In the hours before the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, Donald Trump was reportedly so “enthralled” by the sound of his MAGA supporters that he would open doors and windows in the White House to make sure everyone could hear them. Trump’s behavior is detailed in the upcoming book from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, Peril, which focuses on the disastrous final days of his presidency that culminated in a failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Or as Trump told Steve Bannon the night before the attack, “we need to kill the Biden presidency in the crib.”
While appearing on Morning Joe on Tuesday, Woodward and Costa recalled a scene where Trump essentially threatened Vice President Mike Pence by making him listen to the sound of the soon-to-be insurrectionist MAGA crowd. Via Mediaite:
“We have this scene of President Trump not only pressuring Vice President Pence in the Oval Office but then opening the [door] and having the cold air coming in and talking to his aides, saying ‘can you hear my supporters outside?’” Costa said. “It was a domestic political crisis, a national security emergency as well.”
Woodward likened the scene to Watergate, which ultimately brought down Nixon. Although, by this stage, Trump had already been voted out, and the only thing stopping him was Congress continuing to fulfill its Constitutional duty by certifying the election. As for whether the former president will face consequences for the Jan. 6 remains to be seen, but a House select committee is investigating the attempted coup, which has already angered Republican politicians who may be implicated in the attack.
(Via Mediaite)