“Almost impossible” to prove what Trump knew

Harsh words are hailed against US President Donald Trump during the interrogations about the storming of the Capitol. That is not positive for Trump – but probably not enough to prosecute him either, according to US expert Jan Hallenberg.

– Trump is like Putin. He repeats his lies until he believes them.

– He was losing touch with reality.

William Barr, a former Attorney General under Donald Trump, did not mince words when questioned about the post-US presidential election in 2020. In his interrogation, he described Trump’s repeated lies that the election was stolen as “bullshit” and “madness.”

Devastating criticism, according to Jan Hallenberg, US expert and research leader at the Foreign Policy Institute (UI).

– Republicans sit and say that it’s all snow. Trump’s own justice minister is sitting and laughing at him, he tells TT.

“Like Putin”

During Wednesday and Thursday, the House of Representatives’ special hearing committee will delve deeper into how employees at the Department of Justice and the White House confronted Trump, as well as how he pressured his Vice President Mike Pence to tear up the election results.

An important question is whether Trump knew he had lost the election but still came up with accusations of electoral fraud. Several in the committee believe that there is enough evidence for this for the Minister of Justice to be able to bring charges against the former president, but according to Hallenberg, it is not very likely that this will happen.

– It is almost impossible to prove that the man knew this and does not have a brain ghost. The committee made it probable that he should have understood, but can hardly prove it.

– Trump is like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. He repeats his lies until he believes them.

Can be affected

After Monday’s interrogation, Trump himself released a twelve-page statement that echoes his old claims that he won the election. About two-thirds of Republicans believe in him.

But it also means that a third of the party’s members, plus independent voters, are likely to be affected by the congressional hearings if they follow the live political drama, according to Hallenberg.

– There are probably some in the group who can listen to this message and become more hesitant about Trump. But how many they are and how strong an impact they have is very difficult to assess.

“Loses influence”

In the primary elections that are taking place in the USA, the fight continues at the same time, where candidates within each party will settle for the candidacy for the mid-term elections this autumn. For the most part, the choice for the Republicans has been between politicians who have received Trump’s blessing and more conventional politicians – with mixed results where both phalanxes within the party have achieved success and defeat. Within the party, however, there is a concern that too extreme candidates will find it difficult to win against the Democrats’ candidates in a sharp situation this autumn.

– My thesis is that Trump is at least slowly losing influence. He is still strong within the Republican Party, but I do not see his influence increasing.

He cites as an example the election result in Georgia, where two Republican politicians who were openly criticized by Trump took home his candidacy with unexpectedly large support.

– The more such results there are, the weaker Trump will probably be.

“Cursed” voters

However, a divided Republican party and disappointing interrogations in Congress are probably not enough to influence the outcome of the election this autumn.

– The overall political wind is so strong against the Democrats that it will be very difficult for the party to win the congressional elections.

– Voters are cursed for so much more than Trump and fabricated election fraud. They are worried about inflation and petrol prices. These are the types of issues that will determine their choices.

Facts

The hearings in Congress

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