He faces four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and to deny voters the right to have their ballots counted. Live now to tim heaphy, former lead investigator for the house january 6th select committee. Thank you so much forjoining us. I think for people who perhaps havent covered every twist and turn of the story, just explain to us why that january 6th select committee was so crucial to what we are seeing now . Facts are what makes cases and determines outcomes, and the select committee uncovered the core facts here. Congress created the select committee to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the attack on the capitol, and thats what we did through a series of hearings and ultimately and 845 page report. The committee set forth the core allegations that remain allegations against mr trump, he and his Co Conspirators specifically intended to prevent the transfer of power. So the indictment is built on a determination of fact by the select committee. find a determination of fact by the select committee. A determination of fact by the select committee. And this was an extraordinary select committee. And this was an extraordinary committee, select committee. And this was an i extraordinary committee, interviewed over 1000 people, reviewed a million documents. What was it, from your perspective, the reason you came to the conclusions you did in terms of having the confidence to put these charges forward for the Department Ofjustice to go forward with . So are ofjustice to go forward with . So we had a lot of ofjustice to go forward with . So we had a lot of cooperation ofjustice to go forward with . So we had a lot of cooperation from had a lot of cooperation from witnesses, from republicans, members of the trump administration, his attorney general, his white house council, members of his family who came and provided information about saying no. There were a lot of very courageous people who put principle over party, who held firm to the rule of law and would not do what the president suggested they do or had the authority and basis to do. So it was the facts we found and how compelling they were. It was that there was. That was in the referrals the committee made to the Department Ofjustice. find referrals the committee made to the department of justice. Department ofjustice. And after the referrals from Department Ofjustice. And after the referrals from the Department Ofjustice. And after the referrals from the select Department Ofjustice. And after the | referrals from the select committee, Special Counciljack Smith then conducted his own investigation to see what he had, and that process took another eight months or so . We ave took another eight months or so . Gave him all transcript of our interviews, all documents we obtained, so again, there was a pretty strong evidentiary Foundation Upon which he could build. He took that and has taken some additional steps, hes gotten access to Additional Information that has only made the possible criminal case stronger. We are already at the point in the end of our process, which was the very first couple of days of this year, that there was evidence of criminal conduct, and in the eight months, the Special Council has continued to pursue those facts, my suggestion is hes only gotten more. Those facts, my suggestion is hes only gotten more. Take us through the charges only gotten more. Take us through the charges again, only gotten more. Take us through the charges again, if only gotten more. Take us through the charges again, if you only gotten more. Take us through the charges again, if you would, i only gotten more. Take us through | the charges again, if you would, for peoplejoining to work the charges again, if you would, for people joining to work out specifically what mr trump is being charged with. The specifically what mr trump is being charged with specifically what mr trump is being char ed with. , charged with. The main charge is the one the committee charged with. The main charge is the one the committee referred, charged with. The main charge is the one the committee referred, which l charged with. The main charge is the| one the committee referred, which is conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings. The government has to prove that the president specifically intended to obstruct, impede or interfere with ape official proceeding. The joint session of congress, at which the electors are certified, is the official proceeding. So the evidence the Special Council must produce will demonstrate that mr trump intended that process not go forward, that it be obstructed or impeded. Hes also charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, which also gave rise to conspiracy to prevent the lawful function of government. Again, the certification would be such a function. In the final charges deprivation of rights the act of attempting to prevent the certification, essentially deprives americans of their constitutional right to vote. It essentially divests them of the vote because the action that he was attempting to take would be inconsistent with the popular vote. So that is an old reconstruction era statute the council has used to emphasise this cuts to the very core of the threat to democracy. 