“If Trump is found guilty, it will in fact be a coup”

Former United States President Donald Trump is also facing charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights in the Capitol storming case. Moreover, he would have tried to obstruct the course of justice and to assemble a conspiracy which would defraud the government.

According to US correspondent David Hammelburg, the charges are based on a disproportionate appeal by Republicans about tampering with votes from illegal or dodgy voters, especially in big cities. “In the city of Atlanta, for example, they were there to invalidate as many votes as possible because of fraud,” says Hammelburg. But because a disproportionate number of black Americans live there, according to special counsel Jack Smith, it was mostly about having black votes declared invalid. It is a violation of civil rights and can be considered a federal crime.

Should Trump be found guilty on the other counts as well, a new trial seems likely, although Hammelburg says it is still a long way off. “No lawsuit has been filed yet, it was just the preparation,” he says. “It happens before a so-called grand jury, that is to say an inquest jury. They must determine if there is sufficient evidence that one or more crimes have been committed.

Criminal record

Only then does a criminal case ensue, which is set up with a new jury. Trump must be proven guilty there. But if Jack Smith can finally prove conclusively that Trump systematically attempted to tamper with the election results, then we’re actually talking about a coup attempt, and that’s a very serious offense. Undoubtedly leading to a long prison sentence.

Read also | What are the charges against Trump against the Republican Party?

And Smith is seen as a man with a mission, Hammelburg knows that. Smith is therefore anything but for discussion, but for facts. “For irrefutable evidence, he says he has no use for a discussion of whether or not Trump’s speech was a call for rebellion,” Hammelburg concludes. “If you have witnesses in Trump’s own circle who have heard first hand that he played an active role in this forgery, that will help you much more.”

Systematic interrogations

Smith therefore systematically interviews the people who were present at the White House: parents, close associates, Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s most important advisers. “You can also hear by this that Trump knew he lost and deliberately tried in swing states to get fake Republican voters sent to Washington.”