Donald Trump compared the US to a person dying from cancer in a furious Truth Social rant following reports that the January 6 committee is preparing to recommend criminal charges against him.
Mr Trump shared a string of outraged posts on his social media network in the early hours on Saturday, including one where he declared: “Our Country is SICK inside, very much like a person dying of Cancer”.
“The Crooked FBI, the so-called Department of ‘Justice,’ and ‘Intelligence,’ all parts of the Democrat Party and System, is the Cancer,” he continued.
“These Weaponized Thugs and Tyrants must be dealt with, or our once great and beautiful Country will die!!!”
In another post, Mr Trump referenced critics who have described him as a threat to democracy.
“‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ is the Radical Left Democrat’s new chant. Like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, before it, and all the rest, it is a total Disinformation HOAX & SCAM. They are the ones who are the REAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY,” he wrote.
“Remember, the Democrat’s policies are destroying our Country, they ‘stink.’ DISINFORMATION & WEAPONIZATION of ‘Justice’ is all they’ve got, but someday it will all come back to haunt them.”
A third post simply read: “THEY ARE GOING AFTER ME BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY GOING AFTER YOU!”
Mr Trump’s rantings come amid the news that the House select committee will reportedly vote on issuing criminal referrals against him for his role in the insurrection, according to The New York Times and Politico.
Two people familiar with the matter told Politico that the report on which the committee will vote reflects recommendations from a subcommittee of the panel’s members that evaluated potential criminal referrals.
The subcommittee reportedly recommended the charges of insurrection; obstruction of an official proceeding; and a conspiracy to defraud the United States government.
The report supposedly cites Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, which said that Mr Trump’s rhetoric likely incited the January 6 riot.
“From these alleged facts, it is at least plausible to infer that, when he called on rally-goers to march to the Capitol, the President did so with the goal of disrupting lawmakers’ efforts to certify the Electoral College votes,” that ruling said. “The Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and others who forced their way into the Capitol building plainly shared in that unlawful goal.”
The supposed criminal referrals comes as the select committee is wrapping up its work. The committee’s mandate will end at the end of the current Congress.
Furthermore, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has demanded that committee Chairman Bennie Thompson preserve all records relating to the select committee.
House Republicans are set to take control of the House of Representatives at the beginning of the year after they won the majority in last month’s midterm elections.
In addition, four of the committee’s members will not be in Congress come next year; Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney lost the Republican primary for Wyoming’s at-large district while Democratic Representative Elaine Luria lost her race in November for Virginia’s 2nd district.
Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Democrat Stephanie Murphy of Florida both opted not to seek re-election.
Mr Trump’s outburst also comes amid widespread mockery of his decision to sell digital trading cards featuring himself in various outfits.
