Trump family depositions expected in Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearing

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol will hold a public hearing live on television and online Thursday night. The committee said it will provide an initial summary of its findings about what it described as a “coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power.” 

“The idea that all of this was just a rowdy demonstration that spontaneously got a little bit out of control is absurd. You don’t almost knock over the U.S. government by accident,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.

Here are three things to look for: 

• the depositions: 

The committee will present previously unseen material documenting the Jan. 6 riot. That will include video from depositions of former White House officials and Trump family members. 

• the witnesses: 

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards will testify about what happened when she came face to face with rioters on the Capitol’s West Plaza. Edwards was the first officer to be injured on Jan. 6 and suffered a traumatic brain injury that has prevented her from returning to the Capitol Police first responder unit. 

Documentarian Nick Quested will share what he saw with his film crew when the violence began. 

• the producer: 

The committee hired former ABC News President James Goldston to produce the hearings and make them more compelling for a live audience. 

The committee has nine members, seven Democrats and two Republicans. The House resolution that created the committee officially describes the Jan. 6 riot as a domestic terrorism attack. They are charged with discovering every last detail of the attack, including how it was planned and financed, if technology and online factors played an influence, and the policies of police and intelligence officials that failed to give proper warning and response. A full report on the committee’s findings is expected in September. 

Both Republicans on the committee, Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Liz Cheney (Wyo.), have taken heat from members of their own party for taking part in the investigation, but they have said it’s more important to find out what happened than cave to party pressure. 

“The question for every one of us is, in this time of testing, will we do our duty,” Cheney asked while accepting the 2022 Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. 

You can stream the hearing starting at 8 p.m. ET on StraightArrowNews.com.