OnPolitics: The latest House Jan. 6 committee hearing
Happy Friday, OnPolitics readers!
It's Amy with a special edition of OnPolitics on the latest hearing from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the night:
The special congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots used its eighth day of public hearings on their findings to focus on former President Donald Trump's inaction in stopping his supporters from swarming the Capitol.
Who testified? Two former Trump administration officials — Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews — testified in great detail about the three hours of Trump's inaction.
Pottinger served as a deputy national security adviser, while Matthews worked as deputy White House press secretary. Both resigned in protest over the attack.
Luria says Trump betrayed his oath: Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, said the former president "summoned the mob" to the Capitol and "sat in his dining room and watched the attack on television."
Luria, a Navy veteran, said Trump was guilty of dereliction of duty and betrayed his oath of office. She said she served proudly for 20 years as many others have in the name of duty and country, but that Trump "refused to act because of his selfish desire to stay in power."
Trump's calls on Jan. 6: The panel showed testimony from former White House officials detailing how Trump made no attempts to quell the violence even as Pentagon officials were trying to coordinate a response to the riot.
Instead, Trump was reaching out to GOP senators during the riot about ways to change the 2020 election outcome.
Kayleigh McEnany, who served as White House press secretary, said in a videotaped testimony she left the president a list of lawmakers to contact.
Stories to understand the hearings:
- Trump glued to TV, Secret Service fears, Cheney forecasts 'dam' break: More takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing
- Pressure campaigns, predictable violence: What we learned from all eight Jan. 6 hearings
- 'We love you' How Trump went off-script in a Jan. 6 speech as the riot raged
- Trump ally Steve Bannon found guilty of contempt for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoena
- Did Trump aide Mark Meadows help stop – or fuel – the insurrection?
- Secret Service agents feared for their lives during Capitol attack, made goodbye phone calls
- A breakdown of the 187 minutes Trump was out of view on Jan. 6 as aides urged him to act
Jan. 6 committee promises more hearings. What happens next?
After more than 100 subpoenas, dozens of depositions and millions of viewers, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol concluded its eighth hearing Thursday with little resolution, even more questions and the promise of more hearings.
In his opening remarks, the committee's chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said more hearings are coming in September. The panel's vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., signaled the committee hasn't hit its end point.
The committee is expected to produce a report this fall outlining its findings and recommendations, but it has not set a deadline for its release. The substance of the September hearings likely hinges on additional details the committee's investigation could uncover. The committee is tugging at several loose threads, and a few outside factors – including the Justice Department's own investigation – that could change its schedule.
“Let me assure every one of you this: our committee understands the gravity of this moment. The consequences for our nation. We have much work yet to do,” Cheney said, before adding: “We will see you all in September."
President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday. Read more about how he is doing here. -- Amy