Oath Keeper sedition trial Day 12: Terror by the minute

Trump had misplaced dozens of lawsuits by Jan. 6 the place his lies of election fraud have been summarily rejected by judges, together with these he appointed. However by the point Congress would convene for its joint session, Rhodes appeared totally out of persistence with Trump.

He had, in any case, begged Trump twice in public letters to invoke the Riot Act in order that they might cease what Rhodes believed was the upcoming “chicomm puppet” or “Chinese language communist” puppet regime of Joe Biden.

The so-called “fraud” of the election was an excessive amount of for Rhodes to bear. After Trump delivered his speech on the Ellipse, the Oath Keeper founder messaged his alleged co-conspirators at 1:38 PM.

“All I see Trump doing is complaining,” he mentioned. “So the patriots are taking it into their very own fingers.’” 

Trump had begun his speech at midday and concluded his remarks round 1:10 PM. 

Minutes earlier than he ended his speech, a message went to Rhodes from a consumer recognized in an Oath Keepers Sign chat dubbed “DC OP Jan 6 21.”

Jurors have been capable of see and listen to footage of the Oath Keepers reacting in real-time to then-Vice President Mike Pence’s resolution to uphold his constitutional responsibility as a substitute of acquiescing to the stress Trump foisted on him to intervene on the joint session and reject the electoral slates.

Between 1:48 and 1:52 PM, messages flew furiously amongst Oath Keepers additionally chatting in Zello, a walkie-talkie app. Defendant Jessica Watkins, who set the channel up, used it to speak with fellow members on the grounds in addition to those that weren’t.

It was round this time {that a} consumer recognized solely as “1percentwatchdog”  started railing within the Zello chat, telling Oath Keepers there was “no legit authority in federal authorities.”

“Congress has failed, the chief department has failed—aside from Trump—and the judicial department has failed us within the courts. This can be a civilian train of civilian energy to change and abolish this fucking tyrannical treasonous authorities,” the consumer mentioned. 

Watkins, prosecutors confirmed jurors, responded in form.

“Trump’s been attempting to empty the swamp with a straw. We simply introduced a store vac,” she mentioned.

In 1percentwatchdog’s eyes, Watkins wasn’t giving the Oath Keepers sufficient credit score. 

“I feel as a substitute of a store vac you introduced a fleet of A-10 Warthogs,” the consumer mentioned, referencing planes used to assist army operations. 

Simply minutes earlier than the Capitol was breached, Watkins instructed defendant Thomas Caldwell “Pence punked out.’ 

Prosecutors have proven jurors intensive proof that the Oath Keepers transported an enormous variety of weapons, ammunition, and tactical gear from everywhere in the nation with singular intent. The Justice Division argues the group needed to ascertain a “fast response drive” with these weapons at a lodge in northern Virginia. It might allegedly function an arsenal prepared at a second’s discover to assist Oath Keepers in D.C. who could be within the thick of a brutal struggle to maintain Trump in energy.

Defendant Thomas Caldwell, the federal authorities says, was instrumental within the coordination of the QRF. 

FBI Agent Sylvia Hilgeman testified earlier this week that she believed the Oath Keepers didn’t merely intend to storm the Capitol as a result of they have been mad concerning the election outcomes. 

“I assume the QRF was meant to occupy D.C.,” Hilgeman mentioned. 

At 2:05 PM, texts seized from Rhodes’ cellphone present him messaging fellow Oath Keeper Michael Greene aka “Whipp.” Greene was thought-about an operations chief for Jan. 6 by Rhodes. 

Trump, Rhodes mentioned, had “one final likelihood to man up and fulfill his oath.” 

On the similar time, in a video seized off her cellphone, Watkins is seen marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol with Oath Keeper Donovan Crowl and others.

But extra Oath Keepers, like defendant Kenneth Harrelson and Jason Dolan—who pleaded responsible to seditious conspiracy and testified at size this week—have been in the meantime making their approach up the Capitol stairs as officers have been pressured to retreat because the mob quickly overwhelmed them. 

By 2:07 PM, Oath Keeper Michael Greene messaged everybody within the “DC OP Jan 6 21” chat: “Patriots have taken the Capitol.” 

Individuals on that channel included Rhodes, Meggs, Harrelson, Watkins, Greene, Don Siekerman,  Joshua James, Roberto Minuta, Brich Ulrich, Mark Grods, Paul Stamey, Doug Smith and Kellye SoRelle, Rhodes’s paramour and former counsel to the extremist community. Each James and Ulrich have pleaded responsible already and cooperated with the federal authorities.

Rhodes requested Greene to name him and inside two minutes of that decision, Greene instructed the “DC OP” chat they wanted to regroup members who have been “not on a mission.”

