WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Select Committee investigating the January 6th U.S. Capitol attack revealed some disturbing and bombshell details about what led up to the attack in their first public hearing.
This Committee’s goal was that if you have any doubt about the election’s validity, they want to squash those doubts and they have the evidence to prove it. In their first hearing, they played never before seen witness testimony from former Attorney General William Barr who testified the claims of election fraud were baseless.
“I saw absolutely zero basis for the allegations but they were made in such a sensational way that they obviously were influencing a lot of people of members of the public that there was this systematic corruption in the system and that their votes didn’t count and that these machines controlled by somebody else were actually determining it which was complete nonsense and it was being laid out there and I told them that it was it was crazy and stuff and they were wasting their time on and going was doing a grave disservice to the country.
The committee also revealed witness testimony from former President Donald Trump’s family, including Ivanka Trump, his daughter. They shared video testimony from Ivanka Trump. Committee investigators asked her if her perspective about the election changed when AG Barr told them there was no election fraud:
“It affected my perspective,” responded Ivanka Trump in the video. “I respect Attorney General Barr so I accepted what he said was sane.”
The Committee outlined their case that Trump and his staff tried to orchestrate a coup. They said before January 6, Trump and his staff were making plans to get the military involved in the election, to take away the voting machines and have another election. They add that trump oversaw a seven-part plan to overturn the election.
They also revealed that trump did not call in for backup when the Capitol was under attack. The Committee says instead, former Vice President Mike Pence was the one that called in reinforcements. They also revealed when the Capitol was under attack, Trump was upset with Pence for not following through on his orders.
“You will hear that President Trump was yelling and, quote ‘really angry at advisors who told him he needed to be doing something more and aware of the rioters chance to hang Mike Pence,’” said Rep. Liz Cheney (R- WY). “The President responded with this sentiment quote, maybe our supporters have the right idea. Mike Pence quote ‘deserves it.’”
The committee also showed multiple viewpoints of body cam video and video from the Capitol of people storming the Capitol, fighting with Capitol Police. In the video you can hear the desperation of Capitol Police, begging for backup, saying the Capitol was breached.
This is just the first of about six public hearings. The Committee plans to meet again next week and reveal more information on the January 6th Capitol attack and the attempted overturn of the election.