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After more than a year of investigation, the House Jan. 6 committee on Thursday ended what was possibly its last public hearing in historic fashion — voting to subpoena former President Donald Trump.
The hearing featured no live witnesses but did include never-before-seen footage and documents collected by the panel during its two-month hiatus since its last hearing in July.
Videos showed congressional leaders fleeing the Capitol as rioters closed in on the complex, and communication between the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies revealed the many warnings and tips the agency received about possible violence.
In a dramatic finish, the committee said there’s one more person they — and the American people — need to hear from: Trump himself.
“Our duty today is to our country and our children and our constitution,” vice chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said in her closing statement. “We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion. And every American is entitled to those answers, so we can act now to protect our republic.”
Here are key takeaways from Thursday’s hearing
Each committee member — seven Democrats and two Republicans — voted “aye” on a resolution offered by Cheney to compel Trump’s cooperation.
The resolution directs chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., to issue a subpoena for relevant documents and testimony under oath from Trump in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.
Thompson argued there is precedent for Congress to compel the testimony of a president but recognized it was a “serious and extraordinary action.”
“That’s why we want to take this step in full view of the American people, especially because the subject matter at issue is so important to the American people and the stakes are so high to our future and our democracy,” he said.
Trump responded to the committee’s action for the first time in a post to Truth Social, his conservative social media platform.
