As the House select committee tasked with investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol prepares to subpoena Donald Trump’s allies to testify on their involvement in the attack, some members are privately hesitant to carry through with the plans because of GOP lawmakers’ threats to retaliate.
As reported by The Guardian, members on the committee have recently become concerned that issuing subpoenas to Trump’s allies, including members of Congress, may be too forceful of a step. The investigation is being refused by GOP members, so committee members are hesitant about issuing subpoenas. They fear that House Republicans might launch investigations into Democrats if the chamber retakes.
The committee Has been requestedRepresentatives Jim Jordan (R.Ohio), and Scott Perry (R.Pennsylvania), were requested to speak with the investigators. However, the Republicans declined the request. Kevin McCarthy (R-California), House Minority leader, has openly balked at the idea of his party complying with the committee’s requests.
On Tuesday, the committee wrote to McCarthy asking for more information about McCarthy’s knowledge of the attempted coup. Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi) has said that McCarthy is of particular interest to the committee because of a phone call he had with Trump on the day of the attack; the committee is questioning whether or not that call could illuminate information related to Trump’s state of mind that day.
Other Top officials like Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, have It was attempted to sueTo possibly avoid subpoena request, the committee was formed. Investigators have discovered that Trump officials and lawmakers were involved in the attack and its planning, but it is not clear how large their involvement was.
Subpoenas, without the consent of the Republican officials involved, may be the only way to reveal insider information on the attack on Congress and the general public.
But, Republican lawmakers already have their own opinions as the committee considers whether to subpoena GOP officials. been plotting toLaunch investigations and other official legislative proceedings targeting Democrats, regardless if the probe is into January 6.
If the GOP retakes Congress, some Republicans are planning to launch impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden; some are threatening to investigate and issue subpoenas over subjects like Biden’s pandemic response, his Afghanistan withdrawal, immigration policies, and even the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
Though legitimate criticisms may be directed toward Biden over many of these subjects – with, perhaps, the exception of Hunter Biden, who has garnered a bizarrely fervent obsession from the right wing – the GOP threats appear to be nothing more than retaliatory moves.
Biden’s relative failures in immigration, COVID response, and foreign affairs are very similar to Trump’s. Both presidents failed to stop the pandemic and have implemented extremely cruel immigration policies. It’s unclear what criticisms the GOP could direct toward Biden’s failures that wouldn’t also apply to actions perpetuated and supported by Trump and the Republican Party.
By contrast, the January 6 commission is investigating an attempted coup to invalidate the will of tens of millions of voters that was orchestrated in part by the country’s own Republican president and, potentially, sitting members of Congress. Trump’s impeachment proceedings, meanwhile, investigated offenses by the former president that similarly threatened the fabric of U.S. democracy.