50 cuts to the very core of the threat to democracy to democracy. So this is the third indictment to democracy. So this is the third indictment to democracy. So this is the third indictment in to democracy. So this is the third indictment in your to democracy. So this is the third indictment in your view, to democracy. So this is the third indictment in your view, the. To democracy. So this is the third i indictment in your view, the most indictment in your view, the most serious when you compare to the other two . This in your opinion is the most significant . I other two . This in your opinion is the most significant . The most significant . I think so, this was conduct the most significant . I think so, this was conduct conducted the most significant . I think so, | this was conduct conducted when the most significant . I think so, this was conduct conducted when he was president , and also threatened the very fabric of this democracy, of the right for people to choose their leaders. So people can make their leaders. So people can make their own decisions about whats more serious than others, but this one, given its official conduct and that it cuts to the core of american principles, seems the most serious. Tell us what your view is on the timetable that we are looking at. 0bviously weve been talking about the fact that its a president ial Election Year next year in November 2024 is Election Year next year in November 2024 is there any way that, in your opinion, this Legal Process could be finished by that point . Potentially, yes. The Special Council has charged donald trump alone, not his Co Conspirators, and the statutes that he chose in part out of try to get this case tried as soon as possible. The department of Justice Policy prevents taking any Enforcement Action close. People start voting as far as the beginning of next year, he was. To get this case adjudicated sometime in early 2024. It might be of adjudicated before the election. Mr trump will try to draw this out and get money on the fact that hes been indicted, and im not sure i see a coherent legal defence, i think the defence is one of Public Relations and politics, much more so than the legal merits. So i think the government will be pushing for a speedy trial, the defendant trying to delay it, and well see how the government lays that. Government lays that. Thanks for our government lays that. Thanks for your insights lets bring in the Democratic Party strategist cristina antelo. As people are aware, mr trump is still in the air, he was due to land very shortly. Your thoughts, listening to timothy they are talking about the january 6th committee, which is so crucial to understanding where we are today, that was the first big part of the process that has led us to where we are now . ~ ,. , y process that has led us to where we are now . ~ ,. ,. , process that has led us to where we are now . ~ ,. , are now . Absolutely, it was a discovery are now . Absolutely, it was a Discovery Machine are now . Absolutely, it was a Discovery Machine for are now . Absolutely, it was a Discovery Machine for sure, i are now . Absolutely, it was a Discovery Machine for sure, itj are now . Absolutely, it was a Discovery Machine for sure, it took on a lot of time, interviewing a lot of witnesses the doj hadnt been able to get to, and they certainly laid out the case and made it publicly, they put it on television and lead the trail for the doj to follow, and it certainly did consolidate the case quite quickly. And we heard timothy say there that what they had were a lot of republicans who were involved in that process, and were willing to talk about their experiences and why they were supporting the process. I think perhaps whats interesting for people watching this and listening to whats been said, there arent Many Republican voices that are coming out and criticising the former president. Coming out and criticising the former president. Coming out and criticising the former resident. � , former president. There arent, but theres something former president. There arent, but theres something very former president. There arent, but theres something very interesting | theres something very interesting happening senator mitch mcconnell, the top ranking republican who leads the top ranking republican who leads the senate, from the get go he said i wont opine or vote for impeachment because it would be inappropriate, but there is a Justice System out there specifically for this sort of thing, and he remained silent since then. Now you are seeing william barr and mike pence come out publicly and say that they think there were problems with what trump did and they are fighting back. Theres a general sense within Establishment Republicans that they do not want trump at the top of their ticket and are starting to quietly turn, and the right folks at the right time seem to be getting in on the fight. Chris christie is also running for president , so i think that, while the folks that are still in office still need to have some kind of alignment with donald trump to be able to get reelected for him to be able to get reelected for him to stay quiet, theyve been defending some of his other charges against mrtrump, but defending some of his other charges against mr trump, but on these theyve stayed a bit more quiet. And i think youll see more and more of that as these facts come out, i think the Special Council has even more detail behind what was already released, i think hes got significant evidence because he used that word knowingly, very effectively in this indictment. So i assume hes able to back that up. Thank you so much for that, youll be able to see on your screens that we are watching the trump plane. It took off from newjersey about half an hour to an hour ago and has been making its way to washington, dc. Rena shaw is a political analyst and former senior aide to two republican members of congress. Thank you for joining us. Interesting as a former aide to two a public