Innocent or guilty?

Re “Hearings traced an arc of

‘carnage’ ” (July 24): The factual evidence from the House select committee hearings should help determine the guilt or innocence of the former president.

During the campaign he stated, “the only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.” At the presidential debate, he asked a far-right extremist group to “stand back and stand by.” Before all ballots were counted, he claimed he won, creating the “big lie.”

He pressured Georgia top election official to find 11,780 votes, so he could claim victory. He falsely accused local election workers of interfering with ballots.

High-ranking administrative officials told him repeatedly he had lost the election; he continued his lies. He incited an insurrection Jan. 6 to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. He told them to “fight like hell.” He knew they were carrying weapons, and said, “They are not here to hurt me,” according to testimony from former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.

He planned a “coup de grace,” repeatedly encouraging the vice president to reject electoral votes; he persuaded Republican officials to falsely certify as legal electoral voters. Sadly, he was unconcerned about endangering the lives of the vice president and Congress.

His failure to stop the attack on the Capitol for 187 minutes, resulted in numerous injuries and several deaths, clearly a dereliction of duty in violation of his oath. He has now been accused of engaging in possible witness tampering, all acts taking place in broad daylight.

— David N. Camaione, Virginia Beach