Donald Trump “inspired a deadly passion” in the crowd that stormed the Capitol during the insurgency last year, according to a former Justice Department official, putting former Vice President Mike Pence’s life in jeopardy.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman said on MSNBC Saturday that the mob was ready to “rip Pence limb from limb.” It was “as black as it gets,” Litman claimed, describing it as a “set up” by Trump.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Litman reacted strongly to a disturbing video of Trump fans in which one can be heard screaming, “Pence just succumbed,” before adding, “we’re going to pull motherf**kers through the streets.”
According to Litman, Trump already knew at the time that Pence had resolved not to help him overturn the 2020 election. Despite this, Trump warned his followers before storming the Capitol that Pence might be pressured to reject the electoral votes.
“Trump goes out in front of the crowd and acts as if… it’s all up to Pence,” Litman said. “He knows Pence has already made up his mind,” Litman continued, “but keeping it open like that is calculated to incite violent wrath in the crowd when they find out.”
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The audience got “extremely enraged” when Trump’s supporters learned that Pence would not reject the electoral votes cast for Joe Biden in critical states.
“We have a testimony. that it was no joke,” Litman added, alluding to the House select committee hearings on the uprising. “They were ready to rip him [Pence] to shreds. As a result, Trump manipulates the situation in order to elicit the highest level of aggression from the mob. He went on to say, “Really sinister.”
