Thread by @AmoneyResists

Here we go…(Jan 6th Hearing #8)
#January6thCommiteeHearings

Chairman Bennie Thompson appears via video because he recently tested positive for COVID. He says he will appear via video in today’s hearing in accordance with CDC guidelines and has authorized the Vice Chair Liz Cheney to gavel the committee in and out and swear in witnesses.

Thompson recaps what the committee has shown in the first 7 hearings: Trump lost the 2020 election. He knew he had lost the election. Yet he not only refused to concede, he pushed his Big Lie about a stolen election and commanded a mob he knew was heavily armed to the Capitol.

He says that tonight they will show how Donald Trump refused to intervene for over three hours while his mob of terrorists lay siege to the Capitol and put the lives of the entire Congress, the entire Capitol Police, all congressional staff, and his own Vice President in danger.

Vice Chair Liz Cheney says that the committee will continue its investigation over the next few months and continue to present its findings to the American people in September.

She states that what the committee has learned and presented so far is far more than Congress knew when they voted to impeach Donald Trump for the second time and when the senate voted to acquit him in February (57 voted to convict; 43 to acquit).

She plays a video of Mitch McConnell saying that “We know that Trump’s mob was attacking the Capitol on January 6th and was doing so in his name. They were carrying his banners. They were wearing his hats. It was obvious he was the only one who could stop it.”

Rep Luria (D-VA) states that all Presidents take an oath to faithfully execute the laws of the United States (Article II), and Donald Trump betrayed this oath in his instigation of violence on the Capitol and his refusal to call off his mob for over three hours.

She lays out the timeline that Trump refused to act, from 1:10pm to 4:27pm. She reiterates the unconscionable negligence of a Commander-in-Chief not taking immediate action in response to such an attack on the beacon of our democracy. She turns it over to Rep. Adam Kinzinger.

Rep. Kinzinger begins by showing clips of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stating that “The president bears responsibility for this attack on our Capitol. He should have immediately taken action to call off his supporters.” Another clip is shown of General Mark Milley.

Mr. Kinzinger says “We will show tonight that it’s not that Donald Trump ‘failed to act’ for 187 minutes; he REFUSED TO ACT for 187 minutes.” He says this was because the mob was doing exactly what Trump wanted—which was preventing the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.

The two witnesses have been sworn in. Matthew Pottinger—the former Deputy National Security Advisor to the United States and Sarah Matthews—the former deputy Press Secretary to Trump who resigned on January 6th, 2021.

A White House security official reports that the White House was aware of multiple reports of weapons in the crowd from that morning. Individual states security officials were “alarmed” by Trump’s conduct—stating his desire to lead the mob to the Capitol was an extreme threat.

The committee shows testimony corroborating the story Cassidy Hutchinson told about Trump fighting with his own Secret Service. A video is shown of a Secret Service agent relating that he traveled with Trump's motorcade over 100 times and this was the only altercation he’d seen.

Luria states that this incident was widely discussed within Secret Service (the agency currently under criminal investigation for purging/deleting texts from 1/5 and 1/6) and adds that some Secret Service agents have now lawyered up. No clue what is happening at USSS right now.

Trump knew the Capitol was under attack within the first 11 minutes. The committee plays clips of testimony from nearly every person in his inner circle including Cassidy Hutchinson and Pat Cipollone who say that they tried to get Trump to make a statement and he refused.

Trump wasn’t just not calling on his mob to stop. He was CALLING SENATORS FROM SWING STATES to try to get them to object to certification of the votes WHILE THE MOB WAS AT THE DOORSTEP OF CONGRESS. Trump leveraged his terrorism over members of Congress to try to stay in power.

Cippollone is shown saying Trump could have issued a statement to the nation at any time during January 6th. Kinzinger shows how close the proximity of Trump’s dining area was to the Press Briefing Room. Ms. Matthews states he could have been on camera “in less than 60 seconds”

They’re now showing just how close Trump’s mob came to Vice President Mike Pence. The mob breached the Capitol at 2:13pm. They showed communications from Trump’s National Security Team during the next 9 minutes.

“Service at the Capitol does not sound good right now” was code for USSS members fearing for their lives and calling to say goodbye to their family members because they thought they might not make it home. Despite violence reaching a crescendo at this time, Trump tweeted THIS:

Trump knowingly put a hit out on his own Vice President via tweet. Mr. Pottinger stated his response to seeing this tweet was to issue his resignation. Ms. Matthews says that Trump’s 2:24pm tweet was “pouring gasoline on a fire” and that it was the opposite of what was needed.