and rivers of congress, what are your thoughts as you watch the former republican president coming in to land to be indicted for another criminal federal charge . Mr; indicted for another criminal federal charge . Indicted for another criminal federal chare . G ,. , federal charge . My first thoughts are about justice federal charge . My first thoughts are aboutjustice in federal charge . My first thoughts are aboutjustice in these federal charge . My first thoughts are aboutjustice in these unitedl are aboutjustice in these United States. I know thatjustice isnt possible if accountability doesnt come first. So today is a great day to see the former president arraigned on these charges because it shows that nobody is above the law, and thats something you hear a lot from Many Political people who believe in putting country over party, again principles over politics. And this is the kind of moment which will take my breath away, ill be honest. I hear many fellow publicans calling it a dark day for democracy if donald trump are not held accountable for his actions onjanuary 6th, 2021, where he held his seat as the leader of the free world, the former leader of the free world, the former leader of the free world, the former leader of the free world, we are really in Dark Territory if we didnt see him held accountable. So i thinkjustice needs to prevail, it will prevail. Again, hes not been charged guilty, hes innocent until proven if, and thats one thing hes really relying on. Another thing he is relying on is that the wheels ofjustice move slow here, and thats why it took so long to get to this day. The facts needed to be assembled and has needed to be assembled and has needed to be assembled and has needed to happen in a very concentrated, thoughtful manner, and i think the Department Ofjustice did do that. We i think the Department Ofjustice did do that did do that. We dont know what the former president did do that. We dont know what the former president is did do that. We dont know what the former president is saying, did do that. We dont know what the former president is saying, he former president is saying, he hasnt said anything on camera but he has been using social media. As we know, donald trump does use social media, talking about how hes going to dc to be arrested for having. Its a great honour because im being arrested for you. What does that mean, if you dig down into the mind of donald trump . Ewen into the mind of donald trump . Seven ears of into the mind of donald trump . Seven years of hearing into the mind of donald trump . Seven years of hearing those into the mind of donald trump . Seven years of hearing those words years of hearing those words corrupt, rich, witchhunt my god, wejust corrupt, rich, witchhunt my god, we just cannot escape hearing the same message over and over. It feels like groundhog day. The Republican Party would be so much better off without donald trump. Its leaders at the highest levels know that. But what can they do . They cant hold Back Somebody thats been told by Many Republican voters and flyover states and our midwestern states, and places and parts of america that feel that theyve been forgotten. Those people say this is a man with a powerful personality and whos actually been fun, theyve called him. I think actually been fun, theyve called him. Ithink it actually been fun, theyve called him. I think it is certainly a crisis for the Republican Party to see donald trump continue to pull well, but i would caution against looking at the polls right now. You do get a lot of extreme, ardent supporters of mr trump coming out to rallies, to events where theyll boo people like will hurd who thrown his hat into the ring. He said just in iowa this past weekend that donald trump is running for president in order to avoid jail time, something to that effect, those were his exact words, and he got booed for that. But look, there are many moderate, centrist republicans who even identified as independent now in the era of donald trump that feel that the Republican Party needs somebody else at its top, that this former president is too rife with problems, that hes not representative of any sort of values of any policies he stands for, he stands only for himself. So this is a process that needs to play itself out. Ijust pray its a process that plays out without any Political Violence or anything of that sort that we saw on january 6th, 2021. We anything of that sort that we saw on january 6th. 2021. January 6th, 2021. We are watching the landin january 6th, 2021. We are watching The Landing Gear january 6th, 2021. We are watching The Landing Gear on january 6th, 2021. We are watching The Landing Gear on donald january 6th, 2021. We are watching j The Landing Gear on Donald Trumps plane being lowered, so one can only assume hes nearly come to the end of that particular section of the journey from the airport, he will make the short drive to the court at washington, dc where our correspondent nomia iqbal is there for us. Good to talk to you again, set the scene, i imagine there will be the anticipation that mr trump will be there shortly, it must be growing. Will be there shortly, it must be curowin. � ,. , will be there shortly, it must be curowin. � ,. ,. , growing. Hes due to arrive in around ten growing. Hes due to arrive in around ten minutes growing. Hes due to arrive in around ten minutes time, i growing. Hes due to arrive in| around ten minutes time, and growing. Hes due to arrive in around ten minutes time, and as was the case when he was arriving for his arraignment in miami, hes been on his social Media Network site he