By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The then-President Donald Trump tried a coup Jan. 6, 2021. That will be a focal point of the next month’s hearings in Congress, according to Democrat Jamie Raskin. Raskin was a member of the committee that led prosecution for Trump’s second impeachment.

Trump supporters stormed into the U.S. Capitol Building on that fateful day in 2021. They were encouraged to do so by the Republican President in a speech outside of the White House in protest at formal congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win over Trump in a November 2020 electoral election.

Raskin claimed that this was a coup against the vice-president and the Congress, in order to reverse the 2020 election. He said it in an interview with Reuters National Public Radio and The Guardian newspaper.

U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson is the chair of the House of Representatives special committee, which was created by Democrats to investigate the events that led up to Jan. 6, assault. He told reporters that he expected public hearings will resume in May.

“We will tell the entire story about everything that occurred. Raskin was part of the House Special Committee and said that there were a violent uprising and a coup attempt.

Uncertain if Raskin was speaking only to his own thoughts, or whether he was also voicing the opinions of others on the special committee, which was made up seven Democrats as well as two Republicans.

A new book published in July 2021 claimed that senior military officers were concerned by a possible coup. However, Trump stated then that he has never threatened to or spoken with anyone regarding a coup.

Following last year’s organization, the House panel had an initial hearing. It heard testimony from four officers from the police who claimed that they were subject to racial abuses and were repeatedly beaten as they attempted to defend Capitol Hill from attack.

This violence ended months of Trump saying that the election was stolen through voter fraud. He still believes this claim, in spite of numerous court rulings and Trump’s Justice Department rejecting it.

‘TO SEEK THE PRESIDENCY’

Raskin stated that the public will be able to see the actions of the ex-president and his close associates in order to keep power, despite clear defeat.

Raskin claimed that Trump was ready to take the presidency if the rioters prevented the certification. He would likely also declare martial law.

According to him, the committee has yet to make a decision on whether Trump or Pence will be available for testimony. Each four years, the Vice President is responsible for overseeing the formal counting of presidential election ballots in Congress.

Pence refused to accept pleas for the suspension of the November 2020 results, which would have allowed the House of Representatives in effect to conduct another election with Republicans having an advantage that could have elected Trump to a second term.

Four people were among the victims of the Jan. 6 attack. The attack left four people dead on Jan. 6. A total of 800 have been charged in connection with the attack.

Legislators say that the House panel has gathered more than 100,000 documents. Investigators conducted over 800 interviews.

Raskin explained that he doesn’t have any experience in coups against presidents and said, “We don’t have a lot to learn from them.”

However, Jan. 6, 2021 was different. He claimed that it did not include the military or any other faction attacking President Obama.

Raskin stated that it was a “self-coup” as political scientists refer to it. He said, “It is a president who fears defeat and overthrowing constitutional processes.”

Trump was twice impeached by the House of Representatives, one after the Capitol attack. Both times, Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate. The former president hinted that he may run for re-election in 2024 at political rallies.