The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to closely examine Donald Trump’s mobile phone activities during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in his forthcoming trial. This was revealed in recent court filings by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith stated that an expert has analyzed data from a White House cell phone used by Trump, and the findings will be presented to the jury. This evidence aims to shed light on how Trump utilized his phone during and around the time of the Capitol breach.
This development is part of the DOJ’s case against Trump for alleged election interference. The expert witness is expected to delve into the usage details of phones owned by Trump and another unidentified person. The testimony will cover various aspects, including the images found on these devices, website visits, and particularly Trump’s Twitter activity on the day of the riot.
In a recent article by Forbes, One key aspect of the trial will be determining Trump’s direct involvement in certain actions, such as tweeting against then-Vice President Mike Pence during the riot. The extent to which Smith had access to the phone’s communications, potentially limited by executive privilege or other legal boundaries, is not entirely clear.
Additionally, the filing mentions that two other experts will testify at the trial, scheduled to start on March 4. One expert has created a map using Google location data to illustrate the movement of individuals toward the Capitol post-Trump’s speech, and another will explain the collection and interpretation of this location data.
In a related move, Smith has sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on whether Trump has absolute presidential immunity in this federal election interference case. The Supreme Court responded promptly to this request, indicating an expedited decision on whether to take on the case.