House committee chairman says Trump unlikely to be called on Jan 6th

House investigators are unlikely to invite former President Donald Trump to testify about his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurgency, instead relying on interviews with advisers, family members, and others close to him at the time.

Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic head of the nine-member panel examining the attack, said Tuesday that calling Trump, whose supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol that day and disrupted President Joe Biden’s win, is “not our expectation.”

Thompson said the panel hasn’t made any final decisions, “but there’s no feeling among the committee to call him as a witness at this point.”

“We’re not sure that the evidence that we receive can be any more validated with his presence,” Thompson said. “I think the concern is whether or not he would add any more value with his testimony.”

The remarks come as the panel prepares to convene a series of hearings in June as members make final judgments on who will be called to testify. The committee has previously heard from almost 1,000 witnesses behind closed doors or on tape, including Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence aides who testified about Trump’s pressure on Pence to protest to Biden’s certification. However, neither of the two individuals has spoken directly before the panel.

Trump is still spreading lies about the presidential election, claiming massive fraud and that he defeated Biden despite the fact that election authorities around the country, federal courts, and even his own attorney general have all rejected those assertions. Pence rebuffed Trump’s persuasion and refused to oppose as part of his ceremonial role supervising the election count.

Thompson stated that Pence’s testimony will be “significant,” but that the committee is still in discussions with the former vice president’s counsel. He stated that he is unsure whether Pence will eventually sit for an interview.

“Former President Trump made a significant effort to get him to join his side, so I’m convinced that his testimony, beyond what’s already in the public record, would enhance the public’s knowledge of what went on,” Thompson said of Pence.

The committee has already gathered a large amount of evidence from interviews with former White House staffers and personnel, including thousands of texts from Trump’s final chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and two of the former president’s children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. They were both with their father on the day of the attack.

Former White House assistant Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband, former communications director Alyssa Farah, and many Pence officials, including his top of staff, Marc Short, and national security advisor Keith Kellogg, have all been interrogated by the committee. Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Stephanie Grisham, as well as former senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, have all made appearances.

The committee subpoenaed House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP members last week, seeking further evidence regarding McCarthy’s discussions with Trump on the day of the attack, as well as meetings the four congressmen had with the White House as Trump and his advisors attempted to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

None of the men has stated whether or not they will cooperate. McCarthy stated last week that he considered the subpoenas to be political, and he would to comment Tuesday on whether he had made a judgement.

Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama were also served with subpoenas. According to the committee, the men attended White House meetings, had direct contacts with Trump prior to the attack, and were “involved in the planning and coordination of specific activities” on or before the insurgency.

McCarthy has admitted speaking with Trump on Jan. 6 as the Capitol incident progressed, but he has not revealed many details. McCarthy’s interactions with Trump “before, during, and after” the violence were requested by the committee.

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