Everything to watch for when we get the full report this week, including what it says about former president Donald Trump’s negligence, key disputes, members of Congress, the Secret Service and more.
The House select committee on the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection is due to release its final report this week. And it’s likely to be very long and dense. That’s to be expected when you’ve spent more than 18 months compiling evidence about a large-scale attack on the U.S. Capitol, an investigation that encompassed many people — from former president Donald Trump on down — and many areas of inquiry.
As we all prepare to take it in, here are a few things to focus on.
1. What’s the full picture of Trump’s negligence during — or even approval of — the attack?
While the House impeached Trump in 2021 for allegedly inciting the Capitol insurrection, the committee has focused more on detailing what he knew and when, along with his failure to act.
There’s little question that Trump watched the events unfold on cable news that afternoon and was being pressured by White House aides to do something about it — pressure to which he, for whatever reason, didn’t respond. Filling out that timeline will be central to whatever might come after the report.
The most significant revelations on this front have included:
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) claimed shortly after Jan. 6 that Trump that day had been “walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was.” Illustrating that — including to what extent Trump viewed these events as potential leverage in his effort to overturn the election — is perhaps the committee’s biggest task.
2. How much did Trump and allies knew this was illegal?
When it comes to proving a crime like obstruction of an official proceeding, knowledge that the plot was corrupt is key. We’ve seen evidence that:
Tying that together will be crucial for the committee. It’s been a year since the committee’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), spotlighted the crime the committee was focused on: that Trump “through action or inaction, corruptly [sought] to obstruct or impede Congress’s official proceeding to count electoral votes.” The question of what Trump and his allies knew and when gets at the second part of that test.
3. Will we learn more about Pence’s perspective that day?
Perhaps no figure is as significant but tight-lipped as Trump’s long-loyal No. 2, Mike Pence. Since Jan. 6, when Trump’s backers shouted “Hang Mike Pence,” Pence has flirted with making a fuller break from Trump.
