Thread by @jentaub

🗣️Here we go! Live-tweeting about to begin.

Behold the first hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.

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"You held the line that day" says Chairman Thompson, addressing the witnesses. "History will remember your names and your actions."

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Chair Thompson Harkens back to 1801 when we had the first peaceful transfer of power in our nation's history. The peaceful transfer of power has stood as one of the pillars of our Democracy, despite our struggles over the years.

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While our institutions endured and while

"A peaceful transfer of power did not happen this year. It did not happen. Let that sink in for a minute. . .a violent mob . . had clear plans to disrupt our democracy."

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Chair Thompson said a rioter admitted they was "just there to overthrow the government." Bear spray, armed, ready for violence.

A scene of violence in the citadel of our democracy. Not seen since the British sacked the capitol in 1814.

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"It's frightening to think of how close we were."

He plays the video. Warns that it contains violent graphic images.

Reader, it does. Here are some clips. The sound is also alarming. Declared a riot at 13:49 pm

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Even after having seen this. . . it is sickening, awful.

Someone said we have gallows, "it's time to start using them."

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Thompson pauses after video ends. We take it in. HIs tone and words are solid and sobering.

"Let's be clear, the rioters who tried to rob us of our democracy" were inspired by the Big Lie.

"We need to understand how the rotten lie behind January 6 has continued."

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"We cannot allow ourselves to be undone by liars and cheaters."

He now recognizes Rep. Cheney for an opening statement.

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"You held the line," she says and thanks the witnesses. Says the videos show violence and intolerable cruelty "you all faced."

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Cheney said everyone on the committee wanted the independent commission of citizens (5 appointed by each party). Passed in house, but defeated by Senate.

Wants to know every meeting and phone call at the White House before, during and after the attack.

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Calls this "a cancer on our constitutional public" if we don't investigate and address the January 6 insurrection.

Reminds us that she has been a Republican (and still is) for decades "In the end, we are one Nation under God."

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Said our framers recognized the danger of factional politics.

We must defend the rule of law and freedom of all Americans.

We will hear today from 4 witnesses.

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"We must issue and enforce subpoenas promptly. We must get to objective truth" and resist efforts to coverup the truth and distort the facts.

She notes that at the time around January 6, a member of her party condemned it.

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Cheney says the question for all of us is this "Will we adhere to the rule of law . . will we preserve the peaceful transition of power" and "do we hate our political adversaries more than we revere our country . ."

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I have the chills. Powerful from Cheney: " I pray that we all remember our children our watching. . .our children will know who stood for truth and they will inherit the nation we hand to them. A Republic if we can keep it."

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Rep. Bennie Thompson is introducing all four of the witnesses today

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell
MPD officer Michael Fanone
Officer Harry Dunn of the U.S. Capitol Police
MPD office Daniel Hodges

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First witnessSergeant Gonell talks about that day and his journey from the Dominican Republican. Came here in 1992. First in his family to go to college. Became a citizen right before his 21st birthday. This country gave him opportunity for him "to become whatever I wanted"

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Gonell has taken his oath to protect the Constitution on many occasions, beginning with that swearing in ceremony as a US citizen.

"I did not recognize my fellow citizens" who were storming the Capitol on January 6."

He was more afraid that day than his deployment in Iraq!

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He said "the rioters called me 'traitor' . . .and shouted that I . . should be executed."

This is so painful and powerful.

They said "If you shoot us, we all have weapons, we will shoot back."

Also heard threats to lives of Speaker Pelosi and VP Pence.

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Gonell speaks to physical violence against him and other law enforcement. Punched, shoved.

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"The mob brought weapons to try to accomplish their insurrectionist agenda." Hammers, rebar, knives, baton, bear spray, pepper spray. They wore tactical gear. Took officers' batons and shields. Attack them with an American flag.

"The rioters were vicious and relentless."

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Rioters pulled him by his leg, shield, gear. "My survivor's instincts kicked in." He hit the rioter that was grabbing him. Then he stood, and fended off "new attackers as they kept rotating and attacking me again and again."

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Gonell said was like a medieval battle, fighting hand to hand. The rioters trying to breach the capitol were shouting "Trump sent us. Pick the right side. We want Trump." He heard officer near him (it was Hodges) screaming in pain.

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😢He felt he was losing oxygen and thought to himself, "this is how I'm going to die."

