Former President Donald Trump speaks in a video exhibit as the House select committee
(Picture: AP)Donald Trump has blasted the Capitol riot hearing as a “Kangaroo Court”.
He also claimed the investigation into the riot of protestors who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was simply a “distraction” in a 12-page statement.
Former advisers on Monday gave evidence to the Congressional committee investigating the violence about Mr Trump’s inability to accept his election loss.
The businessman declared victory on election night in 2020 when Joe Biden had won and he went as far to claim fraud after an “intoxicated” Rudy Giuliani advised him, a US hearing has been told.
Aides from his inner circle warned the politician to back down but Mr Giuliani urged him to press ahead when he arrived at the White House, according to video testimony.
At the time, Mr Trump then told the nation the election was a fraud on the American people as he said: “Frankly, we did win.”
This was the only beginning of his insistence the election was “stolen” from him.
Asked if anyone had too much to drink on election night, adviser Jason Miller said: "Um, Mayor Giuliani."
He added: "I think the Mayor was intoxicated, but I do not know his level of toxic intoxication when he spoke with the president, for example.
"There were suggestions by, I believe it was Mayor Giuliani to go and declare victory and say that we won it outright."
Committee vicechair Liz Cheney said: "President Trump rejected the advice of his campaign experts on election night, and instead followed the course recommended by an apparently inebriated Rudy Giuliani to just claim that he won and insist the vote counting stop, to falsely claim everything was fraudulent."
Mr Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien said: "The results were still being counted. It was becoming clear that the race would not be called on election night.
"My recommendation was [for Mr Trump] to say votes were being counted and it was still too early to call. The president disagreed with that. He thought I was wrong. He was going to go in a different direction."
Senior adviser Jared Kushner said he warned Mr Trump it was "not the approach I would take, if I was you".
But Mr Kushner said Mr Trump told him: "I have confidence in Rudy."
Many advisers later tried to dissuade Mr Trump to back down on the fraud allegations.
Former attorney general Bill Barr described how Mr Trump called him into the Oval Office and presented him with an "amateurish" report suggesting fraud which he seemed convinced would win him a second term.
In a recorded deposition, Mr Barr said: "I was demoralised because I thought, if he really believes this stuff, he’s lost contact... He’s become detached from reality, if he believes this stuff."
He added: "There was never an intention of interest in what the facts are. Before the election it was possible to talk sense to the president, it could be a big wrestling match, but I felt after the election he didn’t seem to be listening."
Mr Stepien said: "There was my team and Rudy’s team. I didn’t mind being categorised as part of ‘team normal’. I always told the president the truth."
Referring to the election fraud allegations, adviser Eric Herschmann said: "What they were proposing was nuts. All over the radar."
