John,

Today, our trial in Colorado challenging Donald Trump’s eligibility for the ballot continued with more testimony from the defense. Witnesses called by Trump’s team described the “Stop the Steal” rallies leading up to and on January 6th, and claimed the crowd was overwhelmingly "peaceful" and "patriotic."

The defense also called other witnesses who went to the rally but did not engage in violence. It also called Representative Ken Buck who revealed that he wanted to participate in the January 6th Committee, but then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy would not allow him to.

Tomorrow will be the last day of witness testimony in the trial. Next week, we have a deadline to file proposed factual and legal findings, and then we expect to make closing arguments the following week.

Witnesses Called by Defendants

• Amy Kremer, founder of Women for America First, a pro-Trump group that organized “Stop the Steal” bus tours, ending in Washington DC on January 6th
• Thomas Van Flein, general counsel and chief of staff to Congressman Paul Gosar
• Tom Bjorklund, treasurer of the Colorado Republican Party who testified as a private citizen and attendee of the January 6th rally
• Representative Ken Buck

Key Moments

“Amy Kremer, an organizer of the Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse, called the rally attendees ‘freedom-loving citizens’ and ‘happy warriors,’ and said she had seen no indication of violence or violent intent while Mr. Trump was speaking. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that she had been inside the area that required magnetometer scans, and that she would not have seen anything that happened outside that area.” — The New York Times

“[Kremer] maintained that people were ‘happy’ and ‘full of love.’ Van Flein made similar comments during his testimony. ‘It was more like a festival than a rally,’ Van Flein said. ‘There was no anger.’ During cross examination, lawyers for the plaintiffs drew attention to the fact that both witnesses were unable to view everyone in attendance at the rally, nor did they know who everyone was. Reports and testimony delivered after Jan. 6 indicate that far-right militia groups attended the rally, where weapons were also present.” — The Messenger

“Bjorklund says he joined his brother there and the pair intended to also go camping. It was his first ever visit to Washington D.C. ‘Everybody was just there having a good time, listening to speeches.’ He says Trump was funny and very entertaining.” — Colorado Public Radio

“Buck described a chaotic scene on Jan. 6 as Capitol Police attempted to barricade the House chamber from approaching rioters. ‘A police officer came to the microphone and said that tear gas had been dispersed. And we were advised that there were gas masks under our seats and we should deploy those gas masks,’ Buck said. ‘There was clear indication that there was a danger at that point.’” — The Hill

Livestream

C-SPAN aired today’s portion of the trial in full, which you can watch here.

Selected News Coverage

• Testimony from election deniers begins Trump’s defense in Colorado 14th Amendment trial, Colorado Newsline
• Trump team defends his eligibility for office in historic hearings about 14th Amendment, Jan. 6, ABC News
• Ken Buck testifies in Trump 14th Amendment hearing in Colorado, The Hill

Thanks for following along during our 14th Amendment trial challenging Donald Trump’s ballot eligibility in Colorado. We’ll be back tomorrow with more updates.