Prosecutors Say Trump Was Willing to Do Anything to Stay in Power

Federal prosecutors revealed their intention on Tuesday to present evidence at Donald Trump’s trial, showing his determination to “remain in power at any cost” by conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s office, in a court filing, stated that the former president had a history of “sowing mistrust” in election results and had repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

“The Government will offer proof of this refusal as intrinsic evidence of the defendant’s criminal conspiracies because it shows his plan to remain in power at any cost — even in the face of potential violence,” prosecutors said.

Trump was indicted in August for allegedly seeking to upend the results of the November 2020 election won by Biden in a concerted effort that led to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise American voters with his repeated claims that he won the election.

Judge Tanya Chutkan has set March 4, 2024, for the start of the trial, which could interfere with Trump’s campaign to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Prosecutors, in the court filing, outlined some of the strategy and evidence they plan to use at the unprecedented criminal trial of a former president.

“The Government will introduce a number of public statements by the defendant… claiming that there would be fraud in the 2020 presidential election,” they said.

“These statements sowed mistrust in the results of the presidential election and laid the foundation for the defendant’s criminal efforts.”