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      Trump sued by partner of Capitol police officer who died after January 6 attack

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      Trump sued by partner of Capitol police officer who died after January 6 attackLawsuit filed by Sandra Garza alleges ex-president’s ‘campaign of lies’ played a ‘significant role’ in the death of Brian Sicknick The partner of Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the January 6 attack on Congress, has sued Donald Trump alleging that the former president’s “campaign of lies and incendiary rhetoric” about the 2020 presidential election motivated the mob and played a “significant role in the medical condition” that killed the officer.The lawsuit, filed in Washington DC federal court, names Trump and two other January 6 rioters who attacked Sicknick, and demands millions in damages. It was brought by Sicknick’s longtime partner, Sandra Garza, one day before the insurrection’s second anniversary.Fears over lax security in Republican-controlled House two years after Capitol attackRead moreGarza alleges that Trump’s months-long refusal to recognize Joe Biden’s win spurred violence that proved fatal to Sicknick. “Many participants in the attack have since revealed that they were acting on what they believed to be Defendant Trump’s direct orders in service of their country,” the lawsuit states.It added that Trump’s speech hours before the riot, urging people to “fight like hell”, was “the culmination of a coordinated effort to subvert the certification vote”.“Trump directly incited the violence at the US Capitol that followed and then watched approvingly as the building was overrun,” the lawsuit states. “Trump did all these things solely in his personal capacity for his own personal benefit and/or his own partisan aims.”The other two defendants are rioters Julian Khater and George Tanios, who were among those “engaged in a confrontation” with the police, including Sicknick, assigned to guard the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. The rioters tore down barriers, and assaulted officers with hands, feet, and “other objects”, the lawsuit alleges.It says Khater blasted bear spray in Sicknick’s face, after Tanios brought the spray with him. As Sicknick turned back, “incapacitated by the bear spray”, Khater kept spraying and continued forward, spraying at least two other officers.Sicknick, who remained at the Capitol late into the evening, collapsed at about 10pm. Paramedics rushed him to hospital but he died less than 24 hours later.Washington DC’s medical examiner determined that Sicknick died of “natural causes – specifically, a series of strokes.” But the examiner emphasized that “all that transpired on [January 6] played a role in his condition”.The lawsuit argues that Trump knew chaos and violence could grow from his “stop the steal” rhetoric. “The horrific events of January 6, 2021, including Officer Sicknick’s tragic, wrongful death, were a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants’ unlawful actions,” the suit says.“Trump was aware that his actions prior to and on January 6, 2021 promoted and encouraged the mob to violently storm the US Capitol.”It added: “Officer Sicknick’s death was a reasonable and foreseeable consequence of Defendants’ intentional words and actions.”The suit also cites the findings of the House January 6 committee, which accused Trump of a “multi-party conspiracy” to derail certification of the election. The committee unanimously made four criminal referrals to the US justice department against Trump for his role in the insurrection, the first time Congress has taken such a step against a former president.Trump’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Both Tanios and Khater were arrested after the riot and pleaded guilty, Tanios to entering and remaining in a restricted building and Khater to assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon.Beth Gross, Tanios’s attorney, said in a statement that “the recent civil lawsuit naming him as a defendant veers well beyond what the facts support and misconstrues Mr Tanios’s actual conduct”.TopicsDonald TrumpUS Capitol attacknewsReuse this content More

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      Fears over lax security in Republican-controlled House two years after Capitol attack

