Top advisers to Donald Trump testified on Monday that they had told the former president his claims of election fraud were bogus and urged him not to claim victory on election night.
The latest testimony came as the US House panel investigating the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol zeroed in on Mr Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, even at times adopting outlandish theories in a bid to cling to power.
In video testimony, Mr Trump's former attorney general, William Barr, dismissed Mr Trump's claims of election fraud as “crazy stuff”.
“If he really believes this stuff, he's become detached from reality,” Mr Barr said.
“And I didn't want to be a part of it. And that's one of the reasons that went into me deciding to leave when I did.”
Mr Barr resigned as attorney general on December 14, 2020.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said: “January 6 was a direct and predictable result of Mr Trump's decision to use false claims of election fraud to overturn the election, and declaring the power.”
Representative Liz Cheney, the panel's vice chairwoman, said the former president ignored advice from legal experts on the night of the election and instead followed the course of action recommended by an “apparently inebriated” Rudy Giuliani — Mr Trump's personal lawyer.
The former New York City mayor told Mr Trump to falsely claim victory on election night, Mr Cheney said.
Mr Trump began pushing what became known as the “Big Lie” on November 4, 2020 as he falsely claimed victory over Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The January 6 committee used Monday's hearing to show how the claim grew into a conspiracy that Mr Trump and his inner circle clung to in an effort to remain in power.
Ivanka Trump, Mr Trump's daughter and former top adviser, said she believed it was too early for Mr Trump to declare victory.
“It was becoming clear that the race would not be called on election night,” Ms Trump said in recorded testimony.
Jared Kushner, Ms Trump's husband, also advised his father-in-law to not take Mr Giuliani's course of action.
“He said, 'I have confidence in Rudy,'” Mr Kushner said in video testimony.
And Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien, whom the panel said organised the “Stop the Steal” effort, said the race was too early to call on election night.
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First gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris, US President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden salute the crowd after their electoral victory on November 7, 2020. Outgoing president Donald Trump has yet to concede his loss. AFP -
Rudy Giuliani, lawyer for former president Donald Trump, gives a press conference in the car park of the Four Seasons landscaping company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after Joe Biden was declared as winner of the 2020 presidential election, which he claimed was false. As a result of these claims, Mr Giuliani can no longer practice law in the state of New York. EPA -
Donald Trump meets Clint Hickman, vice chairman of Arizona's 4th District, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, at Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, Mr Hickman said that he refused to take calls from the White House and Mr Trump, who he said was trying to overturn the battleground state's results. AP -
Four days before the Capitol riot, Donald Trump placed a call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked the official to 'find' 11,780 votes to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the battleground state. The House committee investigators have already interviewed election officials in the state. AP -
Ruby Freeman was an employee of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 2020 presidential election. After the state went to Joe Biden, Donald Trump accused Ms Freeman of stealing ballots in a call with Brad Raffensperger, who told Mr Trump that he was being misled by claims on social media. Reuters -
Kimberly Guilfoyle, engaged to Donald Trump's son, boasted to a Republican operative that she had raised $3 million for the rally that helped fuel the January 6 Capitol riot. She may be called to testify. AFP -
Kash Patel, chief of staff to former acting secretary of defence Christopher Miller, gave a deposition on Capitol Hill to the committee on December 9, 2021. Members of the committee and staff members had been meeting with Mr Patel and 'Stop the Steal' organiser Ali Alexander. Getty Images / AFP -
The Willard Hotel in Washington played home to a 'war room' set up by advisers of Donald Trump and has become the focus of the congressional investigation into the January 6 attack. AFP -
Former White House chief strategist in the Trump administration Steven Bannon leaves a federal courthouse in Washington after being indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress. EPA -
Roger Stone, a former adviser and confidant of Donald Trump, gave a deposition before the committee in which he repeatedly pled the Fifth Amendment when questioned. Getty Images / AFP -