He has to wipe away the tears as he describes his later learning that his family was frantically texting him because they saw the turmoil.

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He needs to pause after he says that when he got home in the middle of the night, he had to tell his wife not to hug him because of the chemicals on his uniform. His body was burning. He showered, barely slept and returned to work at Capitol around 8 am.

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"I'm still trying to recover from my injuries," Gonell said. Both hands, left shoulder, right foot. Has had surgery on right foot and now needs it on shoulder. He will need rehab for at least a year.

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Folks. I am shaking. I was not expecting all of these feelings. We need to listen to these witnesses.

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Now Gonell said why did U.S. Capitol Police have all the support they needed during BLM protests but not on January 6.

He now thanks law enforcement who came to support. Especially Capitol Police officers who came in from home when it was not their shift.

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"We held the line . . .because the alternative would have been a disaster."

"We don't want medals . . we want justice and accountability."

January 6 has not ended.

Many colleagues have quietly resigned.

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"I could have lost my life that day. Not once, but many times. But as soon as I recover from my injuries I will serve my country in the Capitol Police."

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Deep breath from me, friends. And thank you to Officer Gonell.

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Our second witness if Officer Michael Fanone. We should all recognize him as he has been very vocal and on many news shows.

Said he became an officer after 9/11.

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He has worked undercover etc. in "dicey situations."

Yet, what he witnesses on January 6, 2021 was unlike anything he had every seen or thought he would experience. Defended the U.S. Capitol from an armed mob.

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He was attacked, beaten, tazed and almost murdered. He heard them chant "Kill him with his own gun."

"Kill him with his own gun," I can still hear those words today.

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He said "I could not ignore the numerous calls coming from the Capitol."

Fanone who has worked plain clothes for years, "for the first time in nearly a decade, I put on my uniform."

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Testimony is filled with descriptive narrative detail. Worth reading. I'm just trying to get some of the essence. He's talking about getting to the South side of the Capitol, in the crypt and then to a tunnel with his friend Jimmy.

Saw officer struggling to breath in gas

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The office was a commander (Kyle?) who shouted over the roar "hold the line"

"Most inspiration moment of my life" to see the bravery he and others displayed.

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Lower west terrace tunnel is location he is describing. Officers using bodies to hold back the onslaught of violent attackers. "The tunnel is a narrow and long hallway" not spot to want to be drawn into combat with a violent angry, armed mob.

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Thousands upon thousands of people (as his body camera shows) determined to get past us by any means necessary.

"I heard someone scream, I got one!" They stripped off his badge. Tasered and electrocuted again and again.

"Kill him with his own gun."

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"I thought of my four daughters that might lose his dad."

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"I said as loud as I could manage, 'I've got kids.'" Some people in crowd got him and brought him out of violence until his fellow officers could rescue him. He had been unconscious for 4 minutes. Had a heart attack. Concussion, traumatic brain injury and PTSD.

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After all of this it was so painful to hear people he defended are "downplaying or outright denying what happened. I felt like I went to Hell and back" to protect them. He said the the indifference shown to my colleagues is DISGRACEFUL." He slammed the table for emphasis.

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This investigation should have nothing to do with political party. "I've worked in this City for two decades, and I've never cared about those things."

That's not why he and his party Jimmy suited up for that day.

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We need to do what is necessary so this institution of democracy never falls into the hands of a violent angry mob.

Also "the time to fully recognize these officers is now."

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Officer Hodges. Member of a civil disturbance unit. He was on Constitution Avenue, watching the rally. Saw many men in tactical gear who looked like they were planning for more than listening to speeches in park.

One guy said to a colleague is this all the men you've got.

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Hodges says we will never know how many of them were carrying arms and other lethal weapons.

At 10th and Constitution he saw a confrontation between Trump supporters and a single counter-protester.

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Monitored radio. Heard a transition from peaceful assembly and terrorism. Then orders changed.

A bomb was discovered near Capitol he heard on radio.

Went to van and got on hard gear. Then drove to Capitol, marched toward West terrace. Resistance was first verbal. Booing.

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Crowd shouted "traitors" at us. Hodges and team continued to march in two columns. As they got close to terrace, line was divided and they came under attack.

"You're on the wrong team," a man shouted at him as he tried to take baton.

"You will die on your knees"

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Something heavy was thrown at him. He had a concession that he had to deal with weeks after.

