London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Mar 31, 2026

Donald Trump accused of multi-part conspiracy over 6 January attack

Donald Trump accused of multi-part conspiracy over 6 January attack

The congressional panel investigating last year's attack on the US Capitol has accused former President Donald Trump of a "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn his election defeat three months earlier.

The panel has released its final 845-page report on the attack.

It places the blame for the 6 January 2021 storming of Congress squarely on the former president.

It also recommends barring Mr Trump from public office in the future.

He did not co-operate with the panel and declared the final report a "witch hunt" after its release.

Over 18 months, the committee held 10 public hearings and interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, including Trump administration officials and staff, Trump family members, Capitol police officers, rioters, militia members, and more.

On Monday, the panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans recommended the justice department investigate Mr Trump - who is mounting another White House campaign - for aiding an insurrection and three other federal crimes.

The Democratic chairman of the select committee, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, wrote in a foreword to the eight-chapter report that it was once "unimaginable" that the president of the United States would incite a mob to march on the Capitol.

Here are the six key findings, which were released on Thursday night:


1) Trump made false claims which aides told him were untrue

The committee said that Mr Trump's decision to falsely declare victory on election night 2020 was "premeditated", and that only his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, supported this action. The former president soon began making unfounded claims of widescale voter fraud, and continued to do so with more frequency after the election was called for Joe Biden.

The committee points to their interviews with several advisers and lawyers close to Mr Trump, who say they did not believe these claims of fraud or could find no evidence of the phenomenon.

Most notable among those voices was former Attorney General William Barr, who told the committee during a deposition: "I made it clear that I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff, which I told the president was [expletive.]"

The president continued to sow election conspiracies over the coming weeks, though top Trump administration officials testified they informed him the claims were not true.


2) Trump's rhetoric brought rioters to Washington

The committee makes the argument that the attack on the Capitol was sparked by Mr Trump himself.

In addition to Mr Trump's repeated fraud claims, the committee points to a 19 December 2020 tweet, in which the former president wrote: "Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!"

In depositions and court documents, rioters and militia members who were present at the Capitol that day cited Mr Trump's tweet as their rationale for coming to Washington. The committee cited men like Robert Morss, who was found guilty of assaulting officers during the Capitol breach. Mr Morss "believed January 6th stood for the moment when '1776 Will Commence Again' because President Trump asked them to 'Be there, Will be Wild'", the report states.

The committee also cites Secret Service warnings that people were planning to come to Washington on January 6 and threatening to "be wild".


3) Trump failed to act during the riot

The committee argues that Mr Trump did not take action as the January 6 attack commenced, and that he ignored warnings coming from Congress that a serious attack was unfolding.

Some of their conclusion rests on the testimony of former White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson, who appeared in a dramatic hearing earlier this year and also gave depositions about the chaos she says she witnessed in the White House that day.

According to a transcript of her testimony released on Thursday, a former White House ethics lawyer had attempted to coach Ms Hutchinson before she gave evidence to the committee: "The less you remember, the better."

The committee also cites communications between lawmakers trapped in the Capitol and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was receiving an increasingly desperate barrage of pleas from members of Congress who were forced into hiding.

Texts from Hope Hicks, one of Mr Trump's most loyal aides, summed up the dismay among staff at the White House.

Ms Hicks texted Ivanka Trump's chief of staff, Julie Radford, after the riot saying "we all look like domestic terrorists now".

She also texted a White House lawyer: "I'm so upset. Everything we worked for wiped away."


4) Far-right groups planned - then acted

Tips about armed groups targeting Washington and even the Capitol specifically started coming in December 2020. The report notes that the FBI was sent messages circulating on groups run by the far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

"There is only one way. It is not signs. It's not rallies. It's [expletive] bullets," said one.

Capitol Police and Secret Service agents - who are responsible for protecting the president - received similar messages from insiders and others. Some specifically named the Capitol as a focus for potentially violent activity.

Some of the chatter came from private encrypted chat apps, but other messages were publicly visible on pro-Trump websites and Twitter.

Members of the far-right groups ended up among the crowds inside the Capitol on 6 January.

Alongside the report, the committee released dozens of raw transcripts of testimony provided by witnesses in closed-door sessions. Several of Mr Trump's biggest supporters on the far-right fringes - such as Alex Jones and white nationalist Nick Fuentes - refused to answer questions, citing their constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination.

But testimony from others - including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio - indicated mutual suspicion, infighting, and conspiratorial thinking among the far-right factions involved in the riot.

Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges last month and potentially faces decades in prison, while Mr Tarrio is currently on trial.


5) Trump tried to pressure his vice-president to overturn the results

Part of Mr Trump's plan to remain in office revolved around a controversial reading of the US Constitution, which he believed allowed Vice-President Mike Pence, who would preside over the election certification, to declare him the victor.

On 6 January, Mr Trump attempted to call Mr Pence, shouting at aides to get him on the phone, the report states. The former president then falsely told Mr Pence he had the power to intervene in the certification.

Witnesses told the committee that at one point, Mr Trump called the vice-president a "wimp" and said he was "not tough enough".

Addressing a crowd on 6 January, Mr Trump said he hoped Mr Pence would "do the right thing". Later, in the midst of the attack, rioters would chant "Hang Mike Pence" as they stormed the Capitol.


6) Trump should be barred from holding public office

The panel has made 11 recommendations as a result of its investigation.

One cites the constitution, which states an individual who has taken an oath to support the US Constitution but has "engaged in an insurrection" or given "aid or comfort to the enemies of the Constitution" can be disqualified from office.

Mr Trump was referred to the Department of Justice for assisting or aiding an insurrection.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
UK Housing Divide Deepens as Older Owners Hold Wealth While Under-30s Face Mounting Barriers
London Demonstration Calls on UK to Recognize Iranian Opposition’s Provisional Government
UK Green Party Vote on ‘Zionism is Racism’ Motion Collapses Amid Internal Disputes and Technical Failures
SNL UK Ignites Debate with Sharp Royal Satire Targeting Prince Andrew and Prince William
EU Proposes ‘Emergency Brake’ to Resolve Deadlock in UK Youth Mobility Talks
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
×