Bennie Thompson was chosen by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to lead the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol. Getty Images / AFP -
Bennie Thompson meets Liz Cheney, vice-chair of the select committee, Adam Kinzinger and Jamie Raskin on Capitol Hill. The committee voted unanimously to recommend contempt of Congress charges for former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark for defying his subpoena, refusing to answer questions and failing to hand over documents to the committee. Getty Images / AFP -
Liz Cheney, committee chairman Bennie Thompson and other members of the committee speak to reporters after meeting with Nancy Pelosi. Reuters -
Republican Scott Perry of Pennsylvania helped promote theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, resulting in millions of tax dollars spent on recounts in the state. Election workers there were also threatened with violence. Reuters -
Chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party Kelli Ward led the charge to pressure Maricopa County officials to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election. Ms Ward also said that 'outside agitators' were responsible for the deadly attack. AP -
Jim Jordan, a Republican congressman, admitted to speaking with Donald Trump on January 6. Reuters -
Lawyer John Eastman spoke with Donald Trump's personal legal representative Rudy Giuliani at the January 6 'Stop the Steal' rally in Washington. During the melee, Mr Eastman emailed Greg Jacobs, aid to vice president at the time Mike Pence, to say that it was Mr Pence's fault that the riot was taking place because he refused to block the election's certification results. Reuters -
Before Mike Pence could certify the Electoral College votes before Congress, the last step in the process before Joe Biden was to be sworn in, rioters breached the US Capitol. Outside the chamber doors, a person was shot and police officers were beaten and trampled as some rioters yelled: 'Hang Mike Pence!' EPA -
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said he has no intention of complying with a subpoena to appear before the committee and missed a scheduled deposition. Committee members voted unanimously to pursue criminal contempt charges against Mr Meadows for refusing to give evidence. AFP -
In a legal setback, a federal appeals court ruled against Donald Trump, demanding he turn over White House records to the committee. AP -
Fox News host Sean Hannity sent text messages to the White House during the January 6 insurrection. AP -
The Oath Keepers is a US militia group that recruits former members of the military and law enforcement, with many participating in the January 6 attack. The committee has sent a subpoena to its founder, Stewart Rhoades, and several members have been arrested. AP -
The select committee subpoenaed Enrique Tarrio, naming him as leader of the Proud Boys, an extremist group that responded to Donald Trump’s call to descend on Washington and which played a central role in the attack on the Capitol. EPA -
US Olympic swimmer Klete Keller can be seen, with arms extended and wearing a blue kerchief covering his face, during the attack on the US Capitol. He pled guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding and is co-operating with the committee. AFP -
House select committee member Liz Cheney told CNN that a witness said Donald Trump's daughter and former White House adviser, Ivanka Trump, pleaded with her father to put a stop to the violence that took place on January 6. Getty Images / AFP -
On January 9, 2021, Twitter banned Donald Trump after he tweeted his support for the rioters. Reuters -
'Stop the Steal' organiser Ali Alexander gave a deposition on Capitol Hill to the committee. Getty Images / AFP -
Stephanie Grisham, former White House Press Secretary under former US president Donald Trump, leaves the O'Neill House office building following a meeting with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Reuters
Asked if anyone disagreed with him, Mr Stepien replied that Trump “thought I was wrong. He told me so.” Mr Stepien cut ties with the former president in December 2020.
Mr Stepien abruptly backed out of Monday's meeting because his wife was in labour.
Ben Gisburg, a conservative election attorney, said campaigns look for voting irregularities but the 2020 election “was not close”.
Ms Lofgren said the House panel has records of 61 court losses by Mr Trump's team.
“In no instance did the court find the charges of fraud were real,” Mr Ginsberg said.
Another example of Mr Trump's claim of election fraud involved a “suitcase of ballots” being pulled from under a table and “added in secret in Georgia” at an Atlanta voting centre. BJ Pak, the former top federal prosecutor in the state, said his review showed the “suitcase” was an official lockbox where ballots were stored to be kept safe.
Others scheduled to testify on Monday included Chris Stirewalt, the Fox News host whose decision to call Arizona for Mr Biden on election night infuriated Mr Trump and his inner circle. Mr Stirewalt was fired by the conservative US network in 2021.
Agencies contributed to this report