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      Fears over lax security in Republican-controlled House two years after Capitol attackFresh concerns raised over stripping away of measures put in place by Democrats after January 6 insurrection Two years after the January 6 insurrection, fresh fears are being raised over safety for lawmakers and staff at the US Capitol, especially as Republicans have stripped away some of the security measures installed in the wake of the deadly attack on Congress.House Republicans, who secured a narrow majority in the 2022 midterm elections, removed the metal detectors outside the House chamber ready for the first day of business of the 118th Congress on Tuesday, 3 January. House Republicans aim to rein in ethics body preparing to investigate their partyRead moreThe Democrats had installed the facilities after a mob of extremist supporters of Donald Trump had stormed the Capitol in 2021 in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to prevent lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.The magnetometers’ removal came not just at a symbolically significant time heading up to the two-year anniversary on Friday of the Capitol attack, but also as federal lawmakers face increased risk.US Capitol Police reported 9,625 threats and directions of interest, which means actions or statements that cause concern, against members of Congress in 2021, compared with 3,939 in 2017. Metal detectors remain at the entrance of Congress for visitors and members of the public.Nevada Democratic representative Steven Horsford, incoming chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the removal of the metal detectors outside the House chamber, citing increased threats against lawmakers.“Over the last two years since 2020, members of Congress, particularly members of color, have been under direct attack in our districts, in DC, in the communities – and House Democrats worked to enhance those protections, not just for ourselves, but by passing legislation for our constituents,” Horsford said, speaking to the Guardian on his way to a meeting at the Capitol two days ago.“And now, the Republicans want to roll those protections back just like they want to roll back protections for women, protections for immigrants, protections for labor.“They’re not here to serve the people – they’re here to serve their special interest and that’s why we have to do everything we can to make sure their term in the [House] majority is very short,” he added.Maryland Democratic congressman and member of the recently-disbanded House select committee investigating the Capitol attack and Trump’s role in it, Jamie Raskin, voiced similar security concerns.“The January 6 select committee said that the forces that Trump arrayed against us are still out there,” Raskin said. “We need to be taking every precaution to make sure that January 6 [2021] doesn’t become a dress rehearsal for the next event.”Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi had security officials erect the metal detectors to check members of congress for weapons. These devices quickly became a flashpoint in the bitterly-politicized discourse surrounding January 6, which was further intensified by deep partisan division over gun access in the US.‘Medium level of paranoia’: security concerns still loom on Capitol HillRead moreMany Republican members of Congress were unwilling to criticize the rioters that broke into and damaged the Capitol, shaking American democracy two years ago. The mob rampaged through the corridors, chasing and attacking police officers, while also threatening violence against lawmakers of both political parties, who had to flee for their lives. Republicans and the House January 6 Committee, meanwhile, both released reports that present dueling narratives.The bipartisan House committee directly blamed Trump for fanning the flames of insurrection. The Republican report, however, focused on security failures and did not explore rioters’ efforts to thwart Biden’s certification, CNN reported.Later on Friday, Biden was scheduled to speak at the White House to mark the anniversary of the insurrection and warn that extremists who continue to deny that Trump lost the 2020 election, which include hard right Republicans in office as well as conspiracy theorists and many right-leaning voters, pose a danger to American democracy.The midterm elections last November saw the defeat of many Trump-backed far right candidates across the US who continue to claim falsely that he was denied a second term in the White House because of widespread voter fraud, and pledged to back harsh voting restrictions.But the fringe element retains a strong voice, as demonstrated even in Washington this week via Republicans’ inability to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives in the new Congress, as far right members of congress fought for influence, with the chaos spilling into the January 6 anniversary.And the US president also was set to present the nation’s second highest civilian award to 12 individuals involved in defending the Capitol during the insurrection, and in safeguarding the will of American voters in the 2020 presidential election.Among those being honored are seven members of law enforcement, including a posthumous award to Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the attack, and an award to Officer Eugene Goodman, who was credited with directing rioters away from the Senate floor while lawmakers were evacuating the building.Biden is also recognizing Michigan’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, and Rusty Bowers, a former Arizona House speaker, who resisted pressure to overturn the election results; and Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, election workers in Fulton county, Georgia, who were subjected to threats and harassment after ensuring votes in the county were properly tabulated.Following the Capitol attack, some lawmakers were leery of their own colleagues and thought that it was necessary to screen other representatives for firearms or other weapons.At first, several House Republicans refused to go through the magnetometers, entering the chamber without undergoing weapons screening, and were subsequently fined.Several Republicans heralded the detectors’ removal this week, including Lauren Boebert, a Republican Colorado representative and gun rights activist. Boebert, who got into a seeming dispute with an officer following the detectors’ installation – wouldn’t say whether she would bring a gun onto the House Floor.“I think they should be removed from the Capitol, filled with Tannerite and blown up,” Boebert told the New York Post shortly before the metal detectors were taken away, referring to an explosive material that’s used on firearms range targets.“They should not feel unsafe,” Boebert said of Democrats voicing safety concerns. “If they do, they should come see me for a concealed-carry weapons permit and I can make sure they are locked and loaded in Washington, DC, legally.”Democratic representative Ted Lieu was disconcerted by the prospect of armed representatives on the House floor.“I’m awfully concerned that Lauren Boebert wouldn’t answer on whether she would bring a gun to the House floor,” Lieu told the Guardian. “We have security here on the House floor, so there’s no reason for any member to bring a gun on to the House floor.”TopicsHouse of RepresentativesUS politicsUS Capitol attackRepublicansDemocratsUS CongressnewsReuse this content More

