Taking the stand in his defense for a second day, Rhodes testified that he had no idea his supporters were going to join the pro-Donald Trump mob to storm the Capitol and that he was upset after finding out some did. Rhodes said he thought it was stupid for any Orcoto to go to the Capitol. He insisted that this was not their “mission”. In text messages the day of the attack, however, Rhodes struck a different note, referring to the Trump supporters who entered the Capitol as “real patriots.” Instead of telling his followers to stay away from the rebellion, he invited them to the area. Rhodes argued that it was just a meeting place to get away, but prosecutor Kathryn Rakocci pointed out that Rhodes never condemned the riot. Hours after it ended, he wrote a message saying “you haven’t seen anything yet.” It also showed several messages where Rhodes referred to “us and our rifles” or “boots on the ground” before January 6. Rhodes “has been saying for weeks, if not months, that when the president didn’t act your supporters would take matters into their own hands,” he said. Rhodes said Monday he was talking about what he thought could happen after Jan. 6. Rhodes is on trial with four others in what prosecutors said was a plan to organize an armed insurrection to stop the transfer of presidential power from Trump to Joe Biden. Prosecutors tried to show that for the Oath Keepers, the riot was not a spur-of-the-moment protest but part of a serious, week-long plot.
“Void” elections
Rhodes’ defense centers largely on the idea that his rhetoric was aimed at persuading Trump to invoke the Sedition Act, which gives the president broad discretion to decide when military force is necessary and what constitutes military force. . Rhodes told jurors he believed it would be legal for Trump to invoke that act and call out a militia in response to what he believed was an “unconstitutional” and “void” election. “My whole effort was in what Trump could do,” Rhodes said. It was not entirely clear what Rhodes would want the militia to do after being called in by Trump. However, he insisted that stopping voting certification was not one of his goals and he expected it to be certified. Prosecutors say Rhodes’ words show he was using the Sedition Act as legal cover and was going to act no matter what Trump did. The messages Rhodes sent include another from December 2020 in which she said Trump “needs to know that if he fails to act, then we will.” Rhodes also dealt with another key part of prosecutors’ case: a huge arsenal of weapons the Oath Keepers had at a hotel in nearby Virginia. Prosecutors say the weapons were one element of a so-called rapid reaction force the group could deploy in Washington. Rhodes claimed the weapons were not for a rapid reaction force, although the prosecution again showed several messages where he referred to the weapons by that name and one where he said “the situation calls for it”.
Former members testify
Rhodes did not go to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and prosecutors have described him as “a general inspecting his troops on a battlefield.” Rhodes said he simply went to Capitol Hill to find his Oath Keeper followers who weren’t on a security “mission” protecting figures like Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidante. Rhodes said he didn’t even realize one of his men went to the Capitol until he saw him in an FBI photo. Prosecutors spent weeks methodically presenting evidence showing Rhodes and jurors discussing the prospect of violence before Jan. 6 and the need to keep Biden out of the White House at all costs. Jason Van Tatenhove, a Rhodes ally, testifies before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol on July 12. Two former members of the Oath Keepers testified for prosecutors in the current trial. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press) Among their key witnesses were two of Rhodes’ former supporters who pleaded guilty to the Capitol attack and agreed to cooperate with investigators in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence. One told jurors that Oath Keepers were prepared to stop the certification of Biden’s election victory by “any means necessary,” including at gunpoint. Three Jurors who pleaded guilty to riot conspiracy and entered into cooperation agreements with prosecutors, notably, were not sided with the government. It is not clear why. The defendants are the first among hundreds of people arrested in the Capitol riot to stand trial on the Civil War-era charge that carries up to 20 years behind bars. The Justice Department last secured such a conviction at trial nearly 30 years ago and plans to try two more groups on the charge later this year. On trial with Rhodes, of Granbury, Texas, is Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers. Kenneth Harrelson, another Florida Oath Keeper; Thomas Caldwell, a retired US Navy intelligence officer from Virginia. and Jessica Watkins, who led an Ohio militia group. They face several other charges besides seditious conspiracy. LISTEN | Oath Keepers on Trial: Front Burner19:36 The Oath Keepers on trial The Oath Keepers is a far-right militia, founded in 2009 by Stewart Rhodes. He is one of five members currently on trial in Washington, D.C., facing charges of seditious conspiracy and other felonies related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors say they planned to stop a peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Explosive, secretly recorded audio of an alleged insurrection planning meeting was played last week in court. Today, we’re joined by Andy Campbell, editor-in-chief of HuffPost and author of the new book We Are Proud Boys. He explains who the Oath Keepers are and what was revealed at the trial about how the deadly attack could have been prevented.
