This is the most direct language to date from federal prosecutors linking Trump’s requests for support in Washington DC to the most militant aspects of the uprising.
Previously, the Justice Department had been somewhat reluctant to link Trump’s words so closely to the extremist group’s actions during the riot. At least four defendants argued in court this week that they were following Trump’s instructions to go to the Capitol on January 6.
The Justice Department application continued, “Her concern about taking action without his support was evident in a November 9, 2020 text in which she stated: ‘I am concerned that this is an elaborate trap. Unless the POTUS itself it is not legitimate. The POTUS also has the right to activate units. If Trump asks me to come, I will. Otherwise I cannot trust it. “Watkins had received her desired signal in late December. ‘
Prosecutors describe Watkins as a military veteran who is now a leader in the wider right-wing militia movement, instrumental in a group called the Ohio State Regular Militia and a key player who takes action and communicates with others once she was in the Capitol on January 6.
She recruited at least two people for the uprising and trained others to be in “fighting shape” for the presidential inauguration, prosecutors say in Thursday’s filing.
On a radio app that day, she said her group consisted of 30 to 40 people, prosecutors say.
Watkins reportedly had a “determined commitment to using force to obstruct Joe Biden’s certification of the presidency,” prosecutors said in the statement. “Crimes of this magnitude, committed with such zeal, contradict any conditions for release that would reasonably ensure the safety of the community or that Watkins could meet.”
They note that on the radio channel, she said, “We’re in the main dome now. We rock it. ‘
The Justice Department also says that Watkins wore camouflage and combat gear, including a tactical vest, boots, and a helmet, and spoke to other Oath Keepers on the radio.
“Unlike the vast majority, Watkins had trained and plotted a moment like this,” the prosecutors wrote.
This story has been updated with additional developments.