By Michael S. Schmidt
New York Times
At the eighth in a series of public hearings held by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot, the panel accused former President Donald J. Trump of dereliction of duty for failing to act to stop the assault on the Capitol that was carried out in his name.
The committee documented how, over 187 minutes, Mr. Trump remained in a small dining room off the Oval Office, watching the violence on television and rebuffing pleas by aides, congressional Republicans and family members to call off the mob even as he continued to call senators in the hopes of convincing them to stop the certification of his Electoral College defeat.
Trump Ignored a Torrent of Pleas to Call Off His Supporters
Members of Congress, aides and his own daughter, Ivanka, made pleas to Mr. Trump to call off the violence as it unfolded in front of him on television. But witnesses told the committee that Mr. Trump not only ignored them but repeatedly signaled that he did not want anything done. Text messages and audio obtained by the committee showed that protesters massing at the Capitol were paying close attention to Mr. Trump’s words. Representative Adam Kinzinger, the Illinois Republican who helped lead the hearing, said that the president, after learning of the Capitol breach, resisted putting out a tweet saying “Stay peaceful.”
“He told Mark Meadows that the rioters were doing what they should be doing and the rioters understood they were doing what President Trump wanted them to do,” Mr. Kinzinger said, referring to what Mr. Trump told his chief of staff, Mr. Meadows.
Trump Never Made a Single Call to Law Enforcement or the Pentagon
Through a range of witness testimonies, the committee demonstrated that Mr. Trump never reached out to the heads of any law enforcement or national security department or agency in the government to seek help in responding to quell the violence. Fox News footage, which Mr. Trump was watching from his dining room, showed how the Capitol Police were under siege, massively outmanned and struggling to repel the crowd. But the president remained unmoved.
The committee documented how, over 187 minutes, Mr. Trump remained in a small dining room off the Oval Office, watching the violence on television and rebuffing pleas by aides, congressional Republicans and family members to call off the mob even as he continued to call senators in the hopes of convincing them to stop the certification of his Electoral College defeat.
Trump Ignored a Torrent of Pleas to Call Off His Supporters
Members of Congress, aides and his own daughter, Ivanka, made pleas to Mr. Trump to call off the violence as it unfolded in front of him on television. But witnesses told the committee that Mr. Trump not only ignored them but repeatedly signaled that he did not want anything done. Text messages and audio obtained by the committee showed that protesters massing at the Capitol were paying close attention to Mr. Trump’s words. Representative Adam Kinzinger, the Illinois Republican who helped lead the hearing, said that the president, after learning of the Capitol breach, resisted putting out a tweet saying “Stay peaceful.”
“He told Mark Meadows that the rioters were doing what they should be doing and the rioters understood they were doing what President Trump wanted them to do,” Mr. Kinzinger said, referring to what Mr. Trump told his chief of staff, Mr. Meadows.
Trump Never Made a Single Call to Law Enforcement or the Pentagon
Through a range of witness testimonies, the committee demonstrated that Mr. Trump never reached out to the heads of any law enforcement or national security department or agency in the government to seek help in responding to quell the violence. Fox News footage, which Mr. Trump was watching from his dining room, showed how the Capitol Police were under siege, massively outmanned and struggling to repel the crowd. But the president remained unmoved.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, expressed dismay with Mr. Trump’s response in his interview with the committee. “You’re the commander in chief — you’ve got an assault going on the Capitol of the United States of America and there’s nothing? No call? Nothing? Zero?” General Milley said in audio of his deposition.
Members of Pence’s Secret Service Detail Feared for Their Lives
Testimony from a White House security official, who had access to what Secret Service agents in the Capitol protecting Vice President Mike Pence were saying to each other over their radios, showed how agents feared for their lives as protesters drew near. The committee declined to identify the official and masked the official’s voice.
“There was a lot of yelling,” the official told the committee. “A lot of very personal calls over the radio, so it was disturbing. I don’t like talking about it, but there were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth. It was getting — for whatever the reason was on the ground the V.P. detail thought that this was about to get very ugly.”
The official said Secret Service agents were “running out of options and they’re getting nervous” and that it sounded like “we came very close to either Service having to use lethal options or worse.”
