Jan. 6 Hearings (Part Nine)

The House Select Committee investigating the events surrounding the storming of the US Capitol last Jan. 6 held its ninth public hearing yesterday, voting unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump to testify. Rep. Liz Cheney (R, WY-At large) introduced the resolution, saying several witnesses pleaded the Fifth Amendment when pressed about their dealings with Trump. All nine members of the bipartisan panel voted yes.

The hearing summarized the investigation's findings thus far, focusing on Trump's role leading up to the day, and displayed new evidence and testimony (watch here). In particular, an Oct. 31, 2020, memo sent to White House officials from conservative activist Tom Fitton showed plans for Trump to declare victory before all mail-in ballots were counted. In an email on Dec. 26, 2020, Secret Service warned of a tip that armed members of the Proud Boys planned to outnumber law enforcement in a Jan. 6 march in Washington, DC. Further, recorded testimony from former aides showed Trump privately said he knew he had lost to Joe Biden.

The hearing marked the committee's final public presentation before the midterm elections.