Trump advisers say they told him election fraud claims were illegitimate, second day of January 6 hearing finds
ABCTop advisers to then-president Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were not legitimate and would not reverse his election loss. Key points: Committee members say they have uncovered enough evidence to consider an unprecedented criminal indictment against Donald Trump The panel says that Mr Trump decided to claim the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, even though many of his staffers said that Democrat Joe Biden had won more votes Mr Trump has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly insisted that he did not lose, dismissing the Select Committee investigation as a political witch-hunt Those claims were made during video testimony that aired on Monday by the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. The committee also was told that Mr Trump's closest campaign advisers, top government officials and even his family were dismantling his false claims of 2020 voting fraud on election night, but the defeated president was becoming "detached from reality", clinging to outlandish theories to stay in power, several said. The Democratic-led House of Representatives panel made the case that Mr Trump decided to claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, even though many of his staffers said that Democrat Joe Biden had won more votes. "The Trump campaign legal team knew there was no legitimate argument for fraud, irregularities or anything to overturn the election," Republican Representative Liz Cheney, the panel's vice chairperson, said.