Kicked in chest. But he retained baton, but on hands and knees. Medical mask pulled over eyes so he was blind. Team member helped him up.

Led charge through chaos

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Hodges is a Metropolitan Police Officer. Describing in precise detail what happened. Saw crowd with American flags and Trump flags. He also saw "Jesus is my savior, Trump is my President." Saw blue line flag "more than once being carried by the terrorist". Mace in the air.

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A man shouted "do not attack us, we're not Black Lives Matter."

Said a man told him to show solidarity or "we are going to run over you." "Do you think your little pea-shooter guns" are going to stop us. We are going in that building.

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They could not hold the line. Someone latched onto his face, got thumb in his eye and tried to blind him. Managed to scream and shake him off.

There was red smoke grenade burned at his feet. He had officers wrestled guy who had hunting knife in belt and took it

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Managed to drink bottle of water found and put on gas mask. "It was a battle of inches."

Did not know that the terrorists had broken windows and doors into the building elsewhere. They thought they were holding it all back.

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I really appreciate how all three witnesses so far Gonell, Fanone, and Hodges bring their own voice and their own memories to this horrific event. This is raw, real and inexcusable that the Republicans are trying to cover this up.

These men are the best of heroes.

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Attacker stripped away his mask gas in his face. Crushed in metal door frame. He was bashed in head, rupturing his lip and adding additional injury to his skull

Needed to fallback, but could not signal those behind him, so he screamed for help. Officer near him got him free

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We have all seen that horrifying video of him being crushed and screaming.

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I am amazed that he was not someone who needed "immediate medical attention" though.

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Our final witnesses is Officer Dunn. He has a soft voice. A gentle giant feel.

He begins by asking for a moment of silence for his colleague Brian Sicknick who died defending the Capitol.

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Dunn said he expected this to be a peaceful demonstration as they have been used to for years. He is part of the Metropolitan Police Department.

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❗️He only realized something was amiss when a friend sent a screenshot about Trump giving the rioters "marching orders" and "keep guns hidden." That there would be "time to arm up."

But he had heard nothing from his chain of command yet!

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They heard about a suspicious package at the Republican National Committee headquarters. Then he started to get worried. Also heard on radio about crowds coming from Ellipse to East and West front of Capitol. Eventually heard about crowd breaching fence

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Dunn put on a 20 pound steel chest plate. When he got to Capitol he was "stunned by what I saw."

Until then he had never seen anyone assault MPD or Capitol Police. Or a mob attack on police.

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Dunn saw rioters using flag poles, metal bike racks and various projectiles against officers. Many screaming and blinded by chemical irritants. Helped to decontaminate.

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He got in Capitol and up the stairs toward the crypt where he saw rioters carrying a Confederate flag, a red MAGA flag and Don't Tread on Me flag.

An invader approached. He hit him, knocking him down so he couldn't get up stairs.

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Though he was exhausted and it was hard to breathe with chemical spray in the air, but he kept going. He saw people in MAGA hats

"No man, this is our House. President Trump invited us here. We're here to stop the steal. Joe Biden is not the President."

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Someone said, "no no voted for Joe Biden."

"I voted for Joe Biden, I'm I nobody?"

They attacked him with racist remarks.

"No one ever, every called me a N----, wearing the uniform of a Capitol Police officer."

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Note: Dunn is Capitol Police. Above I mistakenly said MPD.

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Dunn recalls, he said, how can this be America, then he began sobbing and other officers came to console him.

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Dunn said that at the time House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, whom he defended then and would defend today and tomorrow, said the violence and chaos they saw was unacceptable and unAmerican.

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Dunn said that "More than six months later January 6 is still not over for me." He is in counseling and peer support

Tells fellow officers, if you are hurting, please seek services that are available. Also asked for committee about looking into whether that is enough.

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Dunn thanks and acknowledges "brothers and sisters in blue."

And "to the rioters, insurrectionists and to the terrorists of that day. Democracy went on that night and still continues to exist . . .you tried to disrupt democracy that day and you all failed."

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Chair Thompson thanks the four witnesses and now questioning begins.

(Reader, I am emotionally exhausted. I cannot even imagine how these witnesses feel reliving this).

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Thompson begins by asking Fanone who was a plain clothes narcotics officer for the MPD why he decided to come to the Capitol when he was not on duty.

