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The January 6th panel voted unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump to give testimony and hand over documents related to the Capitol riot as they closed out what is likely their last public hearing.
In an unprecedented move, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney called Trump a ‘key player’ of the carnage and said the committee needs to hear from him ‘under oath’.
The seven Democrat and two Republican members agreed and voted 9-0 after a hearing that included evidence Trump planned to declare he won the election in November 2020 – even if he was losing.
Trump did not comment on whether he would comply with the subpoena, but in a statement on Truth Social questioned why the committee had waited so long to demand his testimony.
‘Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago? Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting? Because the Committee is a total “BUST” that has only served to further divide our Country which, by the way, is doing very badly – A laughing stock all over the World?’ he wrote.
‘We must seek the testimony under oath of January 6th’s key player,’ Ranking Member Liz Cheney said in conclusion of the day’s meeting
The subpoena for Trump’s testimony expires at the end of this congressional term, which is in December
The panel was also shown video footage of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats huddled in a secure location in the Capitol, calling round various officials begging for them to call in the National Guard.
‘We must seek the testimony under oath of January 6th’s key player,’ ranking member Cheney said in conclusion of the day’s meeting.
The subpoena for Trump’s testimony expires at the end of this congressional term, which is in December.
‘We need to hear from him,’ chairman Bennie Thompson said. ‘It is our obligation to seek Donald Trump’s testimony.’
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich called the hearing ‘partisan theatrics’ designed to distract from matters like inflation, the border crisis and crime.
‘Instead of using their final days in power to make life for Americans any better, Democrats are doubling and tripling down on their partisan theatrics,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘They are simply bitter, power hungry & desperate. Pres Trump will not be intimidate by their meritless rhetoric or un-American actions.’
Cheney also said the committee has sufficient information to make criminal referrals to the Justice Department for multiple individuals.
She said that 30 witnesses had pled their Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination during testimony with the committee, as she played clips of Roger Stone, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark repeatedly answering questions with ‘Fifth.’
The subpoena comes more than a year after the committee began probing his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and despite a general consensus that the former president will not comply.
The January 6th panel plans to vote to subpoena former President Donald Trump on Thursday in likely what is to be its last public hearing, according to multiple reports
If the subcommittee votes to subpoena Trump on Thursday that subpoena expires at the end of this congressional term, which is in December
The committee has already interrogated dozens who are in the president’s orbit and previously said it is still considering subpoenaing Trump or former Vice President Mike Pence.
Chairman Bennie Thompson told reporters the committee did not plan to subpoena Pence.
In its wide-ranging probe the committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews and depositions and handed out 100 subpoenas.
Ranking Member Liz Cheney said that Thursday’s hearing would focus on Trump’s ‘state of mind’ and ‘intent’ revolving the Capitol riot and moves to overturn the election.
The committee dove into previously unseen material to demonstrate the president’s mindset to the public.
In one interview, former White House communications director Alyssa Farah said that after the election Trump at one point looked up at the TV screen where President Biden was talking and said, ‘Can you believe I lost to this f***ing guy?’
Trump also ordered a complete withdrawal from both Afghanistan and Somalia on Nov. 11, 2020, to take effect Jan. 11, 2021, just days before the Jan. 20 inauguration. Committee members claimed this proved Trump knew he had lost and would not be able to withdraw troops in a second term. The order was never carried out as Trump’s senior defense officials warned against it.
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson was shown recalling a conversation between her old boss, ex-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Trump, after the election.
She recalled Trump saying ‘something to the effect of, ‘I don’t want people to know we lost, Mark. This is embarrassing. Figure it out.”
Meanwhile Rep. Zoe Lofgren said Trump was planning as early as July 2020 to declare victory if he lost against Joe Biden.
‘Trump planned as early as July that he would say he won the election, even if he lost,’ the panel member said was told to them by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.
She added: ‘The evidence shows that his false victory speech was planned well in advance – before any votes had been counted. It was a premeditated plan by the president to declare victory no matter what the actual results was. He made a plan to stay in office before election Day.’
New footage also showed Pelosi and Schumer huddled together as rioters breached. the Capitol on Jan. 6 begging Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller to send in the National Guard.
‘We have some senators who are still in their hideaways. They need massive personnel now. Can you get the Maryland National Guard to come, too?’ Schumer questioned Miller.
The call came after video showed an exacerbated Schumer saying: ‘I’m going to call up the effin’ Secretary of DOD.’
Separately, the Department of Justice is conducting its own investigation into the events surrounding Jan. 6. Pence’s former chief of staff Marc Short and Trump’s former national security aide and staunch ally Kash Patel were both seen leaving a DC federal courthouse where the grand jury investigating the Capitol riot meets.
Neither one would comment on what they had discussed.
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