Democrats on Jan. 6 Committee Fear Trump Will Follow Through on His Threats to Jail Them: He Says ‘What He Means’
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
Democratic lawmakers who served on the January 6th committee fear that former President Donald Trump may jail them if he is reelected.
According to a CBS News report, House Democrats, who helped spearhead the House January 6th select committee, believe they will be targeted by the Department of Justice under a potential Trump administration.
Lawmakers have reportedly even had discussions with their families over the possibility of facing jail time should Trump return to the Oval Office. Back in March, Trump mentioned the possibility of arresting participants in the January 6th committee when he claimed former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) should face jail time.
“She should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on March 18.
“My wife and I have had conversations about what life would look like if the worst happened,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told CBS News in an interview. “You can’t avoid the conversations about ‘What if?’ And I have to think about my own personal safety.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) jokingly noted last week the proximity of the D.C. jail to Capitol Hill before adding, “My family has told me that they’re going to come to D.C. either way — and they’ll visit me, no matter where I am.” Aguilar previously served as a committee member before becoming the chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
“One of the things that I observed during our Jan. 6 committee work was that when Trump says something, he intends to do it,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). “I take that lesson to heart,” she told CBS News. “When he says various things, I think that’s what he means he’ll do.”
Moreover, police witnesses who helped take part in the committee’s investigation into the Capitol riot also believe they could face legal repercussions under a new Trump administration.
“He’s going to weaponize the Department of Justice…and use it to go after people like myself,” said former Washington, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone in a statement to CBS News. “He’s telling us exactly what he plans on doing.”