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      ‘All I did was testify’: Republican who defied Trump will get presidential medal

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      ‘All I did was testify’: Republican who defied Trump will get presidential medalRusty Bowers is one of 12 people who took risks to protect US democracy who will be honored on anniversary of January 6 Rusty Bowers, the former top Republican in Arizona’s house of representatives who stood up to Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and was punished for it by being unseated by his own party, is to receive America’s second-highest civilian honor on Friday.Bowers will be among 12 people who will be awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by Joe Biden at the White House at a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the 6 January 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol. It will be the first time that the president has presented the honor, which is reserved for those who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens”.Ousted Republican reflects on Trump, democracy and America: ‘The place has lost its mind’ Read moreAll 12 took exceptional personal risks to protect US democracy against Trump’s onslaught. Many are law enforcement officers who confronted the Capitol rioters, others are election workers and officials in key battleground states who refused to be bullied into subverting the outcome of the presidential race.Several of the recipients paid a huge personal price for their actions. Brian Sicknick will receive the presidential medal posthumously – he died the day after the insurrection having suffered a stroke; a medical examiner later found he died from natural causes, while noting that the events of January 6 had “played a role in his condition”.Bowers’ award, first reported by the Deseret News, came after he refused effectively to ignore the will of Arizona’s 3.4 million voters and switch victory from Biden to Trump. As a result, he incurred the wrath of Trump, who endorsed a rival candidate in last year’s Republican primary elections.David Farnsworth, the Trump-backed opponent, went on to defeat Bowers and usher him out of the Arizona legislature. Farnsworth is an avid proponent of the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, going so far as to tell voters that the White House had been satanically snatched by the “devil himself”.Ahead of Friday’s ceremony, Bowers described the news of his award as “something of a shock”. He said that though some of his detractors were likely to denounce his call to the White House a political stunt, he thought it was designed to “create unity and put behind us the division of the past. I’m certainly in favor of that, no matter what.”He added: “I don’t think this is to stir up division, it’s to honor those who stood up and did their job as best they could. And that’s kind of what America is about.” Last June, Bowers testified before the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. He told the hearing that shortly after the November 2020 election he had received a phone call personally from Trump, who asked him to take the state’s 11 electoral college votes away from Biden and hand them to him. Bowers replied: “Look, you’re asking me to do something that is counter to my oath … I will not do it.” January 6 officer Michael Fanone warns ‘democracy is still in danger’Read moreIn an interview with the Guardian from his desert ranch outside Phoenix in August, Bowers characterized the plot to overturn the election as fascism. “Taking away the fundamental right to vote, the idea that the legislature could nullify your election, that’s not conservative. That’s fascist. And I’m not a fascist,” he said.Among the other recipients at Friday’s medal presentation will be Eugene Goodman, the Capitol police officer who drew angry rioters away from the Senate chambers where lawmakers were hiding in fear. Jocelyn Benson, who in the role of Michigan’s top election official fended off a virulent campaign of misinformation during the presidential vote count, will also be honored.Bowers was demure about the role he played to scupper Trump’s anti-democratic ambitions. “All I did was testify before the commission and do my own thing at home, go through my own little trials,” he said.He was heartened that all of the election-denier candidates endorsed by Trump who stood in statewide races last November had been defeated. They included Kari Lake who lost in the Arizona governor’s election and Mark Finchem, a state lawmaker who was present at the US Capitol on January 6, who failed to become the state’s top election official.“I’m very happy that they were so strongly defeated,” Bowers said. “The outcome to me is illuminative.”TopicsUS Capitol attackArizonaJoe BidenRepublicansDonald TrumpnewsReuse this content More

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      As Republicans take control of House, members fear watered down security

