weekly technique name with Trump aides. “Sure it was.”

The panel confirmed a draft tweet, undated, that confirmed that Trump had plans nicely upfront to inform his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6. The tweet, which was by no means despatched, stated “Please arrive early, huge crowds anticipated. March to the Capitol after. Cease the Steal!”

The committee additionally examined Trump’s speech on the rally that morning and a few of his ad-libs about Vice President Mike Pence that got here later. In the long run, he would point out the vice chairman eight occasions, telling the group that he hoped Pence would “do the proper factor” and attempt to block Biden’s certification on the joint session of Congress.

ADVICE NOT FOLLOWED

As they’ve performed a number of occasions earlier than, the committee confirmed video testimony from White Home aides who stated they didn’t consider there was widespread fraud within the election and had advised the president that. Many stated they had been firmly satisfied Biden’s victory was a performed deal after the states licensed the electors on Dec. 14 and after dozens of Trump’s marketing campaign lawsuits failed in court docket.

Ivanka Trump, the previous president’s daughter, stated it was her sentiment that the election was over after Dec. 14 and “in all probability prior as nicely.” Former White Home Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany stated she deliberate for all times after the White Home at that time. Eugene Scalia, the labor secretary on the time, stated he advised the president in a name that it was time to say that Biden had gained.

WITNESS TAMPERING?

On the finish of the listening to, Cheney revealed some new info: Trump had tried to name a future witness, and the committee had alerted the Justice Division in regards to the name.

The witness didn’t take the decision, in line with Cheney. She didn’t determine the witness however stated it was somebody the general public has not but heard from.

The committee has beforehand stated that folks in Trump’s orbit have contacted witnesses in ways in which might mirror or no less than create the looks of inappropriate affect.

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Related Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Michael Kunzelman, Jill Colvin, Amanda Seitz and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.