Federal prosecutors are investigating Trump's role in inciting the deadly Capitol riots

• The US attorney in Washington, DC, said Thursday that federal prosecutors are investigating President Donald Trump's role in inciting violent riots that shook Capitol Hill on Wednesday and resulted in four deaths.
• "We are looking at all actors here, not only the people that went into the building, but ... were there others that maybe assisted, or facilitated, or played some ancillary role in this," Michael Sherwin told reporters on a phone call.
• When asked specifically whether that included Trump, he responded, "We are looking at all actors here, and anyone that had a role. If the evidence fits the element of a crime, they're going to be charged."

Michael Sherwin, the acting US attorney in Washington, DC, told reporters on Thursday that his office is investigating President Donald Trump's role in inciting a frenzied mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol.

Wednesday's disruption forced the House and Senate to go into recess and lawmakers, reporters, and Hill staffers to evacuate the building, and resulted in four deaths.

When asked if federal prosecutors will examine statements Trump made at a rally before the riots in which he urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and call on lawmakers to overturn the 2020 election, Sherwin replied, "Yes, we are looking at all actors here, not only the people that went into the building, but ... were there others that maybe assisted or facilitated or played some ancillary role in this."

"We will look at every actor and all criminal charges," he added.

The Washington Post reported that when Sherwin was specifically pressed on whether that included the president, he said, "We are looking at all actors here, and anyone that had a role. If the evidence fits the element of a crime, they're going to be charged."

At a "March for Trump" rally in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning, the president told his supporters to "fight like hell" to stop Congress from finalizing President-elect Joe Biden's victory, effectively overthrowing the results of a democratic, free, and fair election.

After the Capitol was secured on Wednesday evening, Congress reconvened, finished counting up the electoral votes from the November election, and confirmed that Biden won 306 votes - and the presidency - compared with Trump's 232.

Hours after unleashing his supporters on the Capitol and minutes after Congress certified Biden's win, Trump's communications aide Dan Scavino posted a statement from the president on Twitter promising an "orderly transition" on January 20.

Expanded Coverage Module: capitol-siege-module