Getty Thousands of Donald Trump supporters storm the United States Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Former President Donald Trump issued a lengthy response to the Jan. 6 hearings in which the House select committee is releasing its findings on the investigation into Trump’s alleged role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump’s 12-page rebuttal to the testimony and evidence that has been presented so far described the hearings as a “charade” aimed to distract the public from other issues. You can read the document in full here.
Here’s what you need to know:
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Trump repeated false claims throughout his 12-page rebuttal to the evidence, falsely claiming that the election was “rigged and stolen.”
“Seventeen months after the events of January 6th, Democrats are unable to offer solutions,” Trump said in the statement released through his Save America PAC. “They are desperate to change the narrative of a failing nation, without even making mention of the havoc and death caused by the Radical Left just months earlier. Make no mistake, they control the government. They own this disaster. They are hoping that these hearings will somehow alter their failing prospects.”
Trump called the hearings a “charade” and referred to the committee as the “Unselect Committee.”
“This entire charade of the Unselect Committee is a brazen attempt to detract the public’s attention from the truth. The truth is that Americans showed up in Washington, D.C. in massive numbers (but seldom revealed by the press), on January 6th, 2021, to hold their elected officials accountable for the obvious signs of criminal activity throughout the Election. Those who are supposed to be public servants are using the power of government against the people who entrusted them with the power. We’ve been betrayed,” he wrote.
The Hearing That Was Scheduled for Wednesday Was Postponed With Conflicting Reasons Given for the Delay
NEW: Jeffrey Rosen, the Trump-era acting attorney general, has agreed to testify publicly before the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter. by @cryanbarber @PoliticsInsider
The third committee hearing that was originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 15 will focus on an alleged plot waged by former President Donald Trump to sway, or possibly replace, the U.S. Attorney General in an attempt to lend legitimacy to false election claims, according to The Washington Post. The Post reported that Jeff Rosen, the U.S. Attorney General at the time, will testify, along with his deputy Richard Donoghue and Justice Department official Steve Engel. The testimony of the three men is scheduled for the morning of June 15.
“Rosen was the nation’s top law enforcement official during Trump’s final days in office. He was pressured by Trump allies to send a letter from the Justice Department to state officials about false election fraud claims — thus lending them legitimacy — and refused,” the Post reported.
Each hearing day will include a theme, the Post reported. The theme of Wednesday’s hearing is to show evidence that Trump “corruptly planned” to replace the sitting Justice Department officials with people who were his allies.
The hearing will continue Thursday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. The formal schedule has not been announced for the following hearings dates.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., told reporters on Capitol Hill that they were not facing any issues with witnesses, but that they postponed the hearing day due to “technical issues, according to ABC News.
“It’s just technical issues. I mean, we were, you know, the staff putting together all the videos, you know, doing 1-2-3, It was overwhelming, so we’re trying to give them a little room,” she said. “It’s not a big deal.”
Lofgren said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that there was a production strain. “…putting together the video exhibits is an exhausting exercise for our very small video staff … it’s just too much to put it all together,” Lofgren said.
However, a committee aide told ABC that assessment was not accurate, and that the hearing was “postponed to accommodate scheduling demands.” The committee then put out a statement saying, “The postponement is due to a number of scheduling factors, including production timeline and availability of members and witnesses.”
Aguilar told CNN the schedule for the hearings has “always been fluid.”
“We’re going to move forward and have a Thursday hearing and then get ready for hearings next week as well,” Aguilar said. “As we’ve said, it continues to be fluid, and we’re getting ready for Thursday. We just want to make sure that you all have the time and space to digest all the information that we’re putting out there.”
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