He said he heard the radio and found what he heard distressful. Including codes and the tone of the officers voices.

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That was a 1033 signal that he referenced.

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Thompson is thanking him for that. Now he addresses Hodges. "We have seen the harrowing video" of him being crushed in the door. Can you share other acts of heroism by your colleagues that were not filmed.

Hodges praises several other officers.

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Taking a short break.

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Okay, I'm back. What did I miss? Fanone is talking now

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Here's what I missed. Thanks @jbendery

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I completely agree, @davidcicilline

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Fanone says even when he was no longer an impediment to the rioters getting into the building, they still beat and tasered him.

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Rep. Kinzinger (R-IL) begins teary-eyed. "You guys won. You guys held. Democracy are not defined by our bad days. We are defined by how we come back from bad days."

"Our mission is very simple. To define the truth and ensure accountability."

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"This cannot continue to be a partisan fight. I am a Republican and I am a conservative." He said it's time to end the conspiracies that fuel this violence. and to reject those that promote it.

He said he is here to learn the facts and defend the democracy.

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Kinzinger said Congress was not prepared because we could not imagine this happening where people in power encouraged the insurrection: "We don't blame victims. We go after the criminals"

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This. Kinzinger said, "There's a difference between crimes, even grave crimes and a coup."

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"We're only here now because you were there" defending us, Kinzinger tells the four witnesses.

There are hundreds with stories that you represent.

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He said people say "it's time to move on." He asks the witnesses, does this feel like old history, like it's time to move on.

Hodges says, there can be no healing without accountability.

Dunn says how can you move on without knowing what happened.

Others said no

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Gonell says those who continue to downplay attack should watch the video footage. People were using hockey stick, flag pole, pepper spray, bear spray. "Those are weapons." They were using these items to hurt officers.

Intent was to get people out of Capitol and hurt htem

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Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-D) plays video and asks Sgt Gonell what he was thinking as he was losing oxygen. Gonell says hands were bleeding badly, but he never considering stopping. "I need to survive this if possible, but I'm willing to sacrifice myself to prevent this)"

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"We were all fighting for our lives to give you a chance to go home to your families."

Now the people we helped get to safety (Many R members of Congress) are attacking us.

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Schiff asked Gonnell why he went back in the morning to the Capitol. His wife did not want him to go back.

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Meanwhile, this is just disgusting and cruel. Thank you for sharing this @secupp

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Schiff asks Dunn to comment on his thoughts whether this is America (meaning the riot at the Capitol).

"Black officers fought a different battle, also."

"I guess it is America. It shouldn't be."

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♥️Officer Dunn: "I'm glad to see this committee composed of Republican members also. That's encouraging. This is the side of America that I like, the side that I acknowledge.

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"We're not broken, we're just unfinished" Schiff quoting poet Amanda Gorman.

Now he is also tearing up acknowledges how emotional today is.

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Rep. Aguilar asking questions. He will be showing video footage now too.

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These stills don't convey the feeling without the sound and motion. Even after nearly seven months, this makes me sick to my stomach and fearful.

Guy with beard and long hair (next to the guy with the crutch), is stabbing and beating an officer with an American flag.

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Here's a photograph of Sergeant Gonell's foot. Had damage to various parts of his foot and surgeries.
Still very painful.

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As mentioned earlier, Gonell will need surgery on his left shoulder. He will have eight months to a year of more medical treatment and rehab.

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Aguilar asked Gonell how rioters zeroed in on his skin color they saw through his bicycle mask when he arrived. They said, "you're not even an American."

It takes time to process that. "I know I am a former American soldier and police officer."

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"Crowd was overwhelmingly white males." He saw just two women and two Asian males the whole time he was there.

That's why he characterized it as a white nationalist insurrection. They insulted his black colleagues and anyone not white. That's why they tried to recruit him.

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💯Hodges said he saw known white nationalist groups like the 3 percenters there. Then he took it a step further. He said that "people who associate with Donald Trump" are more likely to subscribe to a white supremacist belief system.

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Rep. Murphy shows a video clip and asks Hodges a question

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Warning. Here it is. This is the brutal image of the rioters nearly killing Hodges, crushing him.

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Murphy is thanking him now. She was along with Rep. Rice in that area right beyond the corridor. She was just 40 feet away from the tunnel. "You were our last line of defense."