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      As Republicans take control of House, members fear watered down securityFresh concerns raised over stripping away of measures put in place by Democrats after January 6 insurrection Two years after the January 6 insurrection, fresh fears are being raised over safety for lawmakers and staff at the US Capitol, especially as Republicans have stripped away some of the security measures installed in the wake of the deadly attack on Congress.House Republicans, who secured a narrow majority in the 2022 midterm elections, removed the metal detectors outside the House chamber ready for the first day of business of the 118th Congress on Tuesday, 3 January. House Republicans aim to rein in ethics body preparing to investigate their partyRead moreThe Democrats had installed the facilities after a mob of extremist supporters of Donald Trump had stormed the Capitol in 2021 in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to prevent lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.The magnetometers’ removal came not just at a symbolically significant time heading up to the two-year anniversary on Friday of the Capitol attack, but also as federal lawmakers face increased risk.US Capitol Police reported 9,625 threats and directions of interest, which means actions or statements that cause concern, against members of Congress in 2021, compared with 3,939 in 2017. Metal detectors remain at the entrance of Congress for visitors and members of the public.Nevada Democratic representative Steven Horsford, incoming chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the removal of the metal detectors outside the House chamber, citing increased threats against lawmakers.“Over the last two years since 2020, members of Congress, particularly members of color, have been under direct attack in our districts, in DC, in the communities – and House Democrats worked to enhance those protections, not just for ourselves, but by passing legislation for our constituents,” Horsford said, speaking to the Guardian on his way to a meeting at the Capitol two days ago.“And now, the Republicans want to roll those protections back just like they want to roll back protections for women, protections for immigrants, protections for labor.“They’re not here to serve the people – they’re here to serve their special interest and that’s why we have to do everything we can to make sure their term in the [House] majority is very short,” he added.Maryland Democratic congressman and member of the recently-disbanded House select committee investigating the Capitol attack and Trump’s role in it, Jamie Raskin, voiced similar security concerns.“The January 6 select committee said that the forces that Trump arrayed against us are still out there,” Raskin said. “We need to be taking every precaution to make sure that January 6 [2021] doesn’t become a dress rehearsal for the next event.”Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi had security officials erect the metal detectors to check members of congress for weapons. These devices quickly became a flashpoint in the bitterly-politicized discourse surrounding January 6, which was further intensified by deep partisan division over gun access in the US.‘Medium level of paranoia’: security concerns still loom on Capitol HillRead moreMany Republican members of Congress were unwilling to criticize the rioters that broke into and damaged the Capitol, shaking American democracy two years ago. The mob rampaged through the corridors, chasing and attacking police officers, while also threatening violence against lawmakers of both political parties, who had to flee for their lives. Republicans and the House January 6 Committee, meanwhile, both released reports that present dueling narratives.The bipartisan House committee directly blamed Trump for fanning the flames of insurrection. The Republican report, however, focused on security failures and did not explore rioters’ efforts to thwart Biden’s certification, CNN reported.Following the Capitol attack, some lawmakers were leery of their own colleagues and thought that it was necessary to screen other representatives for firearms or other weapons.At first, several House Republicans refused to go through the magnetometers, entering the chamber without undergoing weapons screening, and were subsequently fined.Several Republicans heralded the detectors’ removal this week, including Lauren Boebert, a Republican Colorado representative and gun rights activist. Boebert, who got into a seeming dispute with an officer following the detectors’ installation – wouldn’t say whether she would bring a gun onto the House Floor.“I think they should be removed from the Capitol, filled with Tannerite and blown up,” Boebert told the New York Post shortly before the metal detectors were taken away, referring to an explosive material that’s used on firearms range targets.“They should not feel unsafe,” Boebert said of Democrats voicing safety concerns. “If they do, they should come see me for a concealed-carry weapons permit and I can make sure they are locked and loaded in Washington, DC, legally.”Democratic representative Ted Lieu was disconcerted by the prospect of armed representatives on the House floor.“I’m awfully concerned that Lauren Boebert wouldn’t answer on whether she would bring a gun to the House floor,” Lieu told the Guardian. “We have security here on the House floor, so there’s no reason for any member to bring a gun on to the House floor.”TopicsHouse of RepresentativesUS politicsUS Capitol attackRepublicansDemocratsUS CongressfeaturesReuse this content More

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      Will Donald Trump finally face criminal charges for January 6? | podcast

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      After interviewing 1,000 witnesses and compiling an 800-page report, the inquiry into the assault on the Capitol is complete. But what will it mean for Donald Trump in 2023 – and his presidential bid?

