Trump Ignored “Warnings About the Potential for Violence”: Desperate Donald Tries to Stop “Inner Circle Witness” From Testifying

Jo ShawOct 29, 2023

Minute Read

The response to a petition filed at Colorado’s Denver District Court shows that Donald Trump is attempting to prevent an “inner circle witness” from testifying in his civil lawsuit. The lawsuit aims to block the former President from the Colorado ballot box.

CREW Filed Lawsuit in Colorado

The lawsuit was filed in September by CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) and three law firms on behalf of “six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters including former state, federal and local officials.”

Section Three Bars Trump From Holding Office

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In the Press Release from CREW, they stated that Trump should be barred from holding office again, arguing Section Three “bars any person from holding federal or state office who took an ‘oath…to support the Constitution of the United States’ and then has ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.’”

The Constitution Must Be Enforced

CREW President Noah Bookbinder stated, “If the very fabric of our democracy is to hold, we must ensure that the Constitution is enforced and the same people who attacked our democratic system not be put in charge of it,”

January 6: An Unprecedented Attack

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“We aren’t bringing this case to make a point, we’re bringing it because it is necessary to defend our republic both today and in the future. While it is unprecedented to bring this type of case against a former president, January 6 was an unprecedented attack that is exactly the kind of event the framers of the 14th Amendment wanted to build protections in case of. You don’t break the glass unless there’s an emergency,” Bookbinder concluded.

Given Aid or Comfort to the Enemies

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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold also issued a statement on the day the lawsuit against Trump was filed: “The United States Constitution bars anyone who has taken an oath to protect the Constitution from holding office if they have ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ or ‘given aid or comfort to the enemies’ of the Constitution.”

The Case May Provide Guidance to Election Officials

Jena Griswold continued, “I look forward to the Colorado Court’s substantive resolution of the issues, and am hopeful that this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump’s eligibility as a candidate for office.”

Trump Tried to Dismiss the Lawsuit

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Colorado District Judge Sarah Wallace rejected Trump’s attempts to dismiss the lawsuit, ruling that his objections on free-speech grounds were not applicable.

Crew Looks Forward to Presenting Evidence

CREW released a statement on Wallace’s ruling, “We’re pleased with how today’s hearing went. We believe we are right on the law and right on the facts, and look forward to presenting evidence and witness testimony on behalf of our clients.”

Trump Attempts to Block Inner Circle Witness

But in a recent turn of events, Trump is now attempting to prevent a witness from testifying in the case. The witness has been referred to in the Denver district court document as an “Inner circle witness.”

It’s Improper and Irrelevant, States Trump

The court document also cited Trump’s reasons for blocking the inner circle witness from testifying. Trump’s three arguments were that it was “improper character evidence, and testimony would be “hearsay” and “irrelevant.”

Trump Is Premature

The response also stated that Trump’s attempt to block the “witness from testifying is premature and based on an incorrect understanding of the facts and the law. The Court should deny Trump’s motion.”

This Is “A Fact Witness.”

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The petitioners also stated that the witness “is a fact witness” and their testimony is “evidence to show Trump wrote or approved his tweets, knew the effect his rhetoric would have on his supporters, and summoned the mob on January 6, 2021.”

Fact Witness Can Testify on Trumps Effect on Supporters

The petitioners argued that the unnamed person and member of “Trump’s inner circle” had “witnessed Trump discuss the effect of his violent, extreme rhetoric on his supporters and disregard warnings about the potential for violence by his supporters.”

Interpreted Statements as “A Call to Violence”

They also argued that the unnamed “inner circle” witness could “testify to occasions on which Trump was informed of his supporters’ tendency to interpret his statements as a call to violence and on which Trump continued to make statements despite (or because of) that fact.”

“Trump’s State of Mind Matters.”

Testimony from the inner circle witness “goes directly to this central issue of Trump’s state of mind,” stated the petitioners.

Trump “Conditioned His Supporters”

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“It will help show that Trump conditioned his supporters over the span of his campaigns and his Presidency to interpret his words as a call to violence.” They continued to argue that testimony would show that “his speech that day used language that he intended as (and his supporters understood as) a command to violently overturn the election.”

Evidence of Past Call-And-Response Behavior

The Petitioners further stated that they had “evidence of a pattern of past call-and-response behavior between Trump and his extremist supporters.”

Too Soon to Block Witness’s Testimony

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The petitioners said the unnamed witness could testify that “Trump had to personally approve any tweet sent from his Twitter accounts.” They could further testify about “Trump’s television-viewing habits.” They concluded their statement by arguing that it was too soon for Trump to attempt to block the witness from testifying.