She and Rice were then able to escape down a hallway thanks to him and other officers

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Okay. I'm crying now. She was able to hug her family again because these officers saved her life.

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I literally had to take off my glasses because I'm crying. This is unusual for me. Whew.

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Hodges describing being crushed up against the doorframe while the man in front of him beat him, tore off his gas mask, split his lip.

"I recognized that if I stayed there I was going to pass out . . or be dragged. I had to fall back" and "position not tenable."

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But after getting to safety, later he got back out there.

Murphy asked why. He said because you were there and for each other.

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"We worry about each other more than ourselves."

He said "It was for Democracy. It was for men and women of the house and senate." It was for fellow officers. It was for the country.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

"Long after you are gone you will be remembered as heroes to our country."

Those who beat you "are fascist traitors."

"You are the pride of Maryland today" he said to Officer Dunn.

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Raskin asked Dunn to elaborate on his comments that he had never seen an assault like that on his fellow officers. (He has seen people resist arrest, but nothing on this scale).

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Raskin was this like previous rallies, marches, or demonstrations.

Dunn says even ones that were "not so peaceful." The Million Man March Rally. You had Klan come to DC. Had potential to be violent and deadly. But they did not.

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Dunn said there have been MAGA people in DC before. Difference this time is that they had "marching orders" so to speak. They were emboldened by people in power on January 6. The people who were there still think they were right. Scary recipe for this country.

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Raskin says Congress's turn to "hold the line." Asks Fanone what reaction is to the claim by most Rs that the rioters were "not armed." He said implements they used were weapons

Also in days leading up, firearms were found by police from people planning to participate

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Fanone who was in uniform and had a badge does not agree that he could have been, as some say, mistaken for Antifa

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😂 First (much-needed) laugh of the day. Raskin says some colleagues call the violent insurrectionists, not "terrorists" but "tourists." Asks Hodges for comment.

"If that's what American tourists are like, I can see why foreign countries don't like American tourists."

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Next up for questions is Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA). She begins by thanking each of the witnesses and briefly mentioning what they went through as a way to show she listens and empathizes.

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When asked, Gonell describes the contrast between serving in Iraq and January 5 at the Capitol.

He was scared to go in convoys or supply missions to Iraqis. He knew risks

Here, simultaneous attacks. He was defending very institution they claimed they were trying to save.

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Luria plays another video clip, mostly for the sound of the chants. Things like "die traitors" and "you can't even call yourselves an American" and "you're on the wrong side of freedom."

Asks Fanone what he thinks of this

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Fanone said that the things that were said that day "did not resonate." What he was thinking about was that Americans were attacking members of Congress.

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Looking back, Fanone said "it's disgraceful that members of our government, I believe were responsible for inciting that behavior and then continue to propagate those statements. Things like saying it was 1776 or that the police who gave their lives were red coats.

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He added "That is the worst of what America has to offer".

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Chair Thompson is speaking again. It's been 202 days. Asks witnesses, what would you like to see us do. Starts with Fanone.

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Fanone says investigations so far have focused on micro-level concerns.

"A lot of these events happened in plain site. We had violent political rhetoric." The rally was called "stop the steal." Not a coincidence in terms of timing as that was day to certify the election.

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Fanone wants an investigation into the time, place, and circumstances that may have resulted in the events of January 6 and whether or not there was collaboration between members, staff and "those terrorists."

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Hodges now responds to the Chair's question.

"You guys are the only ones we've got to deal with crimes that occurred above us . . .if anyone in power coordinated, or aided or abetted, or tried to downplay, tried to prevent the investigation of this terrorist attack."

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Dunn addresses the question.

"It's not a secret that it was political." That's why the insurrectionists were there.

Getting to the truth should not be hard. Fighting off the attackers was hard.

Why is telling the truth hard (addressing praise for Cheney and Kinsinger)?

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Dunn concludes. "Why I ask from you is to get to the bottom of what happened."

The person who hired a hit man goes to jail.

A hit man sent the attackers on January 6.

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Gonell says he wants to have the tools so we can continue to protect you. Perhaps fortifying the Capitol.

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"I know people want to keep this place open to the public as much as possible." But we need to reinforce entrances, he said.

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Thompson thanks the group as "real heroes" who helped preserve this Democracy.

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"We owe it to the American people. We owe it to you and your colleagues" that this does not happen again says Thompson.

The hearing is a wrap. Whew.

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