Trump Tried to ‘Accelerate’ Violence Against Pence on Jan. 6: Zoe Lofgren – Newsweek

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said former President Donald Trump tried to "accelerate" violence against his Vice President Mike Pence during the January 6 riot.

Lofgren is serving on the House select committee investigating January 6, when Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to force Congress to block the certification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Some Trump supporters made threats against vice presidentwho rejected plans to overturn the election resultschanting "Hang Mike Pence."

On the day of the rally, Trump posted several tweets attacking Pence for not blocking Biden's win.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!" read one tweet.

During an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday, Lofgren said Trump not only failed to stop the violencebut that he actively made it worse.

"You know, when he sent out the tweet, attacking his vice president, he already knew that the violence was underway. The only conclusion you can reach is that he intended to accelerate that violence against the former vice president," said the California Democrat. "So, we're in a very rough time in America right now."

She condemned Trump for violence made against other elected officials in the United States she said he "unleashed" by not doing more to prevent it during the certification.

She also pointed to instances of violence or threats against lawmakers.

On Sunday, Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, said a death threat against him and his family had been mailed to his house over his participation on the House committee and predicted there will be more political violence in the future.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a right-wing activist berated Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, at the Texas GOP convention before clashing with members of the congressman's staff.

Others have also complained about Trump failing to quell violence among his supporters. Representative Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, said during the first televised committee hearing on June 9 that Trump allegedly approved of the "Hang Mike Pence" chants.

"Aware of the rioters' chants to 'hang Mike Pence,' the president responded with this sentiment: 'Maybe our supporters have the right idea'. Mike Pence 'deserves it,'" Cheney said.

Trump appeared to defend the chant in an interview with ABC News last November. Journalist Jonathan Karl pressed him about the "terrible chants," to which Trump responded that "the people were very angry."

Mary Trump, the former president's niece, said on MSNBC Saturday that Pence's death could have been the "excuse" her uncle needed to do something "absolutely radical" to stay in power and overturn the election results

Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment.

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Trump Tried to 'Accelerate' Violence Against Pence on Jan. 6: Zoe Lofgren - Newsweek

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