gentleman from California, Ms.
Lofgren for an opening
statement.
Rep. Lofgren: Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
In our opening hearing, we give
an overview of our investigation
into the January 6 the cap --
attack.
The plot was complex and had
many parts which we will explore
in many hearings.
Today we examine the false
narrative that the 2020 election
was "Stolen."
Former president trump's plan to
overturn the election relied on
a sustained effort to deceive
millions of Americans with
knowingly false claims of
election fraud.
All elements of the plot relied
on convincing his supporters
about these false claims.
Today, we will demonstrate the
2020 election was not stolen.
The American people elected
president Joe Biden.
We will present evidence that
Mr. Trump's claims of election
fraud were false, that he and
his closest advisors new those
claims were false, but they
continue to peddle them anyway,
right up until the moments
before a mob of trump supporters
attacked the capitol.
We will also show that the trump
campaign used these false claims
of election fraud to raise
hundreds of millions of dollars
from supporters who were told
their donations were for the
legal fight in the courts.
But the trump campaign did not
use the money for that.
The big lie was also a big
ripoff.
The former president laid the
groundwork for these false
claims well in advance of the
election.
As early as April 2028 Mr. Trump
claimed that the only way he
could lose an election would be
as a result of fraud.
President trump: You know all
the things happening with vote
by mail, where thousands of
votes are gathered and I'm not
going to say which party does
it, but thousands of votes are
gathered and they are coming and
dumped a new location and then
all of a sudden you lose
elections that you think you
will win.
The only way we will lose this
election is if the election is
rigged.
Remember that.
The only way we lose the
election.
This will be fraud like you have
never seen.
Take a look at West Virginia,
mailmen selling the ballots.
They. Are being sold, dumped in
rivers
this is horrible for our
country.
This is not going to end well.
Rep. Lofgren: Mr. Trump decided
even before the election that
regardless of the facts and the
truth, if he lost the election,
he would claim it was rigged.
Mr. Trump was right about one
thing, it did not end well.
On election night, Mr. Trump
claimed even before the votes
were counted that his loss was a
result of fraud.
Thursday, we had testimony from
attorney general Barr about the
department of justice
investigation of Mr. Trump's
fraud claims.
Barr told trump directly that
his claims were B.S.
Yet, after hearing the truth and
that morning from the ag, Mr.
Trump continued to peddle the
calls claims of fraud.
You will hear detailed testimony
from attorney general Barr
describing the various election
fraud claims the department of
justice investigated.
He will tell you how he told Mr.
Trump she did leave that there
was no merit to those claims.
Mr. Barr will tell us that Mr.
Trump's election my claims of
fraud were made without regard
to the truth, and before it was
even possible to look for
evidence of fraud.
Attorney general Barr was not
alone.
You will see and hear today
other department of justice
officials and senior advisor's
to Mr. Trump that they told him
the claims he was making were
not supported by evidence.
The election fraud claims were
false.
Mr. Trump's closest advisors new
it.
Mr. Trump knew it.
That did not stop him from
pushing the false claims and
urging his supporters to "Fight
like hell" to " take back their
country."
After he lost the election,
various legal challenges were
made.
You'll he'll testimony today
from a renowned Republican
election lawyer who explained
the normal process by which
candidates challenge an
election.
Rather than accept the results
of the election and the
decisions of the courts, Mr.
Trump pursued a different
strategy.
He tried to convince the
American people the election had
been stolen.
Many of his supporters believed
him.
And many still believe him
today.
The attack on January 6 was a
direct and predictable result of
Mr. Trump's decision to use