It’s hard to see how anyone paying attention could deny the facts presented — that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that Donald Trump refused to accept that reality and tried to stay in office. The people working to help Trump were the ones who stockpiled weapons and tactical equipment and hung makeshift gallows on Capitol Hill for the then-vice president. This is a tender wound that the last 18 months have not healed.
But the rebellion failed, right?
The positive view of the rebellion has always been that democratic institutions held, and Trump was unable to overturn the will of the American people through the Electoral College. House select committee hearings show how powerful the then-President made extremist groups feel. The commission alleged that Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes regularly sent thousands of dollars worth of gear to a rally organizer.
A different vision for the US
A former Oath Keeper representative, Jason Van Tatenhove, testified in person before the committee on Tuesday and offered a glimpse of the group’s vision on Jan. 6. “It involves violence. It involves trying to get their way through lying, through deception, through intimidation and through the use of violence.” Van Tatenhove said he is concerned that if Trump runs again in 2024, the former president will try to “spark a civil war among his followers using lies and deceit.” See: Why the former representative of the Oath Keepers broke with the group. Read: These are some of the leaders of extremist groups involved in the insurgency.
The full picture comes into focus
Here are some of the pieces revealed by the parliamentary committee:
Trump almost convinced his party to wholesale reject an election he knew his administration was valid.
The far-right militia marched on the Capitol thinking it had the blessing of the then-President. Other rioters were blown away by Trump’s lies.
It took calls and months of investigation for the commission to finally reveal what happened. If they hadn’t stepped up, we wouldn’t have a clear idea of the extent of Trump’s involvement.
The witnesses testifying are doing so despite online threats and, according to the committee, pressure directly from Trump.
Maybe these hearings are paying off
Nevertheless, Trump is seriously considering officially launching his bid for the White House in 2024. Only about half of Republicans would prefer someone different to win the GOP primary in two years, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll. However, the current proposition for Trump or any future president may be wrong — not to respect institutions, but to further exploit their weaknesses.
We have identified the weaknesses. And now what?
“The critical thing is the next step,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, closing Tuesday’s hearing. “What will this committee, what will all of us, do to strengthen our democracy against coups, political violence and campaigns to steal elections away from the people.” Important note: I will also add the caveat here that these hearings are not like a court of law. They don’t present Trump’s side of the story, as he and his allies worked hard for months to marginalize the committee.
Back to details
At the commission’s seventh public hearing, we learned the following:
Trump insisted that language targeting Vice President Mike Pence be added to remarks he made to supporters on Jan. 6, shortly before the uprising.
Trump spoke by phone with former adviser Steve Bannon the day before the riot and shortly before Bannon promised the “Stop the Steal” rally would be a surprise.
There has been a clear shift in how Trump’s current allies view these hearings, fighting them instead of ignoring or dismissing them and arguing that Trump was misled by aides. Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee’s vice chairwoman, pushed back against that idea early in the hearing. “President Trump is a 76-year-old man,” the Wyoming Republican said. “He’s not an impressionable kid. Like everyone else in our country, he’s responsible for his actions and his own choices.”
A Capitol rioter who now regrets his actions, Stephen Ayres, testified in person and described hanging on Trump’s words and losing his home and job as a result of his arrest after the riot. He encouraged others to “take off the blinders before it’s too late.”
Basic points
Some of the takeaways from Tuesday’s hearing by CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Jeremy Herb and Zachary Cohen include: Trump’s “call to arms” tweet. The panel repeatedly highlighted a Trump tweet from December 2020 that it said was a rousing call to arms that motivated his supporters to come to Washington and disrupt the transition of power. The Cipollone interview plays a key role. (Trump White House Counsel Pat) Cipollone’s testimony (excerpts from a video recording of his testimony last week) gave a leading voice to the chorus of former Trump aides who testified to the committee and told the President there was no substantial evidence that the elections were stolen from him. … (Cipollone) could play an even bigger role in next week’s hearing that is expected to focus on what was going on inside the West Wing when the attack on the Capitol took place on January 6. “Unhinged” Oval Office meeting. Raskin said the Dec. 18 meeting was “critical because President Trump watched closely for several hours as his counsel and other White House lawyers destroyed the baseless factual allegations and ridiculous legal arguments advanced by Sidney Powell, Mike Flynn and others. “
What else?
More claims of possible infringement. Cheney again warned Trump on Tuesday not to try to influence witnesses. He said the panel informed the Justice Department that after the most recent hearing, Trump attempted to contact a witness whose testimony has not yet been made public. Read more.Oval Office Clash. The development of Tuesday’s bombshell was the December standoff between White House lawyers and Trump supporters pushing campaign conspiracies. White House lawyers fought the idea of appointing leading conspiracy theorist Powell as a special counsel. Flynn, the former national security adviser whom Trump pardoned for lying to the FBI, suggested Trump invoke martial law. It was unclear whether Trump approved the idea. What we know. A moment of reconciliation. Ayres, who regrets his part in the rebellion, shook hands with an officer who defended the Capitol, but is no longer able to serve in uniform due to his injuries. Read more. Trump is sick of this. Read CNN’s report on the view from Trump’s perspective. “While he often uses expletives, Trump continued to reveal that no one is in the yard to defend him or his actions on the day of the Capitol Hill riot. He has suggested that allies such as Steve Bannon step up to do so.” New Bannon audio. Speaking of Trump’s former adviser, new Bannon audio released as of Oct. 31, 2020, obtained by Mother Jones, sheds light on Trump’s plans to claim victory on election night. “What Trump is going to do is just declare victory. Right. He’s going to declare victory. But that doesn’t mean he’s the winner, he’s just going to say he’s the winner,” Bannon says, according to the recording, while speaks to “a group of partners”. This story has been updated with additional information.
