Former President
Donald Trump
is officially back on the campaign
trail holding
what they described in the campaign
as the first rally of his 20, 24
presidential campaign
to return to the White House yesterday
in Waco, Texas.
The event featured
all of Trump's
familiar lies about the 2020 election.
He also called for the elimination
of the deep state.
But as he is facing legal investigations
in three different
jurisdictions, Trump
complained about what he sees
is the newest weapon in the Democrat's
attempts to steal the next election.
This is how he put it
prosecutorial misconduct
is their new tool,
and they are willing to use it at levels
never seen before.
In our country.
We've had it
but we've never had it like this.
We must stop them
and we must not allow them
to go through another election
where they have yet another
tool in their toolkit.
And join me now to talk
about all of this.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California.
She was a member of the January
six select committee.
Congresswoman,
thank you for being with us.
What do you make of Trump's comments
about these investigations
swirling around him?
He's talking
about prosecutorial misconduct.
And we, as we mentioned with Daniel Dale
are fact-checker in the previous hour.
He's not offering any evidence of that.
He's just saying it
well, there is no evidence.
And I think obviously he appears
to be worried that he will be indicted.
I don't know if will be indicted,
but certainly
he engaged in criminal conduct.
I mean, our committee
did criminal referrals,
of course, doing the referral and
you know, being the prosecutors
to two different things.
They have to make sure that not only do
they have probable cause,
but I think given
the high profile
of a potential defendant,
they're going to want to ensure
ensure that they
have sufficient evidence to convict.
So there's no evidence whatsoever
that there's
anything improper on the part
of the prosecutors, although
the ex-president certainly
tried to weaponize
the Department of Justice
when he was president.
And he called the 20, 24
campaign the final battle last night.
He did this in Waco,
Texas, during the 30th anniversary
of the infamous standoff
between federal agents
and the Branch Davidian cult
in that area.
Let's listen to that
And 2024 is the final battle.
That's going to be the big one.
Our enemies are desperate to stop us
because they know
that we are the only ones
who can stop them.
All of the hatred, rage and contempt
the radical left has for
you and your values.
And this nation
has been very much directed on me.
Either the deep state destroys America
or we destroy the deep state.
They're not coming after me.
They're coming after you.
And I'm just standing in their way.
It's the
same language of incitement
that we've heard time and again
from the former president.
We know that Late last week,
the House Democratic leader Hakeem
Jeffries, was talking
about how he was worried
that somebody could get killed
with all of this rhetoric flying around.
Are you worried about that, too?
Well, I think it's a concern.
The rhetoric
that he's using today is not dissimilar
to the type of rhetoric
he is prior to January six, in fact.
In some ways, it's more overt
and blatant than the
events leading up to January 6th.
I mean, he posted
a picture of himself
holding a baseball bat
next to the prosecutor in Manhattan,
calling the crossing shooter
a number of horrible names
like an animal and thug.
He
disparaged the idea that
his followers should remain peaceful.
You know, this is cause for concern.
We know that certainly not
all of his followers
are inclined to take up arms.
But there's enough of them
were willing to do battle in his behalf
that someone could get killed.
And people were killed,
obviously, on January six.
And he kicked off this rally
with a version
of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Perhaps you've seen this
in this version
was sung by a group of inmates
currently jailed
for their role
in the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
As the song played,
Trump was standing on the stage
with his hand over his heart
and so on, as as images
from the attack
on the Capitol played on screen.
What did you think of that?
Well, he's elevating the violence.
We know from our investigation
that he tried
various ways to overturn the election
but he was left only with mob violence.
By the time January
six rolled around to elevate people
who have been either
convicted or in most cases
pled guilty to violent assault,
these were individuals
who viciously attacked police officers
in the assault on the Capitol
That's not patriotism.
And that he would
elevate them is admirable,
I think tells me a lot
about where the ex-president
is in terms of
honoring and encouraging violence.
I think it's something
that's cause for concern.
I am worried,
frankly, that my Republican colleagues
I think many of them don't agree,
but they are not speaking up
and they need to do that or else.
Once again, we'll see
potentially
violence brought
into the political arena.
And that's not American.
That's the
absolute opposite of being pro-American.
And finally, a federal judge
ruled this week that some Trump
allies, top Trump allies.
Names you would recognize
would be compelled to testify
before a grand jury
about the events surrounding January six.
You served on the House
January six committee.
I mean, you tried mightily
on that committee
to have some of these people
people like Mark Meadows
come and testify.
You couldn't compel that testimony.
It sounds like they'll have to cooperate
with this grand jury.
What questions need to be asked
Well, I have a lot of questions.
I mean, Meadows was involved
on a day to day basis
with the president
on these various schemes.
I'd like to know frankly, what documents
Mark was burning in the fireplace.
That's been reported by several people.
I'd like to know
about the conversations they had
and what the ex-president was doing on
January six itself.
I'd like to know the details
of the meeting on December 21st
where members of Congress
came over to plot
with the President and Mr.
Meadows to overturn the election.
But, you know,
he still has his Fifth Amendment right
not to testify against himself.
And I think he certainly does
have some criminal exposure.
You know,
one of the people I'd like to talk to
was Dan
Scavino, who again, was there
the entire time.
On January six,
he could tell us what the president
the ex-president was doing And also,
he was,
you know, right by the president's side.
Every time there was a digital message
that was sent out
And I think he could tell us
a lot about that, too.
He also, of course, has
the Fifth Amendment right not to
testify against himself.
All right,
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California,
thanks very much for your time.
We appreciate it, as always. Thank you.