Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump has termed the recent filing of a 165-page brief by federal prosecutors in her father-in-law Donald Trump’s election fraud case a “ridiculous ploy,” suggesting it aims to influence voters just weeks ahead of the election. During an appearance on CNN’s Talk show ‘State of the Union’, she expressed concern over the timing of the brief, which seeks to convince US District Judge Tanya Chutkan that Trump’s alleged actions following the 2020 election were personal, rather than official, and thus justifiable for indictment, as reported by Newsweek.
The brief was partly unsealed on Wednesday, detailing accusations against Trump, who faces four felony counts in connection with efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory, culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, asserting that the prosecution is politically motivated.
Lara Trump echoed that the former president will “of course” accept the election’s results “if he feels that this is a free, fair and transparent election.”
One revelation from the filing was a conversation between Trump and an unnamed White House aide during the Capitol riot. The aide informed Trump that then-vice president Mike Pence had to be evacuated due to potential danger, to which Trump reportedly responded, “So what?” Lara Trump was questioned by host Dana Bash about this alleged reaction and condemned the overall narrative surrounding January 6 as exaggerated and politically charged.
“The January 6 situation has been amplified to a level that I don’t think is almost believable to so many people right now,” she said, adding that the timing of the allegations suggests Democrats lack confidence in vice president Kamala Harris as a candidate.
Legal experts have described the evidence presented against Trump as “pretty damning,” with additional allegations revealing a Trump campaign staffer allegedly encouraging unrest during the vote count in Detroit. Furthermore, Trump is accused of telling family members aboard Marine One that “it doesn’t matter if you won or lost the election. You still have to fight like hell,” a statement reportedly overheard by a White House staff member willing to testify.
Trump has dismissed the allegations as a “hit job” and continued to maintain that the 2020 election was stolen, insisting he would only accept the results of the 2024 election if it is “free, fair, and transparent.” Meanwhile, his federal trial is set to proceed after the November elections, with Trump required to respond to Smith’s filing by November 7.