Congressional leaders have stepped up to ensure the safety of the Capitol following the violent riot that broke out on January 6. A mob of Trump supporters fought through lines of police officers and forced legislators to flee the chamber. A select committee has begun investigating the incident. It plans to subpoena former President Donald Trump for testimony on his involvement in the riot.
During the riot, President Trump refused to acknowledge his culpability in the attack, and advisors and Secret Service agents warned him against tweeting about Vice President Mike Pence. He ignored their pleas and did not respond to repeated requests to stop the violence. The select committee intends to pursue the White House aides and others who gave inaccurate testimony. In the meantime, the committee has re-examined testimony from previous public hearings. It plans to issue a report with recommendations in August. The report will include new evidence that could help determine if the attack was political.
On January 5, the FBI flagged a social media account belonging to a Trump supporter. Within two minutes of a tweet, the account had 24,000 likes. The FBI said it believed the account was being used by someone who was planning to go to a Trump rally in Ellipse. The account stated that someone was planning to bring a sniper rifle to the rally. The account also included a link to a webpage with violent comments about the president. The Secret Service warned against tweeting about Pence because of the threat of violence.
According to the House Oversight Committee, Trump’s tweet about Pence was “a clear violation of the Constitution.” The committee also learned that Thomas corresponded with former Vice President John Eastman. After the 2020 election, Thomas sent emails to Wisconsin Republican legislators urging them to name alternate electors for Trump. He also corresponded with Meadows via text message.
A committee report could include a look into security failures surrounding the attack, as well as evidence that the President and his aides attempted to overturn the 2020 election results. The panel plans to submit the report to Congress before the end of the year. The panel’s investigation has so far yielded thousands of pages of documents and transcribed interviews. It also uncovered internal communication records from the Secret Service that appeared to contradict the testimony of witnesses.
The House select committee intends to subpoena former President Trump for testimony on the riot. It plans to vote on a motion to do so. It also plans to send subpoenas to Reps. Andy Biggs, Scott Perry, Jordan, and McCarthy. In addition, the committee plans to pursue other lawmakers who gave inaccurate testimony. The committee has stitched together past hearings with new clips and is considering using them as evidence in the case.
After the riot, the House Oversight Committee plans to present evidence that the President and his aides were trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. During the riot, Trump and Pence were aware of the size of the crowd. However, they ignored the pleas of their advisors to stop the violence.