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      After 18 months, the inquiry looking into what happened on 6 January 2021 when a violent mob forced its way into the Capitol – is finally at an end. The committee released a damning report, more than 800 pages in length, and recommended that Donald Trump face four criminal charges. But will he? Hugo Lowell is a reporter in the Guardian’s Washington bureau and he told Hannah Moore what the committee set out to uncover and why its conclusion was so damning for the former president. Yet with the committee having no powers to press criminal proceedings, is it likely he will face charges for the events that happened two years ago? And what effect will it have on his presidential bid? More

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      January 6 officer Michael Fanone warns ‘democracy is still in danger’

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      January 6 officer Michael Fanone warns ‘democracy is still in danger’The former policeman – who sustained injuries during the US Capitol attack – says January 6 was a ‘wake-up call’ Nearly two years after American democracy was nearly derailed by the January 6 insurrection, a survivor of the attack gathered with Democratic lawmakers outside the US Capitol to warn that the Republican party’s paralysis of Congress is a sign that political violence is as much a threat as ever.‘Devoid of shame’: January 6 cop Michael Fanone on Trump’s Republican partyRead more“The events of that day felt like a wake-up call for me – and many others – that political violence is real. The worst part is that our elected leaders allow this to happen. And yet, this week people who encouraged and even attended the insurrection are now taking their places as leaders in the new House majority,” said Michael Fanone, a former Washington DC police officer who sustained grievous injuries while battling supporters of Donald Trump.As the second anniversary of the unprecedented attack neared, the Capitol was again engulfed in chaos, thanks to a revolt by rightwing lawmakers who have promoted Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen. Their target this time was Kevin McCarthy, the party’s leader in the House of Representatives, who was hoping to be elected as speaker when the chamber’s new Republican majority took their seats last Tuesday.But the GOP’s margin of control is thin enough that the objectors have managed to stop him from winning the post, leading to multiple rounds of voting for the first time since 1923. The deadlock has rendered Congress’s lower chamber dysfunctional, with lawmakers unable to even be formally sworn in.Democrats have meanwhile steadfastly supported their leader in the chamber, Hakeem Jeffries, and shown no interest in helping Republicans resolve their differences, instead pointing to the spectacle as evidence the GOP is in the grips of its most radical members.“I see … forces of extremism on the far right, that are ready to tear down our government at whatever cost,” said Chris Deluzio, a newly elected House representative. “And we’ve seen the consequences of that even in the last couple of days, in the chaos around electing a speaker of the House, blocking us from doing the basic work of the people’s business in the House of Representatives.”The legislative standoff may well be ongoing on Friday when Joe Biden will mark January 6 with a White House ceremony for 12 police officers and election workers who fought off the mob and resisted pressure from Republican officials to stop counting the votes after the 2020 election.The group includes Rusty Bowers, former Republican speaker of Arizona’s lower house who Trump personally pressured to disrupt Biden’s election victory in the state, and Brian Sicknick, a Capitol police officer who died during the insurrection, as well as Fanone.Even if they manage to settle their spat in the House, the day will be an awkward one for Republicans. GOP candidates for offices nationwide in the November midterms promoted Trump’s baseless fraud claim, though many of its loudest proclaimers lost their races. It was an outcome cheered by democracy advocates, but it wasn’t enough to put Fanone’s fears to rest.Kevin McCarthy bid for House speaker enters third day after series of defeatsRead more“Many of the … pro-democracy candidates won by only a fraction of a percentage. So what that tells me is that, you know, democracy is still in danger,” Fanone said following Thursday’s event at the Capitol, which was organized by the anti-Trump organization Courage for America and Common Defense, a veterans group.He has become an outspoken critic of the Republicans since the insurrection, including McCarthy, who he once described as a “weasel”.“It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Fanone said of the Californian’s latest troubles. “That being said, it’s still the legislative body of our government. And as an American, watching this level of dysfunction, is embarrassing.”TopicsUS Capitol attackUS politicsWashington DCDemocratsRepublicansDonald TrumpnewsReuse this content More

