The First January 6th Committee Public Hearing: What We Learned
On Thursday, June 9th, the bipartisan January 6th House Select Committee held its first watershed public hearing. Committee members began to lay out their evidence that former President Trump and his accomplices planned, promoted, and paid for that day’s horrific attack on our country and our freedom – and illegally tried to overturn a legitimate election.
Below, Common Cause has curated a selection of the most shocking moments and important revelations that came out of last night’s hearing.
1. The Committee put the events of January 6 into historical context, as part of America’s history of slavery, racism, and violence.
Chair @BennieGThompson: “I’m from a part of the country where people justify the actions of slavery, Ku Klux Klan, and lynching. I’m reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try and justify the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6, 2021.” #January6th pic.twitter.com/WIzjtfYCPG
— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) June 10, 2022
2. The Committee made clear that the planning and promoting of January 6 took place prior to the deadly attack.
"Donald Trump oversaw and coordinated a sophisticated seven-part plan to overturn the presidential election and prevent the transfer of presidential power." @RepLizCheney pic.twitter.com/yOTY2497SC
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) June 10, 2022
Steve Bannon on Jan 5th: “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. Just understand this. All hell is going to break loose tomorrow.” #January6thCommitteeHearings
— Brennan Center (@BrennanCenter) June 10, 2022
3. The Committee showed evidence that President Donald Trump and his inner circle knew he had fairly lost the 2020 election, including his daughter Ivanka Trump and his Attorney General William Barr.
Ivanka Trump testified she accepted there was no fraud sufficient to overturn election | @ZcohenCNN https://t.co/XFVlKSAsyi
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 10, 2022
"I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff, which I told the president was bullshit."
— Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr in a clip shown by 1/6 Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) at first public hearing pic.twitter.com/sweF8FRJ7y
— The Recount (@therecount) June 10, 2022
4. Rep. Cheney called the January 6th attack an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transition of power.
#Jan6 was an attempt to overthrow the will of the people in a violation of our constitution.
We demand accountability.@RepLizCheney pic.twitter.com/l0UzKuYcYx
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) June 10, 2022
5.We learned that former President Donald Trump knew he lost the election but sought to overturn the will of the people anyway, supporting the angry mob’s chants to “Hang Mike Pence.”
Liz Cheney says in opening statement Trump's reaction to chants that his VP Mike Pence should be hanged was: "Maybe our supporters have the right idea. Mike Pence deserves it."
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) June 10, 2022
6. The MAGA Republicans who led the violent riot said they were invited by President Donald Trump.
The first hearing ends with video of testimony from the Rioters themselves about January 6th:
"Trump asked us to come." pic.twitter.com/Ti1PRfkMos
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) June 10, 2022
7. We saw never-before-seen video footage of the violent attempt to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election, including a moment in which an insurrectionist reads one of Trump’s tweets aloud to the mob.
CW: This video of the insurrection is graphic and disturbing.
If you missed the first #January6thHearing tonight, here is some of the never before seen footage they released. https://t.co/HrO3WO98BO
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) June 10, 2022
8. Former President Donald Trump denied his staff’s recommendation to tell the violent mob to leave the U.S. Capitol building and did not seek law enforcement support.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) shows a note from a White House staffer during the 1/6 attack telling President Trump to say:
"Anyone who entered the Capitol without proper authority should leave immediately." pic.twitter.com/wX3rr6QNEw
— The Recount (@therecount) June 10, 2022
"Trump gave no order to deploy the National Guard that day, and made no effort to work with the Department of Justice to coordinate and deploy law enforcement assets. But Mike Pence did." – @RepLizCheney
Testimony from General Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: pic.twitter.com/X6MzHl4hHj
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) June 10, 2022
9. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards described the events of January 6th as a war zone.
In the first Jan. 6 hearing, Caroline Edwards, a Capitol Police officer, described how she confronted protesters during the attack. The mob ended up pushing a bike rack into her, pinning her to the ground and knocking her unconscious. https://t.co/HYJvJw3HBa pic.twitter.com/Dx43CrCi1i
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 10, 2022
10. During the attack that led to death and injury, Trump’s team of lawyers continued to plot how to overturn the 2020 election.
Vice Chair Cheney: "While Congress was under attack on January 6th and in the hours following the violence, the Trump legal team in the Willard Hotel war room continued to work to halt the count of electoral votes."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 10, 2022
11. After the January 6th insurrection, many in Trump’s circle, including Republicans in Congress today, requested pardons.
Breaking: Cheney says Republican Scott Perry "contacted the White House in the weeks after Jan. 6 to seek a Presidential Pardon."
She adds: "Multiple other Republican congressmen also sought Presidential Pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 10, 2022
12. On January 7, Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Trump’s White House Press Secretary texted to discuss executing a plan to remove Trump from power by invoking the 25th Amendment.
Texts between Sean Hannity and then-WH press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany: pic.twitter.com/OsHa8Jxgn1
— Rose Wagner (@rosemwagner) June 10, 2022
13. The Committee linked the spread of election disinformation to the attack.
“This misinformation campaign [instigated by former President Trump] provoked the violence on Jan 6th.” @RepLizCheney in #January6thCommitteeHearings.
— Brennan Center (@BrennanCenter) June 10, 2022
14. Chairman Thompson reminded us that the world is watching to see what our country does next.
Chairman @BennieGThompson urges the American people to ensure #Jan6 never happens again.
"The world is watching what we do here." pic.twitter.com/P4Q1Id7fpp
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) June 10, 2022
You can watch the full hearing below — please share this page with your friends, family, and community to help spread the truth:
To hold power accountable, We the People must be informed – so please share this article with your friends and family. Also, be sure to tune into the Committee’s next hearing on Monday, June 13th at 10:00 a.m. ET, as well as the rest of the hearings (released dates and details available here).