Trump attacks ‘kangaroo court’ riot hearings

DONALD TRUMP dismissed Congress’s Capitol riot hearings as a “mockery of justice” and a “kangaroo court” in a 12-page attack.

In televised hearings after a year of evidence gathering, the House select committee responsible for the investigation has accused Mr Trump of staging an “attempted coup” by “lighting the flame” for the storming of the building on Jan 6 last year.

In a rebuttal to the committee’s findings so far, the former president reiterated his claims that the election was “rigged and stolen”.

His allegations included that Joe Biden could not have legitimately won in Pennsylvania, Arizona or Georgia as the results showed that Mr Biden received more black and Hispanic votes than Barack Obama, the former president, which he said was “impossible”.

Mr Trump also claimed that there was an elaborate scheme in Pennsylvania to bring in extra votes for Mr Biden after election day.

The states have conducted audits, and found that there was no widespread fraud.

On Monday, the committee, which is composed of seven Democrats and two Republicans, showed extensive video evidence from former advisers to Mr Trump.

The advisers said they repeatedly told Mr Trump, from election night onwards, that his assertions of fraud in the election were false.

But Mr Trump said the Democrat-led committee was trying to “distract the American people from the great pain they are experiencing”.

He said: “Americans are struggling to fill their gas tanks. The people of our country are both angry and sad.

“The Democrats are desperate to change the narrative of a failing nation. They are hoping that these hearings will somehow alter their failing prospects.”

He added: “The truth is that Americans showed up in Washington in massive numbers on January 6 2021, to hold their elected officials accountable for the obvious signs of criminal activity throughout the election.”

Rudi Giuliani yesterday hit back at claims heard earlier in the week that he had been drunk on election night and had encouraged Mr Trump to declare victory. Mr Giuliani said he refused all alcohol on the evening.

The committee has postponed today’s hearing.