While the Vice President was being evacuated from the Capitol, Trump continued calling senators to try to get them to delay the vote count. He called senator Tommy Tuberville at this time. They show Senator @HawleyMO raising his fist in solidarity with the mob before running away

Committee is recessed for 10 minutes. Stay tuned…🍿🍿🍿

Rep Kinzinger draws a picture of Trump sitting in the WH dining room as violence waged, refusing to do anything, sending only a couple of texts that didn't condemn the violence

Video shows Don Jr. saying the unfolding events were a disaster and required his dad to do something.

The witnesses corroborated that Trump’s statements were inadequate. The committee shows how his supporters reacted to his tweets in real time. They said “He said not to harm police but they didn’t say anything about the Congressmen!” as they joyfully paraded through the Capitol.

We’re now getting firsthand corroboration from a witness who heard Kevin McCarthy’s phone call with Trump from 1/6, in which McCarthy repeatedly told Trump to call off his supporters and Trump refused. He said “I guess they’re more upset about the election fraud than you are.”

They’re now showing clips of Trump recording his speech that he finally issued at 4:27pm on January 6th. Everyone on the staff states that Trump’s words were “the bare minimum” of what he could say. He made no effort to contact anyone. His team was “done for the day.”

The committee shows how Trump’s mob immediately listened to his video telling them “To go home.” They said “He said to go home! We have our order!” It’s unequivocally clear that he could have ended this at any point by issuing this statement earlier.

Rep Kinzinger states that Rudy Giuliani was contacting Republican senators at this time and even left a message for Senator Tuberville in which he made no mention of the attack on the Capitol and just pressed him to keep delaying the certification of the election.

Trump’s final words of the day were to his aid to whom he simply said “Mike Pence let me down.” No remorse about the attack. No mention of the violence, death, or destruction he incited. His last tweet of the day—at 6:01pm—also legitimized the attack and perpetuated the Big Lie.

Mr. Pottinger is describing how the events of Jan 6th emboldened our enemies who like to perpetuate the false narrative that “America is in decline.” He states that he heard from many of our allies that they were “concerned for the health of our democracy.” Justifiable concern.

We’re now seeing outtakes from Trump’s prepared remarks on video from January 7th, in which he not only struggles to read the teleprompter and pronounce words like “yesterday,” but he refuses to say the words “the election is over.” He is the picture of what it means to be unfit.

Mr. Pottinger is asked about the importance of conceding an election in terms of upholding your oath of office. He says your oath is to uphold and defend the constitution and that means respecting the laws and the courts, even if they do not rule in your favor.

Rep. Luria states that House members discussed a resolution to get his cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from power. Clips are shown of Kevin McCarthy saying he’s had it with Trump and that his actions were indefensible.

Rep. Kinzinger drives the point home that is the most chilling and damning by far: Donald Trump only issued his milquetoast political theater statement to his supporters to “go home” after it was clear that his insurrection had failed and the Capitol was secure.

Kinzinger: We can differ in our politics. But we must agree on this: What Donald Trump did on January 6th was a supreme deriliction of duty and violation of his oath of office to uphold and defend the U.S. constitution. It is a stain on our republic that continues to threaten 🇺🇸.

Rep Luria is hammering Trump on his statement and the abrogation of his oath. She says our oaths are sacred. And in all of her years in military service she has defended our country from all enemies but never imagined this threat would come from within—from a sitting President.

Chairman Thompson gives his closing statement stating that they will continue these hearings in September and thanks the witnesses who have testified to the Committee and the American people who have given them our attention over the past 8 hearings.

Rep. Cheney states in closing that she appreciates the bravery of the witnesses who have testified rather than hide behind executive privilege. She states that the witnesses who have come forward to tell the truth to the American people have all been Republicans.

Rep. Cheney brings up Trump’s quote about being able to shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose any supporters and shows recently unearthed clip of Bannon on 10/20 saying he will just declare victory no matter how the election goes & if he’s losing “some crazy shit will happen.”

Cheney is brilliantly showing that Trump’s plan had always been to deceive his supporters to fight for him to remain in office despite him knowing no evidence existed to substantiate his lies about a stolen election. She states that he made the conscious choice to betray his oath

Cheney: “Our committee understands the gravity of this moment, and will continue to do all we can to meet it. We will see you all in September.”

She thanks the witnesses for their testimony; and without objection, the 8th hearing is adjourned.