Liz Cheney points to Trump call, raising new witness tampering fears

The U.S. needs to grapple with a provocative and not-so-hypothetical question: Can we handle the prosecution of a former president? [View in browser]( [Image]( July 13, 2022 THE LATEST [Alternate text] [Cheney points to Trump call, raising new witness tampering fears]( by Steve Benen [On Day 7 of the Jan. 6 hearings](, testimony from two witnesses with ties to the far-right movement clarified just how deep former President Donald Trump's election lies had embedded into the psyche of the Capitol mob — and how much his words directed their actions. [Stephen Ayres](, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection to the Jan. 6 attack, testified he was "hanging on every word [Trump] was saying." And [Jason Van Tatenhove](, a former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, testified that a Trump re-election would result in "a president willing to whip up a civil war." The more we learn about [Trump's alleged crimes]( in relation to Jan. 6, his potential election interference in Georgia and now, possible hearing witness tampering, the more the U.S. needs to grapple with a provocative and not-so-hypothetical question: Can we handle the prosecution of a former president? The committee's new revelations of possible witness interference make these questions more prescient than ever. As Steve Benen writes, "While the Justice Department has taken a methodical approach to examining the events of Jan. 6, federal law enforcement can't take its time with possible witness tampering — which is a felony — since it risks undermining an ongoing investigation." Read Steve Benen's [full analysis](//link.msnbc.com/click/28359865.70388/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubXNuYmMuY29tL3JhY2hlbC1tYWRkb3ctc2hvdy9tYWRkb3dibG9nL2NoZW5leS1wb2ludHMtdHJ1bXAtY2FsbC1yYWlzaW5nLW5ldy13aXRuZXNzLXRhbXBlcmluZy1mZWFycy1yY25hMzc5OTA_Y2lkPWVtbF9tZGFfMjAyMjA3MTMmdXNlcl9lbWFpbD1kN2RjNzQ1MTcyOTdiMzk3MWFhMTRkNmYzMzExMzVhMDg3OGY4ZjY0MGZhMWExMDE5ZjE1N2I2NWMxYjVkZDFk/58292da26e4adc7b0b8b4914D52130ea0/email//link.msnbc.com/click/28359865.70388/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubXNuYmMuY29tL3JhY2hlbC1tYWRkb3ctc2hvdy9tYWRkb3dibG9nL2NoZW5leS1wb2ludHMtdHJ1bXAtY2FsbC1yYWlzaW5nLW5ldy13aXRuZXNzLXRhbXBlcmluZy1mZWFycy1yY25hMzc5OTA_Y2lkPWVtbF9tZGFfMjAyMjA3MTMmdXNlcl9lbWFpbD1kN2RjNzQ1MTcyOTdiMzk3MWFhMTRkNmYzMzExMzVhMDg3OGY4ZjY0MGZhMWExMDE5ZjE1N2I2NWMxYjVkZDFk/58292da26e4adc7b0b8b4914F52130ea0/email//link.msnbc.com/click/28359865.70388/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubXNuYmMuY29tL3JhY2hlbC1tYWRkb3ctc2hvdy9tYWRkb3dibG9nL2NoZW5leS1wb2ludHMtdHJ1bXAtY2FsbC1yYWlzaW5nLW5ldy13aXRuZXNzLXRhbXBlcmluZy1mZWFycy1yY25hMzc5OTA_Y2lkPWVtbF9tZGFfMjAyMjA3MTMmdXNlcl9lbWFpbD1kN2RjNzQ1MTcyOTdiMzk3MWFhMTRkNmYzMzExMzVhMDg3OGY4ZjY0MGZhMWExMDE5ZjE1N2I2NWMxYjVkZDFk/58292da26e4adc7b0b8b4914H52130ea0/email in your Wednesday [MSNBC Daily](. 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