Just a few of my immediate thoughts while watching today’s January 6 Committee hearing. Not in order of importance, but just things which stood out to me tonight
I understand the Committee wanting to use almost all Republican witnesses, people who were in the Administration. They wanted this to look as unpartisan as possible; and of course the members of the Administration were Republicans. But the problem is that Republicans being Republicans, they are always looking to cover and elevate themselves. So they can’t resist telling the audience that they were so proud of their work with Trump, and “the great things he did.”
Matthew Pottinger, who was called as a witness because he abruptly resigned after January 6, wanted to make sure to say that he and Trump did great things, which he enumerated. Sarah Matthews, and earlier Cassidy Hutchinson, did somewhat the same., though they were very critical of Trump’s actions on January 6. These are hardcore Republicans, which of course they have the right to be. But I thought it particularly inappropriate for Pottinger to do this here. There are too many people out there who somehow think that, well, Trump did some bad things on January 6, but he was a good President. That is what Pottinger wants people to think. Republicans want to win both ways.
It was grimly amusing to see Josh Hawley, after giving some kind of White Power sign to the rioters, racing out of the Capitol to protect himself. The gallery laughed at this. Videos have now been made with Hawley’s running shown over the themes to “Chariots of Fire,” and “Rocky,” “Staying Alive,” “The Benny Hill Show.” Plaudits to the Committee for showing Hawley running away from what he helped to cause.
People kept testifying that they needed Trump to call off the mob. But why would he do that? He is the person who got them to the Capitol, who told them to march there, and that he would join them. Why would he then tell them to go home?
What are people missing? Trump wanted a riot, and he wanted carnage, and he probably wanted killing. He was not going to suddenly decide that this was not good. There is some kind of disjunct, where Republicans refuse to believe that Trump wanted people murdered, and anything which would stop the certification. He created all of this, but then they thought he would decide that the violence was not good, and it should stop? Absurd.
The fear of Pence’s security detail that they might all be killed, was chilling to hear on tape. And Pence still supports Trump? What kind of psychological gymnastics are required to be one of these Republicans?
Trump doing multiple versions of his “okay, go home” speech, will be played millions of times.
I continue to be extremely impressed by Elaine Luria. Intelligent, articulate, and humane.
The summations by Luria and Kinzinger were very strong.
Liz Cheney does a superb job in her final summations.
Will this hearing, culminating the earlier ones, guarantee that Trump will never successfully run for President again? I think so, though I know that many are not all sure, particularly when polls show him leading any Republican opponents, and running close to Biden in a general election. One can never be over-optimistic on such matters, but I just have this sense that there are enough people who will never vote for him to be President.
The January 6th Committee is united in wanting to focus on Trump. They have not seemed as interested in impugning any of his advisors or subordinates who conspired to cause the virtual overthrow of American democracy. Probably it is too difficult to achieve it, because none of them will tell on the other ones, and they are all essentially united in their causes. Well, we can be grateful for what they have done so far, with intelligence, commitment, and eloquence. And there will be more hearings in September!
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