Members of Pence’s Secret Service Detail Feared for Their Lives
Testimony from a White House security official, who had access to what Secret Service agents in the Capitol protecting Vice President Mike Pence were saying to each other over their radios, showed how agents feared for their lives as protesters drew near. The committee declined to identify the official and masked the official’s voice.
“There was a lot of yelling,” the official told the committee. “A lot of very personal calls over the radio, so it was disturbing. I don’t like talking about it, but there were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth. It was getting — for whatever the reason was on the ground the V.P. detail thought that this was about to get very ugly.”
The official said Secret Service agents were “running out of options and they’re getting nervous” and that it sounded like “we came very close to either Service having to use lethal options or worse.”
23 comments:
Shameful.
Not American. Republican Donald Trump cannot get away with it.
he won't.
Liberal dribble. You all are so obsessed with Trump while Biden is a failure . Trump is in your every thought.
NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
No one.
Local Republicans are still in denial - not saying shit.
The vice-president was going to be hanged!
law & order, my ass.
Vote Democrat!!
Keep America Great!!!
I'm sorry for the loss of those people, nobody should go through something like that.
@9:46 AM
Thank you, Ted Hasse.
Same 1 or 2 morons leaving comments. Glad you are obsessed with Trump, Mayra and Abbott.. Cocos…Hillbillies… LOL. anybody can find a job right now except you. You are the face of the democrat party. And exactly why there will be a massive political revolution in November. How about a positive comment about Biden, Pelosi, Camala, Hunter? The end is near for you. Pass the popcorn.
How can you people believe this shit? It’s nothing but Political grandstanding to protect the swamp. 6 years and 100s of millions of taxpayer dollars to cast doubt on Trump’s ability to not go along with the political status quo. You’d rather have the corrupt Hinojosas and Atkinson of the world. President Kamala up next- Biden’s done. Beto is an ambitious political wannabe who’s never done anything and never will. Wake up people!
Let's hear from Carlos Cascos
(NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
No one.)
Especially that one orange fatass.
Elchuco.
@12:13 PM
We are awake, asswipe!
Trump and your racists are going down. Clear your throat of that big dick and you may be able to breathe better, DEMOCRAT air!!!
Republicans are about white people. Own it. You, too. Mayra. Te estan usando y parece que te gusta!
July 22, 2022 at 12:13 PM
You still can't understand the Jan 6 Hearings? How stupid are you anyguey?
a Trump se la pelan. he will run once again and win bola de maricones. Pruo hueso colorado baby.
Justice is bought and paid for in America. Who was held accountable for the
2008 financial implosion ? Republicans hate socialism, except when the taxpayers need to bail them out of their financial fiascos. Profits are privatized, losses are socialized. Only the morons who stormed Congress are being locked up. Not the puppet masters pulling the strings. Representatives on both sides are involved in insider trading, making millions. No consequences. I read the bickering and name-calling on this blog and realize that you have no idea that we are being played. Stop with the bull*hit attacks and let's engage in constructive dialogue.
Many Republicans are a bunch of boot licking head in the sand cry babies,remember law and order.,Suck it up butter cups!
so many things President Biden has accomplished! First he won 81 million votes the most ever!!He is more popular than Obama,Clinton and Kennedy combined. He's the definition of what the founding fathers imagined when they first thought about a leader should be. Uniting the country,helping the world look up to us. We live in peace, we have the liberty to speak our mind. Compared to the previous administration the Biden administration is open and transparent. May be the most transparent administration ever! President Biden a 50 year servant to the people and two time candidate to the presidency is the real come back kid!
my dad is the best! Hunter Biden
Trump Al bote!
Real americans they serve in the military and in the government unlike the racist republicans they lie not to serve and they lie to steal and become billionaires. I TAKE IT CAUSE I AM ENTITLE TO IT I AM AN AMERICAN", that's the way racist republicans think!!! Y mayra que? que pendeja!!!!
SHE'S MESKIN NOT ENTITLED TO NOTHING NOT HERE ANYWAY SAY THE RACIST REPUBLICANS
Republicans always do the same errors. They steal the power, they abuse the power, they need help fixing their problems, etc
Republicans are not fair, are not just, are not thinkers and are lead by the blind.
The Jan 6 mob was lead by Trump and a Cuban.
Tronko Al trompo!!!!
July 22, 2022 at 5:52 PM
racist republicans will never listen they want it all or nothing. FACT c/s
They can't hang him he's not meskin nor black
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