Ivanka Trump told the House select committee investigating the events leading up to and surrounding the attack on the US Capitol that her father must follow court rulings.
Asked by committee co-chair Liz Cheney whether Donald Trump “is obligated to abide by the ruling of courts” during filmed testimony that was aired on 13 October, his daughter responded “I do”.
Mr Trump continues to insist that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, despite multiple court rulings roundly dismissing his spurious attempts to reject the outcome, and members of his own administration rejecting baseless conspiracy theories that sought to undermine the results.
Thursday’s hearing also outlined multiple statements from courts responding to Mr Trump’s bogus lawsuits to reject election results, as well as testimony from former Attorney General William Barr and deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue, dismissing the former president’s conspiracy theories and other arguments to overturn the election.
The committee unanimously agreed to subpoena the former president, after laying out hours of arguments and reviewing mountains of evidence casting him as a “central” figure to the violence that erupted in the halls of Congress and outside the Capitol on 6 January, 2021, fuelled by his narrative that the election was stolen from him.
Attorneys for Mr Trump could not establish any viable claims of voter fraud in any of their 62 legal challenges.
US Rep Elaine Luria said Mr Trump’s failed attempts informed his decision to make a “coordinated, multi-part plan to ensure he stayed in power,” and that he was the “driver” and “personally, directly involved” in executing his attempt to subvert the will of the American people.
The committee aired a portion of Ivanka Trump’s interview following a clip of filmed testimony from Trump-era Secretary of State Mike Pomepo, who told the panel that “we should all comply with the law at all times to the best of our ability.”
Following the certification of the 2020 presidential election and electoral college votes, “it was complete,” Mr Pompeo said.
In another interview, White House counsel Pat Cipollone was asked whether he believes the president is “obligated to abide by the rulings,” to which he replied, “Of course.”
“Everybody is obligated to abide by rules, of course,” he added.
He also agreed that “one of the president’s obligations” is to ensure that laws are faithfully executed.
“Our country is a country of laws, where every person including the president must follow the law and respect the judgment of our courts,” committee member Adam Kinzinger said during the hearing. “President Trump’s closest advisers held that view both then and now.”
