Be careful to stir up tension in his own party, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthyEx-Sen. Jeff Flake calls on Republican Party to leave Trump: ‘We should have’ convicted him Juan Williams: brings common sense back to the GOP Some reflections on rifts at accusation show MORE (California) remains silent about its wild call on January 6 to then-President Trump
Donald TrumpBiden: ‘I’m tired of talking about Trump’ Hacker claims he stole files from a law firm linked to Trump: WSJ Texas governor gets criticism over handling winter storm MORE while rioters stormed the Capitol.
But he may not have that luxury forever.
The fierce call – made part of the official indictment by Democratic prosecutors – will almost certainly be investigated by the 9/11-style commission using the Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi Speaker Pelosi’s change of heart on censorship READ: Trump statement in McConnell The Hill’s 12:30 report – Biden’s first official trip as president MORE (D-Calif.) Promise to investigate the events surrounding the deadly January 6 uprising.
Congress is moving fast. Leaders said a bill to establish an independent commission could come this week.
Several House and Senate committees, all controlled by Democrats, are also likely to analyze the McCarthy-Trump call, in which Trump reportedly accused left-wing anti-fascists of the attack, and then suggested that the pro- Trump insurgents were more patriotic than lawmakers under siege.
The call could also be part of any future criminal or civil charges against Trump, including a case filed by the Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. Bennie Thompson
Bennie Gordon Thompson: Giuliani does not represent Trump in legal matters, spokesman says NAACP, Rep. Bennie Thompson is suing Trump, Giuliani over the Krebs riot of the Capitol, other officials are urging Congress to take strong action to tackle cyber threats MORE. (Miss.).
“The thought of cross-examining Kevin McCarthy just filled my heart with joy,” said one of the indictment managers, Del. Stacey Plaskett
Stacey Plaskett Accusation Manager Plaskett: IDP senators privately say she ‘made the case’ against Trump Bottom line Congress Democrats say Trump’s acquittal was made MORE (D Virgin Islands), said on MSNBC on Monday.
The 9/11-style commission “will look at the facts regarding the domestic terror attack on 6 January. “The president will certainly do nothing to stop the attack, even after urging the leader of the Republican House, a relevant part of the investigation,” said Rep. Ted Lieu
Ted W. LieuProgressives urges Biden to choose Attorney General to prosecute Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by TikTok – Dems rest their case; verdict on Trump over weekend Even with acquittal, GOP sees trial of Trump’s shot at future office MORE (D-Calif.), An indictment manager and member of Pelosi’s leadership team, told The Hill on Tuesday.
McCarthy was one of the first leaders to endorse the 9/11-style commission, and he issued a statement Tuesday that reinforces the call and warns against any biased leaning toward the panel.
“It is our responsibility to understand the security and intelligence disruptions that led to the January 6 riots so that we can better protect this institution and the men and women who work in it,” McCarthy said. A commission must follow the lead of Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton to ‘be both independent and dual’ and to maintain integrity, it must be shared equally between both parties. “
Republicans hope the commission will shed new light on whether the threat assessments – including by the FBI and Capitol police – were shared with congressional leaders in the days before the attack.
“I want to see what Pelosi knew, when she knew it, what President Trump did after the attack, and on the Senate side, the Senate leadership was informed of a threat,” Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamGraham: Lara Trump is the biggest winner of indictment Congress Democrats say Trump’s acquittal on Sunday is self-evident – Trump’s acquittal in the second indictment resounds MORE (RS.C.) said in an interview with Fox News Sunday. The Senate refers to IDP Sen. Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellBiden: ‘I’m tired of talking about Trump’ READ: Trump statement McConnell downloads in McConnell promises MAGA’s primary challengers MORE (Ky.), Who was majority leader during the siege.
However, the upcoming investigation, which promises to last for many months, will also keep the public’s eye on Trump’s actions during the attack on Capitol. Many Republicans were hoping to flip through the tumultuous Trump chapter and unite in opposition to them President Biden
Joe BidenBiden goes to K-plan for forgiveness for student loans Biden offers to help woman get a vaccine for a boy with an existing condition. Biden is optimistic in the US with a ‘very different circumstance’ with Christmas pandemic. before the 2022 election, when both chambers are in play.
