The through line? An exhausting demonstration of how Trump was repeatedly told by his own advisers that the 2020 presidential election was not stolen, yet continued to plot how to stay in power. The former president knew that the protesters who showed up in Washington on January 6th were armed. Not only did he urge them to march on the Capitol, but he had hopes of joining them. It is a damning portrayal. And unfortunately for Trump, who has regularly asked those around him when the televised hearings will end, the committee is far from done. The committee’s last scheduled public hearing will be held Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. It has all the makings of a potential blockbuster. READ: HOW BANNON IS DISRUPTING THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
What to expect
Thursday will be the panel’s second prime-time period, an effort to maximize viewership and attention. The panel plans to zero in on Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, focusing specifically on his response — or lack thereof — as rioters breached the walls of the Capitol and forced lawmakers from their chambers. Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, who will co-chair Thursday’s hearing with GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, told CNN the committee will “examine almost minute by minute” the then-President’s actions. “He did nothing to really stop the insurgency,” the Virginia Democrat told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” While the committee has not yet said who will testify, CNN previously reported that former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews is expected to testify. The panel is also likely to rely heavily on video testimony from Pat Cipollone, Trump’s former White House adviser. Cipollone participated in a tape-recorded interview earlier this month, and the panel used excerpts from the interview 14 times during last Tuesday’s hearing. Those witnesses alone could fuel an explosive hearing. But there’s this: Two committee members said Sunday they expect the committee to obtain U.S. Secret Service text messages from Jan. 5 and 6, 2021 through Tuesday, following a subpoena issued last week for the records. The Secret Service has been in the spotlight since witnesses described how Trump angrily demanded he take his evidence to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse — just before rioters breached the building.
Trump’s Bannon Problem
Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon is set to go on trial Monday on contempt of Congress charges over his failure to comply with a committee subpoena last year. Earlier this month, Bannon, who has pleaded not guilty, told the committee he was willing to testify, ideally in a public hearing, according to a letter obtained by CNN. The reversal came after he received a letter from Trump waiving executive privilege, though both the House select committee and federal prosecutors contend that claim of privilege never gave Bannon permission to ignore a subpoena from Congress. In a pretrial hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said he has not yet decided whether Bannon’s recent offer to testify would be admissible at trial. But by not immediately shutting down Bannon’s attempts to present that evidence, Nichols left open the possibility that Bannon had an additional defense to file. Nichols said the trial will begin with jury selection on Monday, as he rejected a second request by Bannon to delay the start date. Earlier in the week, the judge dealt another blow to Bannon, granting a House request to quash Bannon’s subpoena for the testimony of several lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The project continues
While this week is the last of the commission’s scheduled Jan. 6 public hearings, the commission has long said it won’t be the end of its investigation. Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the panel, even told the Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that they are still considering asking Trump to testify and may seek a written response from former Vice President Mike Pence or issue a subpoena to testify. Both Kinzinger and Luria suggested Sunday could be more. “Whether it’s through hearings or other methods of presenting the evidence,” Luria told Bash, “we have a responsibility to present the things that we’ve uncovered, and we’re talking about how the best way to do that is to move forward. after this hearing.”
