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654

Trump was ‘most culpable’ for Jan 6 riot and would have been convicted in court, Jack Smith told Congress in newly released testimony (www.independent.co.uk)

submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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Donald Trump was “most culpable” for the January 6 riot and would have been convicted in court had the case gone to trial, according to explosive testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith, released Wednesday afternoon by the House Judiciary Committee.

Smith led both Justice Department prosecutions of Trump: the first over the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters after he lost the 2020 election, and the second over his alleged concealment of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

He testified before the Judiciary panel in a closed-door session earlier in December as the committee investigates whether Trump was politically targeted by the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland and President Joe Biden.

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[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 188 points 3 months ago (16 children)

Biggest dropped ball in the history of American criminal justice.

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 111 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Biden/Garland didn't drop the ball. They set it down gently and walked away.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 39 points 3 months ago

Mueller described the size and the shape of another ball, but refused to say it was a ball.

[–] zebidiah@lemmy.ca 68 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Biggest failure since reconstruction...

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago

Arguably, this is still a result of Reconstruction. It was that bad that its still affecting today.

[–] Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz 7 points 3 months ago

So far…

[–] amateurcrastinator@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

That and Hilary's emails. That other moron Comey is responsible for that. I am so glad that investigation was so thorough! What a bunch of idiots! All those movies with the super fbi agents and in reality they can't investigate their way out of a paper bag...

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[–] rayyy@piefed.social 70 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Wonder why the fat, old demented, orange felon didn't get impeached - oh yeah, Republicans.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 21 points 3 months ago

Trump was impeached, twice.

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 57 points 3 months ago (2 children)

THEY WHY DIDNT YPU GET HIM INTO COURT YOU TWAT!

YOU HAD 4 YEARS AND ONE JOB AND NOW WE'RE HERE!

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 46 points 3 months ago

THEY WHY DIDNT YPU GET HIM INTO COURT YOU TWAT!YOU HAD 4 YEARS AND ONE JOB AND NOW WE'RE HERE!

Smith was appointed in Nov of 22 and filed the first indictment in June of 23. If you're addressing your comment to Garland, then you need to actually name him because this post is about Jack Smith.

[–] Kirp123@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago

I mean, he tried his best. Remember that Trump's pet judge and the Supreme Court slow walked everything until he became president.

[–] slothrop@lemmy.ca 40 points 3 months ago (5 children)

It's been a couple days and not a peep from the rapist about this.
How is that possible?

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 20 points 3 months ago

Maybe he's dead?

Or more likely it just hasn't been shoved in his face while he watches TV or "plays golf"

Hopefully that first one though.

[–] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago

Because he won. This is all over with. This is an enemy he's already defeated, and he's not UPSET, he's HAPPY to see his beaten enemy lamenting about how he's been beaten. He's THRILLED about this.

Was Trump culpable? Absolutely. 100%. And he should be in prison. But the useless asshats did absolutely nothing for four years, probably because they were afraid of making him a martyr, and now it's simply impossible that he can ever be held criminally accountable for anything again. Regardless of what happens from here on out, that stain is on them.

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 months ago

Dead hopefully

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 3 points 3 months ago

Maybe Fox News hasn't reported it yet.

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[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 29 points 3 months ago

Would have, should have but didn't.

[–] amateurcrastinator@lemmy.world 24 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What a fucking joke of a justice system! Fucking morons had 4 years to slam him into a dungeon and throw away the key. What good does it do now? Everybody saw it as it happened. All was clear as day. Fuck you and your justice system.

[–] Puddinghelmet@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

If their next president does NOT create new laws so this type of coup never happens again, then they are actually so dumb fr

[–] Amberskin@europe.pub 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

US presidents do not create laws. That’s the Congress job. And the baroque American political makes tremendously difficult to achieve enough supermajority to pass any law.

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[–] Lembot_0006@programming.dev 24 points 3 months ago

Would... had the case gone to the court...

Pathetic.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago (2 children)

If only America had united to settle for some pro-corporate, fought against de-segregation, thinks abortion should be outlawed, do nothing moderate after Trump's first term just so trump could be held accountable....

What's that?!

We did unite to elect the historically unpopular do-nothing moderate who spent 40+ years trying to win a presidential primary?

And he just did nothing?!

Who could have ever seen that coming....

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 20 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Americans decided to vote Trump back in again so that is what gave him a get out of jail free card.

Blaming everything on Biden when he did a ton of good is lazy, boring and ignores reality.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Americans decided to vote Trump back in again

allegedly

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 7 points 3 months ago (2 children)

There hasn’t been a single shred of evidence proved in court that shows otherwise.

