January 6 Hearings, Day 8: Key Takeaways & Unseen Footage Shown During Thursday’s Presentation
© AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite
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Thursday’s proceedings marked the eighth public hearing held in the congressional chamber. The July 21 hearing primarily focused on then-President Donald Trump’s alleged refusal to act during the 187 minutes between the riot’s inception and the publication of a video plea for supporters to cease the violence in Washington, DC, and go home.
The overarching message of the latest hearing was clear: January 6 panelists believe Trump’s period of inaction after learning his supporters’ demonstration devolved into an insurrection represents a dereliction of his duty and comes in violation of his oath to the US.
Panelists: Trump Watched Television, Refused to Act
Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), a panelist leading Thursday’s hearing, accused Trump of sitting on the sidelines and making deliberate moves to delay carrying out the appropriate action to address the attack occurring at the nearby US Capitol housing US lawmakers and former Vice President Mike Pence, who was tasked with leading the certification of Electoral College votes that day.
“What you will learn is that President Trump sat in his dining room and watched the attack on television,” Luria said, accusing the 45th US president of ignoring phone calls from both senior staffers and family members who were urging intervention.
“When lives and our democracy hung in the balance, President Trump refused to act because of his selfish desire to stay in power,” said the US lawmaker from Virginia.
Virtually everyone told President Trump to condemn the violence in clear and unmistakable terms... But the former President chose not to do what all of these people begged. He refused to tell the mob to leave until 4:17. pic.twitter.com/sYDQ6DodM6
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 22, 2022
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, recounted his confusion to the panelists during a pre-taped interview that was played in part on Thursday.
“You're the Commander in Chief. You've got an assault going on on the Capitol of the United States of America, and there's nothing?” Milley said in the audio. “No call? Nothing? Zero?”
Milley: No call. Nothing. Zero. pic.twitter.com/kRgNzXFFK1
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 22, 2022
The panel noted Trump was watching Fox News during a portion of the 187 minutes in question. A compilation of the channel’s broadcast was shown during the hearing to demonstrate the information taken in by the president at the time.
Several Staffers Pressed Trump to Swiftly Issue Brief Public Statement, Witnesses Claim
Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews testified there was little preventing the president from getting out a statement, as it would have taken Trump about 60 seconds to walk to the press briefing room from the Oval Office dining room.
“If the president wanted to make a statement and address the American people, he could have been on camera almost instantly,” Matthews testified.
The former deputy press secretary added the White House press corps could have been assembled in a “matter of minutes.”
Ex-Trump Official: 45’s Anti-Pence Tweet Incensed Rioters at the Insurrection’s Height
A tweet published by Trump at 2:24 p.m. local time served as a breaking point for rioters and many of Trump’s staffers.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” opened Trump’s tweet, decrying his vice president’s role in the electoral process.
US President Donald Trump's tweet was issued amid the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.
© C-SPAN
Matt Pottinger, Trump’s former deputy national security adviser, told the committee: “The tweet looked to me like the opposite of what we really needed at that moment, which was a deescalation.”
Panelists highlighted that the situation got even worse after the 2:24 p.m. tweet, with videos showing pro-Trump rioters punching cops and launching projectiles in the wake of the message.
Trump Struggles to Accept Defeat in Never-Before-Seen Video Clip
Panelists notably debuted footage that was left on the cutting room floor as Trump prepared to address the nation just one day after the deadly incident.
Trump takes several pauses during the brief clip and, at one point, states “I don’t want to say the election is over,” arguing he simply “can’t say that.”
“I’m not gonna–I already said, ‘You will pay,’” Trump said, referring to his pre-taped message for rioters.
The Jan. 6 panel played never-before-seen footage from a speech by then-President Donald Trump taken a day after the Capitol attack.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 22, 2022
"I don't want to say the election is over," he said. https://t.co/ZBU3Mdj5zU pic.twitter.com/0KrhKzobDk
Overheard in the video is then-adviser Ivanka Trump, the former US president’s eldest daughter and one of several individuals Trump has accused of mentally “checking out” from their duties toward the end of his presidency.
