The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Tuesday will zero in on the far-right militant groups that breached the Capitol that day — and former President Trump and his allies’ ties to those groups.
Why it matters: The committee will present evidence on the linkage between extremist groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and top Trump allies to examine the former president’s culpability in the violence of that day.
Driving the news: “We’ll show how some of these right-wing extremist groups who came to D.C. and led the attack on the Capitol had ties to Trump associates, including Roger Stone and General [Michael] Flynn,” a committee aide said Monday
- The seventh public hearing, set to be led by Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), will also zero in on Trump’s Dec. 19 tweet — “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th … Be there, will be wild!” — which became a “pivotal moment” in the planning of Jan. 6, an aide said.
- The committee has evidence that some pro-Trump groups had initially intended to be in D.C. in the days after President Biden’s inauguration to protest the administration, Axios’ Andrew Solender reports.
- The panel will show how Trump’s Dec. 19 tweet may have spurred supporters to change their plans.
What to watch: Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, is expected to appear as a witness, according to multiple media outlets.
- Van Tatenhove was not at the riot, but he is set to testify on the group’s radicalization over the years, NBC News reports.
- The hearing is also expected to include taped testimony from Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone’s closed-door interview with the committee last week.
Between the lines: Committee aides did not release the names of the witnesses ahead of the hearing, citing concerns over security and potential threats.
The big picture: Another hearing that was originally scheduled for July 14 was postponed until next week, a committee aide said, adding that there may be subsequent hearings down the road.
- The select committee’s investigation “is ongoing,” the aide said. “We continue to take in more information on a daily basis.”
Source:axios.com