New revelations about McCarthy-Trump’s call have angered lawmakers in both parties and will certainly appear in any investigation that seeks insight into Trump’s thinking during the deadly attack. The call details dominated the last day of Trump’s second indictment, after prosecutors shocked Washington and pushed an eleventh hour to hear from witnesses, including Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler
Jaime Lynn Herrera Beutler Congress Democrats say Trump’s acquittal was made Sunday. Trump’s acquittal in second indictment reflects Democratic senator’s decision not to call witnesses: ‘They would no longer get Republican votes’ MORE (R-Wash.), Who claims that McCarthy told her personally about the contents of his January 6 call with Trump. Senators voted 55-45 to expand the proceedings and allow witnesses to testify.
But moments later, prosecutors and Trump’s defense team reached an agreement to avoid witnesses, instead acknowledging Herrera Beutler’s 255-word statement in the report as evidence. In it, the congressman – one of the ten Republicans in the House who voted to accuse Trump – said McCarthy told her how he called Trump during the Jan. 6 uprising and begged him to end the assault. During the call, Trump appeared to celebrate the rioters while trying to reverse the election, according to Herrera Beutler’s retelling.
“When McCarthy finally reached out to the president on January 6 and asked him to end the riot in public and by force, the president initially repeated the lie that it was the antifa who had violated the Capitol,” Herrera Beutler said in her statement. said.
“McCarthy refuted this and told the president that it was Trump supporters. That was when, according to McCarthy, the president said, “Well, Kevin, I think these people are more upset about the election than you are.” ”
By all accounts, McCarthy was furious. CNN reports that the Republican leader’s response to his ally in the White House was barely genius because rioters smashed the windows outside his office: “Who is the f — do you think you are talking to?” McCarthy said.
Later that afternoon, McCarthy told Fox News he called Trump to give him a “first-hand report” of the violence to convince him to urge his supporters to stop. And a week later, when the House would accuse Trump, McCarthy said he would oppose the attempt, but made it clear that he thinks Trump is directly to blame for the assault.
“The president is responsible for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by rioters,” McCarthy said on the House floor. “He must have immediately exposed the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” McCarthy has the idea of censoring Trump instead of accusing him.
Another week later, McCarthy sang a very different tune, claiming that Trump was not the spark that sent the mob to the Capitol, and that he therefore should not be blamed for the violence that followed.
“I do not believe he provoked it if you listen to what he said during the protest,” McCarthy told reporters. The remarks contradict those who came from McConnell, who said Trump had indeed “provoked” the attack.
McCarthy followed up on the comments by making a visit to Trump in Mar-a-Lago late last month, when the Republican leader asked the former president to help Republicans in 2022 races across the country.
But McCarthy has said nothing publicly about Herrera Beutler’s version of his call with Trump, including the proclamation filled by Trump’s actions.
A McCarthy spokesman declined to comment on the episode on Tuesday.
McCarthy’s flip-flop reflects the raw political reality facing House GOP leaders in a 2022 cycle when control of the chamber is ready. They may be furious at Trump for his actions around the attack, but the former president remains the single most popular figure in the GOP – one with a huge swing over base voters – and an overwhelming majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill now want to rectify. with Trump, rather than scratching his feathers.
“For the Republican Party, if you want to win and stop a socialist agenda, we need to work with President Trump. We can not do it without him, ‘Graham told Fox News Sunday. “The [former] president is a handful, and what happened on January 6 was terrible for the country, but he does not have the sole guilt. ”
If the 9/11-style commission is to be held by independent investigators, Congress is hardly willing to relinquish sole responsibility to outsiders. At least half a dozen house committees are ready to expose their own sins, which will follow two common tracks.
One, led by the Homeland Security, Intelligence and Surveillance Committees, will focus largely on the intelligence that led to the attack, including the role of outside companies such as Parler. The second, chaired by the Home Administration and Credit Committees, will focus largely on internal Capitol security, including assessments and communication between the various law enforcement agencies during the siege.
This is the second track that is likely to include the investigation into the Trump-McCarthy call.
“We need to better find out why it happened, how it happened, how security was broken, so that we can make recommendations to make sure it never happens again,” said former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, who as served chairman of the two parties. 9/11 Commission, told PBS.