[+] Captainvaqina@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] Captainvaqina@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Due to the 2020–2021 illegal election-equipment breaches, on December 4, 2023, twenty-two computer scientists, election-security experts, and voter-advocacy organizations sent a Duty to Warn letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and CISA Director Jen Easterly.

Their warning was blunt: “The multistate effort to unlawfully obtain copies of voting system software poses serious threats to election security and national security and constitutes a potential criminal conspiracy of enormous consequences.”³³

The letter named those involved and documented confirmed illegal breaches involving Dominion Voting Systems and Election Systems & Software, which together tabulate more than 70% of U.S. votes.

The experts warned that stolen election software could be used to study vulnerabilities, develop malware, and fuel coordinated disinformation campaigns. The letter closed with a stark conclusion: “Urgent implications for the 2024 election and beyond.” The FBI, DOJ, and Smith’s office declined to comment. CISA did not respond. No federal investigation has been publicly announced.

Then, on November 13, 2024, the same election security experts sent another Duty to Warn letter—this time to Vice President Kamala Harris—alerting her that voting systems had been breached by Trump allies in 2020 and 2021 and urging her to seek recounts in key states to ensure election verification.³⁴

And the Democratic Party continues to remain silent.

Now, a year after the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris has put into words what so many Americans feel:

“Both parties have failed to hold the public’s trust… The people feel that the very institutions designed to support them have failed them. They are not wrong.”³⁵

The Democratic Party continues to hemorrhage public trust as its leadership attempts to gaslight voters into believing that Elon Musk played no role in manipulating the 2024 election to keep himself—and Donald Trump—out of prison.

Now we know the depth of Trump’s ties to Russia. We know the Department of Justice was aware long before 2016. And we know he should never have been permitted to run—but when the system itself is compromised, accountability collapses.³⁶

At the same time, party leadership has shielded elites named in the Epstein files³⁷ to prevent exposure of a decades-long sex-trafficking operation implicating powerful donors across party lines.³⁸

The elite are protecting the elite, and the American people are experiencing an awakening.

What To Do About a Stolen Election

The Constitution doesn’t give us a “redo the election” button—but it does give us the mechanisms to remove a falsely seated administration and install the rightfully elected president. These tools exist for moments exactly like this.

This “Good Trouble Blueprint” begins with mass pressure in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These Democratic-led swing states must immediately authorize independent, third-party hand-count audits of the 2024 ballots. Blue states must also act now to abandon electronic voting systems and transition to paper ballots and hand-counted elections—while they still retain that authority under states’ rights.

Impeach Donald Trump under Article II, Section 4. If full congressional support is lacking, disqualify him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It takes only one member of Congress to recognize the disqualification.

If states are stalling investigations or audits, file bond claims against state legislators and attorneys general who refuse to protect the electorate. This compels state-level investigations into the irregularities, Musk/DOGE, and forensic audits in MI, WI, MN, PA, and beyond.

Invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment against all participants and legislators involved in both the January 6 insurrection and/or the 2024 stolen election. A stolen election is a rebellion against the Constitution.

From here: Democrats sweep the 2026 midterms and special elections, and a new Congress enforces the Constitution—refusing to seat disqualified officials under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and removing those who refuse to resign under Article II, Section 4. Congress then passes a 2024 Election Correction Act, voids the fraudulent certification, accepts corrected electors from audited states, and swears in Kamala Harris as the legitimately elected president.

Will this be easy? No. Has it been done before? Also no. Do we owe it to future generations to try? Unequivocally yes.

We are asking our leaders—and everyone with a platform—to acknowledge the stolen election and “Do something.” We have constitutional avenues to remove this entire illegitimate administration. It’s time to use them.

And readers, hold on to your hope. This is not left vs. right—it’s bottom vs. top. Again, we don’t need permission to enforce the Constitution. We just need courage.

Want the truth they’re not telling you? For fearless reporting and expert-backed research, read The Common Coalition Report. And if you believe in funding real, independent work—support our all-volunteer team here.

References

Dissent in Bloom. (2025, May). The Machines Were Changed Before the 2024 Election. No One Was Told.

This Will Hold. (2025, Nov 28). How did 6 million people vote in Burke County, Florida—when it doesn’t exist?

Armitage, C. (2025, Dec 19). The comprehensive 2024 election theft fact check.

Forbes. (2025, July). Hakeem Jeffries: “We’re not election deniers.” https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9ne7we

Allen, J., & Nichols, H. (2025, Dec 18). DNC will not release its report on what went wrong for Democrats in 2024. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/dnc-will-not-release-report-went-wrong-democrats-2024-rcna249925

Election Truth Alliance v. Schmidt, No. 1:25-cv-00329 (W.D. Pa. Nov. 6, 2025).