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      Police quintuple reward for information on pipe bombs planted before Capitol attack

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      Police quintuple reward for information on pipe bombs planted before Capitol attackSuspect who planted bombs outside both Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters is still at large Two years after explosive devices were planted outside the Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington DC, authorities have quintupled the reward to $500,000 for information that could lead to the would-be bomber’s capture and conviction. The night before the January 6 Capitol attack, when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s win, the suspect placed one pipe bomb in an alley outside the Republican National Committee headquarters around 8pm ET. They put the other bomb on a park bench near the Democratic National Committee headquarters, according to the FBI.The pipe bombs did not detonate; the suspect has remained at large. They were pictured in surveillance footage wearing a face mask, glasses, gloves, light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes emblazoned with a yellow insignia, and a gray hooded sweatshirt.The bombs were comprised of “threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips and homemade black powder”, the FBI said.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are offering up to $490,000 of the reward, and Washington DC’s Metropolitan police department the other $10,000, authorities said.“For two years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing evidence and digital media related to this case,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in a press release.As of this week, the FBI and other agencies “have conducted approximately 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 video files, and assessed nearly 500 tips”, the release said.More than 950 suspects have been arrested in relation to their alleged participation in the Capitol riots, with 284 defendants facing charges involving “resisting, or impeding officers or employees”. Ninety-nine face charges for allegedly “using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury” to a law enforcement officer, the US Department of Justice said.Some 484 of those charged have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Forty people who proceeded to trial were found guilty, justice department officials said.The highest-profile trial related to January 6 started in late December. The former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and four others involved in the far-right, often violent militia group, are facing charges of seditious conspiracy and other counts related to the attack.TopicsUS Capitol attackUS politicsWashington DCnewsReuse this content More

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      Trump aide Hope Hicks texted ‘we look like domestic terrorists’ on January 6

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      Trump aide Hope Hicks texted ‘we look like domestic terrorists’ on January 6Text exchange between then communications chief and fellow White House aide reportedly reveals exasperation at Capitol riot Hope Hicks, a former key ally of Donald Trump, texted another White House aide “we all look like domestic terrorists now” as the then president’s supporters overran the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.The fear was expressed in a message sent by Trump’s former communications director to Julie Radford, chief of staff to his daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, on the afternoon of the deadly Capitol riot.Republican says he ‘fears for the future’ if Trump is not charged over Jan 6 riotRead moreIt is part of revelatory exchange between the pair released as supporting evidence by the January 6 House committee that investigated Trump’s efforts to remain in office following his defeat by Joe Biden.The panel published its final report last month accusing the single-term president of a “multi-part conspiracy” to thwart the will of the people and subvert democracy.According to reporting on Monday by the Hill, Hicks and Radford engaged in an increasingly resigned conversation as the Trump-incited mob overwhelmed security and invaded the Capitol, while Trump himself chose to watch on television and ignore pleas from aides, including Hicks, to call an end to the violence.“In one day he ended every future opportunity that doesn’t include speaking engagements at the local proud boys chapter,” Hicks texted to Radford, in an apparent reference to Trump and the violent rightwing group the Proud Boys.“Yup,” Radford replied.In a further message, Hicks wrote: “And all of us that didn’t have jobs lined up will be perpetually unemployed,” adding that “I’m so mad and upset.”“We all look like domestic terrorists now,” she wrote.“Oh yes I’ve been crying for an hour,” Radford responded.The exchange went on to discuss Alyssa Farah Griffin, Trump’s director of strategic communications who resigned several weeks before the riot after the November 2020 election. Griffin, now a political commentator for CNN and co-host of ABC’s The View, later told reporters she stood down because she “saw where this was heading”.Hicks wrote to Radford: “Not being dramatic, but we are all fucked. Alyssa looks like a genius.”Radford was less complimentary about Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary who became chief of staff to then first lady Melania Trump before resigning abruptly on the day of the riot.Grisham’s resignation was “self-serving”, Radford opined, according to the Hill.TopicsUS Capitol attackTrump administrationDonald TrumpnewsReuse this content More