Prosecutors may not need to show that Trump knew he had lost the election

The obstruction of an official proceeding count is notable among his recent charges as it may not turn on whether Trump believed his own claims

Included in the indictment last week against Donald Trump for his efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election was a count of obstructing an official proceeding - the attempt to stop the vote certification in Congress on the day his supporters mounted the January 6 Capitol attack.

The count is notable, because - based on a review of previous judicial rulings in other cases where the charge has been brought - it may be one where prosecutors will not need to prove Trump knew he lost the election, as the former president's legal team has repeatedly claimed.