President Donald Trump planned to declare victory in the November 2020 election as early as that July, the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack revealed in its ninth and possibly final public televised hearing Thursday.
“It was a premeditated plan by the president to declare victory no matter what the actual result was. He made a plan to stay in office before Election Day,” January 6 Committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren told Americans as the hearing began.
“The evidence shows that his false victory speech was planned well in advance,” she stated, adding, “before any votes had been counted.”
CBS News’ Robert Costa confirmed the Committee’s claim moments later.
“CBS News has confirmed that Oct. 31, 2020 was a key date in the pre-election maneuvers by Trump. Set off alarm with WH counsel and Herschmann, among others. I’ve seen texts from that night from some aides and they knew it was no joke; declaring victory was Trump’s plan. Period.”
The New York Times’ Stephanie Lai notes: “Trump was prepared to claim he won the election as far back as July 2021. Part of the plan was to claim that only votes cast and counted on Election day would count, despite his advisors warning against it. A memo from outside advisor Tom Fitton in Oct. also shows that.”
As Rep. Lofgren noted, Tom Fitton, of right-wing activist group Judicial Watch, had written a draft statement designed to be read by Donald Trump on Election night. That memo was dated October 31, 2020, and sent to Trump’s aides.
Trump, according to the memo, would demand the counting of ballots be immediately stopped, by midnight on Election night.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger added that Trump’s “intent was plain: Ignore the rule of law and stay in power.”
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