The Jan. 6, 2021, unrest at the U.S. Capitol is something that we have not heard much about as of late, but that is going to change rather quickly.
With Donald Trump back in office and the fifth anniversary of the demonstrations approaching, the Democrats want to make a spectacle of the situation.
So, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has decided that he will hold an anniversary hearing to commemorate that fateful day in D.C.
The select committee that investigated the riots was not exactly nonpartisan in nature.
The panel was made up of Democrats and two Republicans (appointed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi), who were anti-Trumpers.
Just before taking office for the second time this past January, Trump voiced his opinion of the group, stating, “Everybody on that committee … for what they did, yeah, honestly, they should go to jail.”
Victoria Nourse, leader of the Center on Congress and Democracy at Georgetown Law, commented, “The former president is playing with fire here. Putting fellow Republicans in jail will only embolden the faction in his party that is deeply never-Trump.”
After Trump made his comments about the committee members, they were given a chance to respond.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), one of two Republicans who served on the committee, stated, "This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation's history. Donald Trump's suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic."
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who served in the House at the time, also responded, "When Trump violated his oath, I stood up to him. When he tried to overturn the 2020 election, the January 6th Committee stood in defense of our democracy. Threats to jail us will not deter us. Nothing will stop me from doing my duty to the American people."
As a conservative, I was embarrassed by what took place that day, but I have also stated that the committee held a one-sided investigation, omitting evidence and, as we later found out, possibly manipulating witnesses to pitch the narrative they wanted people to hear. It was a disgrace.
I think the country would be best served to get past the unsavory episode, but Jeffries plans to hold an anniversary hearing, clearly a political stunt, because he knows it will poke the angry bear in Donald Trump.
Jeffries announced the hearing in a letter to his fellow House Democrats, stating, “We must never forget the horrors of January 6th and will continue to honor the brave law enforcement officers who were injured and lost their lives defending the rule of law in the United States.”
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) will reprise his role as the panel chair for the meeting.
This is just shameful political grandstanding, in my opinion, and a complete waste of taxpayer money. But it will serve its purpose, as I can guarantee you that Trump will spit venom on Truth Social, possibly even reviving his old theme about Jan. 6, calling it a “day of love.” For Democrats, this is not about justice or even about Trump. It’s about relitigating something they fear voters have forgotten. It’s about provoking outrage. And most importantly, for Democrats, it’s about fundraising.
