Democrats who investigated Trump expect to face retaliation if Trump wins

Some members of Congress who led nan investigation into erstwhile President Donald Trump's domiciled successful nan Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot admit they've talked to their families astir their information — and nan consequence of their apprehension — if Trump wins a 2nd word successful November.  

In a bid of interviews pinch CBS News, House Democrats who helped lead nan House Jan. 6 prime committee and immoderate of nan constabulary witnesses who testified earlier it predicted they'd beryllium targeted for retribution by a early Trump administration.

Trump raised nan imaginable of early arrests of immoderate of nan Jan. 6 committee participants successful a societal media station connected March 18. Referring to nan panel's vice chair, erstwhile Rep. Liz Cheney, Trump wrote, "She should spell to Jail on pinch nan remainder of nan Unselect Committee!"

"My woman and I person had conversations astir what life would look for illustration if nan worst happened," said Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who was 1 of 7 Democrats connected nan Jan. 6 prime committee. Speaking to CBS News adjacent nan House enclosure betwixt votes past week, Schiff said, "You can't debar nan conversations astir 'What if?' And I person to deliberation astir my ain individual safety."

Rep. Pete Aguilar, who chairs nan House Democratic Caucus and was a personnel of nan Jan. 6 committee, told reporters past week that he takes Trump's threat of jailing seriously. But Aguilar, noting nan proximity of nan Washington, D.C., jailhouse to nan U.S. Capitol, smiled and wryly noted, "My family has told maine that they're going to travel to D.C. either measurement — and they'll sojourn me, nary matter wherever I am."

"One of nan things that I observed during our Jan. 6 committee activity was that erstwhile Trump says something, he intends to do it," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, different California Democrat who helped lead nan panel.   

"I return that instruction to heart," she told CBS News. "When he says various things, I deliberation that's what he intends he'll do."      

She acknowledged she has been harassed by immoderate Trump supporters. 

"He's going to weaponize nan Department of Justice...and usage it to spell aft group for illustration myself," erstwhile Washington, D.C. constabulary serviceman Michael Fanone told CBS News. Fanone testified astatine a 2021 nationalist proceeding of nan committee and has been an outspoken Trump critic, accusing him of employing authoritarian rhetoric.   

"He's telling america precisely what he plans connected doing," Fanone said.

Harry Dunn, a erstwhile U.S. Capitol Police serviceman who besides testified earlier nan prime committee, told CBS News, "Trump intends what he says. Anybody who has testified against him, aliases spoken retired successful a nationalist capacity, should beryllium worried."  Dunn, who is seeking nan Democratic Party's information for a U.S. House seat successful Maryland, said nan threat of apprehension "is a small scary to deliberation about, but you person to proceed to do nan correct thing."

The Trump run did not respond straight to questions astir whether Trump intends to prosecute arrests of nan Jan. 6 committee members.  

"Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Liz Cheney, and nan Corrupt Democrats connected nan sham January 6th Committee person lied to nan American nationalist for years, denied cardinal witnesses from testifying to nan truth, and covered up grounds that proved President Trump, nor immoderate of his supporters, ever engaged successful an alleged 'insurrection.' Their full communicative is simply a dishonesty and Americas cognize that Joe Biden is nan existent threat to democracy," a Trump spokeswoman said successful a connection to CBS News.

Trump's March 18 societal media station prompted disapproval from scholars who study nan rhetoric and practices of authoritarian regimes.  

"This benignant of station is not what you want to spot retired of your governmental leaders successful a patient democracy," said Erica Frantz, a governmental subject professor astatine Michigan State University. Frantz, who specializes successful authoritarian politics, told CBS News that calls by governmental leaders "to jailhouse their governmental opponents are reddish flags successful position of imaginable slides to authoritarianism."  

Frantz said erstwhile governmental figures talk astir jailing immoderate critics, it tin person a chilling effect connected others. 

"It's intended to invoke fearfulness among them and deter them from speaking retired against Trump," she said. "The much that critics are silenced, nan much leaders pinch authoritarian ambitions are capable to get distant pinch their powerfulness grab."

The prime committee executed a high-profile investigation of Trump that included a bid of nationally televised nationalist hearings. The committee said pinch hundreds of witnesses, including Trump's apical White House aides, arsenic it reviewed his efforts to overturn nan results of nan 2020 election. The committee voted to mention criminal charges to nan Justice Department for Trump and accused him of threatening nan early of populist and inciting nan convulsive Jan. 6 insurrection astatine nan Capitol.

The committee was disbanded successful precocious 2022, aft Republicans won power of nan House. Two of its members mislaid their campaigns for reelection, including Cheney. Two others retired from nan House. 

Some committee members person reported being targeted by threats and harassment by Trump supporters.  
One elder U.S. House adjutant said a statesmanlike candidate's threats to jailhouse legislators for nationalist reside and legislative activity besides tally afoul of nan Speech and Debate Clause, which protect nan independency of Congress.

In remarks to reporters past week, Aguilar said Trump's ongoing rhetoric raises nan consequence of continued harassment, threats and threat to nationalist officials. Aguilar said, "Trump wants to enactment for illustration those dictators he hosts astatine Mar-a-Lago.  That's difficult rhetoric, and it's not thing that immoderate of us, immoderate of nan members nether this Dome return lightly."

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• United States Congress
• Democrats