Trump called aides at command center hours before Capitol riot | First Thing

Former president pressed lieutenants about ways to delay certification of election result, plus vaccine is word of the year

Good morning.

Sources have told the Guardian that just hours before the deadly attack on the US Capitol this year, Donald Trump made several calls from the White House to top lieutenants at the Willard hotel in Washington to discuss ways to stop or delay the certification of Joe Biden's election win from taking place on 6 January.

Why is this significant? Trump's remarks reveal a direct line from the White House and the command center at the Willard. The conversations also show Trump's thoughts appear to be in line with the motivations of the pro-Trump mob that carried out the Capitol attack.

When did Trump make the calls? He phoned his lieutenants at the Willard sometime between the late evening on 5 January and the early hours of 6 January after becoming furious at Pence for refusing to do him a final favor.

Meanwhile, the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack has recommended the criminal prosecution of Jeffrey Clark.

What else is the government going to do? Biden promised to put forward a more detailed strategy on Thursday. Not with shutdowns or lockdowns," he said of the forthcoming plan, but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing and more."