The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building is planning to hold public hearings — which will likely be televised — on its main findings in April, presenting the case that former President Donald Trump engaged in criminal behavior.
The committee’s Wednesday court filings show that it believes Trump is responsible for the actions of his associates engaged in a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 presidential electionThis conspiracy involves the use of fake electors in Electoral College to ensure that he would continue in office, despite losing to President Joe Biden.
“Evidence and information available to the Committee establishes a good-faith belief that Mr. Trump and others may have engaged in criminal and/or fraudulent acts,” the committee’s legal filing said.
Friday’s publication The GuardianAccording to conversations it had with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D–Mississippi), the committee believed that they were able to communicate effectively with Thompson. would likely begin public hearings next month. These hearings will reveal how Trump interfered with official congressional affairs through his false rhetoric, and unlawful actions. They are likely to be televised. previous comments from committee members have suggested.
Trump’s words were indeed incendiary. On January 6, 2021, He gave a speech to his loyalists before the White House, telling them that their country was being “stolen,” and that they couldn’t take it back “with weakness.” He then encouraged the mob to go to the Capitol while Congress was in session, certifying the Electoral College win for Biden.
“The president’s rhetoric persuaded thousands of Americans to travel to Washington for January 6, some of whom marched on the Capitol, breached security, and took other illegal actions,” Thompson told The Guardian. “The select committee’s hearings will address those issues in detail.”
Thompson added that the hearings in April will feature witnesses who have agreed to speak freely — without being subpoenaed — to discuss what they know regarding Trump’s and his allies’ actions.
One of the concerns with the January 6th investigation televised hearings is whether they will be able to convince the American people that charges related to the attack should be eventually recommended. It’s possible that the hearings could be a flopSome people have warned that in order for people to pay attention or persuade them, an investigation is still necessary.
But polling suggests that the majority of Americans would be interested hearing what the committee has a to say and would likely be open to hearing its findings. An Economist/YouGov poll from last month, for example, shows that 49 percent of Americans approve of the January 6 commission’s work, while just 33 percent disapprove. Another 18% are unconvinced.
