Trump Faces Allegations of Election Scheme, Jan 6th Role
Former President Donald Trump was summoned to DC Federal Court Thursday on new charges from special counsel Jack Smith. Smith alleges that Trump was at the center of a scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss, which came to a head with the deadly January 6th insurrection.
Transcript
00:00 Now to an unprecedented day in American history.
00:06 Former President Donald Trump summoned to D.C. federal court today on new charges from
00:10 special counsel Jack Smith.
00:13 Smith alleges that Trump was at the center of a scheme to overturn his 2020 election
00:17 loss which came to a head with the deadly January 6th insurrection.
00:22 ABC's Justin Finch is outside the courthouse with the latest from Washington.
00:28 Former President Donald Trump arriving at the Washington D.C. federal courthouse to
00:32 respond to his four count indictment from special counsel Jack Smith amid heavy security.
00:39 Trump indicted on felony charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and
00:44 conspiracy against rights.
00:47 Prosecutors allege Trump and his allies plotted to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe
00:53 Biden culminating in the deadly January 6th riot at the Capitol.
00:58 The attack on our nation's Capitol on January 6th, 2021 was an unprecedented assault on
01:05 the seat of American democracy.
01:07 A U.S. Marshall spokesperson tells ABC News Trump was not handcuffed nor took a mugshot
01:12 photo but his fingerprints were scanned.
01:15 The indictment also accusing Trump of knowingly promoting false election fraud claims and
01:21 pressuring former Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes on January 6th.
01:27 Pence now Trump's Republican rival for the 2024 presidential nomination echoing that
01:32 allegation on Fox.
01:34 The president specifically asked me and his gaggle of crackpot lawyers asked me to literally
01:41 reject votes.
01:43 Trump's defense attorney denying that accusation on CNN.
01:46 The ultimate request that Mr. Trump made to Vice President Pence was pause the vote counting,
01:55 allow the states to weigh in.
01:57 Trump has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
02:02 Trump's defense team is blasting this latest indictment as an attack on his free speech
02:07 but Trump's former attorney general is hitting back saying free speech does not give one
02:12 the right to engage in fraudulent conspiracy.
02:16 Justin Finch, ABC News, Washington.