In the meantime, SoRelle posted a stream to Fb. 

Jurors listened to SoRelle gush. “I wish to present y’all one thing in all probability one of many coolest rattling issues I’ve ever seen in my complete life…you guys want to observe. They broke the road guys. Persons are going…This is not a foul factor and also you cant be scared. That is what you do. In any other case you find yourself as little communist peasants in little societies the place you don’t have any potential no voice no vote, you are mainly slaves.”

Strolling behind Rhodes, SoRelle streamed from the bottom of the Capitol stairs, spewing Q-Anon rhetoric. 

“They have site visitors, they have emergency automobiles stopping them. However these are your patriots that acquired by means of. we’ll see what’s occurring. The storm. The storm has arrived. It is fairly balmy and blistery right here in DC however the storm has proven up,” she mentioned.

As the primary Oath Keeper stack was forming, a cowboy hat-wearing Rhodes was seen in video footage strolling across the Capitol as SoRelle stored streaming. 

“They’ve occupied each side now, factor we’re gonna hold till the [inauguration on January] twentieth or what? You possibly can see that they had barricades up. Retaining us from the constructing was their aim,” SoRelle mentioned.

Rhodes, prosecutors instructed jurors, was concurrently making a cellphone name to defendant Kelly Meggs and instructing him to go to the Capitol’s south facet. 

At 2:28 PM, Rhodes despatched a message to the “Buddies of Stone” chat, shorthand for Buddies of Roger Stone. 

”Again door of U.S. Capitol,” Rhodes instructed the chat. 

Individuals in that channel included Rhodes, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Ali Alexander, and SoRelle. 

Minutes later, Kelly Meggs seems in footage instantly donning a helmet. Footage from solely an hour or so earlier than as he marched towards the Capitol confirmed him in only a baseball cap.

By 2:30 PM, the DC OP chat was receiving phrase of pepper spray being deployed contained in the Rotunda by a consumer recognized as “Highlander.” 

Oath Keeper Paul Stamey, who will not be charged however has figured prominently in communications, responded to Highlander. The reviews of pepper spray have been “affirmative,” Stamey mentioned. 

It’s unclear how he would know this to make sure. Stamey wasn’t on the Capitol. He was on the lodge in Virginia. 

 Simply earlier than the primary stack of Oath Keepers made it up the crowded steps with their fingers resting on one another’s shoulder’s so their line couldn’t be damaged, footage of Rhodes and SoRelle was performed within the courtroom. 

Somebody is heard chatting with Rhodes concerning the members of Congress inside. Their id was not instantly clear.

 “They gotta be shitting their pants,” the individual mentioned. 

“Amen, they should shit their fucking pants,” Rhodes replied. 

Then, invoking the infamous final phrases of President Abraham Lincoln’s murderer John Wilkes-Sales space, Rhodes chortled and mentioned: “Sic semper tyrannis.” 

Jurors noticed Oath Keeper Donovan Crowl, who goes to trial later, filming himself contained in the Capitol whereas he celebrated. 

“We took over the Capitol, we overran the Capitol,” Crowl jeered. 

Standing over his shoulder jurors may see Watkins, 

“We’re within the fucking Capitol, bro,” she yelled. 

As police have been combating to maintain the Capitol from being fully overrun and lawmakers, congressional employees, and the nation’s vp have been pressured into hiding, Rhodes and Greene have been nonetheless speaking. 

“Had been storming the Capitol,” Greene wrote. [sic]

A textual content from a cellphone quantity related to an untraceable cellphone instructed Greene: “I see they’re attempting to get into the chamber… police pulled weapons.” 

Then, the individual instructed Greene: “There in” [sic] and “Fucked up Nancy workplace,” in a reference to Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi was a primary goal for rioters and was despised by the Oath Keepers. 

Protection attorneys for the Oath Keepers keep that the group was there as a “peacekeeping drive” and defendant Kelly Meggs specifically has claimed that he and different Oath Keepers have been truly “aiding” Capitol Police contained in the advanced on Jan. 6.

Specifically, Meggs has claimed that he was “serving to” USCP Officer Harry Dunn. 

On Thursday, jurors noticed a video clip of Dunn at 2:45 PM on Jan. 6 as he was shortly surrounded by rioters and Oath Keepers alike. Within the picture, Dunn’s arm is prolonged excessive, motioning for the rioters to depart and again away. 

Standing in entrance of Dunn have been Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs, and Jason Dolan.

Agent Drew visited the precise spot within the Capitol the place Dunn stood when she did her investigation final 12 months. Proper behind the place he stood was the doorway to Speaker Pelosi’s workplace. 

Particulars have been intensive throughout the twelfth trial day, so for a full expertise, try the Every day Kos dwell weblog or the posts on this mega-thread on Twitter.