Election Truth Alliance. (n.d.). Minnesota: Hand count versus machine count. https://electiontruthalliance.org/analysis/minnesota-hand-versus-machine-count/

This Will Hold. (2025, Aug 24). She Won, Part VIII: North Carolina—93 of 100 counties used untested, uncertified equipment in 2024. https://substack.com/@thiswillhold/p-171809227

House Democrats. (2022, Aug 8). Tate commends Nessel’s request for special prosecutor. https://housedems.com/tate-commends-nessels-request-for-special-prosecutor-and-accountability-for-involved-officials/

Associated Press. (2023, Aug 1). Trump allies in Michigan charged with felonies involving voting machines. https://apnews.com/article/matthew-deperno-michigan-trump-voting-machines-a58c4a58de84d432815ec1be39c19b90

PBS Frontline. (2022, Mar 29). Plot to overturn the election. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/plot-to-overturn-the-election

Reuters. (2022, Apr 28). Trump allies breached U.S. voting systems searching for 2020 fraud “evidence.” https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-breaches/

Associated Press. (2024, Oct 3). Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters sentenced to nine years.

NPR. (2025, Nov 26). Georgia election interference case against Trump dropped. https://www.npr.org/2025/11/26/nx-s1-5611431/georgia-trump-election-case-dismissed

Georgia Bureau of Investigation. (2024). Coffee County election office investigation report.

Brennan Center for Justice. (2025). Documented election-day bomb threats, 2024. https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/bcj-2024-election-bomb-threat-tracker_0.pdf

SMART Elections v. Rockland County Board of Elections. (2025). New York State Supreme Court.

Caltech Voting Technology Project. (2001, July 16). Up to six million votes lost in the 2000 presidential election. https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/6-million-votes-lost-2000-presidential-election-voting-technology-project-reveals-503

Politico. (2017, Aug 6). When a candidate conspired with a foreign power to win an election. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/06/nixon-vietnam-candidate-conspired-with-foreign-power-win-election-215461/

New York Times. (2023, Mar 18). An untold story behind Jimmy Carter’s presidential defeat.

Time. (2016, December 13). Detroit voting machine failures were widespread on Election Day. https://time.com/4599886/detroit-voting-machine-failures-were-widespread-on-election-day/

This Will Hold. (2025, Nov 20). The election whistleblowers were right—everything is tied to Epstein.

Reuters. (2024, Feb 15). Russia using thousands of Starlink terminals in Ukraine, WSJ reports.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). (2024, Jan 11). Trump’s criminal charges and where they stand. https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/trumps-91-criminal-charges-and-where-they-stand/

Fichera, A. (2025, Jan 21). Fact check: Trump said Musk knows vote-counting computers “better than anybody.” Snopes. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/musk-starlink-2024-election/

Caputo, M. (2024, Aug 5). North Carolina election board investigates Musk-backed PAC. CNBC.

NBC Philadelphia. (2024, Nov 4). Judge rejects request to block Musk $1 million voter giveaway.

The Hill. (2024, Oct 17). Musk kicks off campaign swing for Trump in Pennsylvania.

Mebane, W. R. (2025, June 2). Election forensics analysis of the 2024 Pennsylvania presidential election. University of Michigan. https://websites.umich.edu/~wmebane/PA2024.pdf

New York Times. (2025, May 30). On the campaign trail, Elon Musk juggled drugs and family drama. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/elon-musk-drugs-children-trump.html

NBC News. (2025, Dec 15). Jack Smith tells Congress he could prove Trump engaged in a criminal scheme. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jack-smith-tells-congress-prove-trump-engaged-criminal-scheme-overturn-rcna249715

Al Jazeera. (2024, Nov 13). Fact check: Was Starlink used to rig the U.S. election? https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/11/13/fact-check-was-elon-musks-starlink-used-to-rig-the-us-election

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[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

There hasn’t been a single shred of evidence proved in court that shows otherwise.

some sources say

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[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

is lazy, boring and ignores reality.

Yes, I believe those are the goals for both sides douchebags.

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[–] Grace_Schlick@lemmynsfw.com 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Breaking! Prosecutor believes person they had charged was guilty!

Unprecedented!

Explosive!

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And yet didn't indict him

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 18 points 3 months ago

Smith did indict Trump, on all the charges being discussed. The first indictment was in June of 23.

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 months ago

Biden was so incompetent that his only quality was being not-trump

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Yes, but would it have mattered though? He was convicted of rape and the majority of the American public either voted him in, or sat it out because they thought Kamala was somehow the same as him or for some virtue signalling about a topic halfway around the world. Dumb as bricks. Played for fools.

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

E X P L O S I V E

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