Since the formation of the January 6 Committee in July 2021, it’s been rife with controversy. Those on the body aren’t very transparent with their motives, and former President Donald Trump has been very vocal about his disdain for its actions. Now, it seems he could have a chance to clear his own name and provide an account of his movements that day. On Thursday, October 13, the committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump. However, it’s likely the testimony will have the opposite effect than what they intend.
A Not-So-Bipartisan Committee
One of the contentious issues surrounding the January 6 committee is how very not-bipartisan it is. Sure, there are two Republicans on it, but they’re both considered RINOs (Republicans in Name Only); Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) voted to impeach Trump, and neither will be in Congress come next year.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rejected two of Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) picks for the committee — Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Jim Banks (R-IN) — McCarthy saw the witchhunt for what it was and pulled all GOP members. According to Jack Buckby of 1945, this didn’t allow for a “proper investigation.” What the committee aimed to do instead of exploring all evidence at hand, even some that might have cleared Trump’s name, was to prevent him from holding office again.
Trump Subpoenaed
The committee has yet to subpoena the former president, but it’s likely just a matter of time. One thing Trump brings to the table is his passion. He’s never been one to mince words, and he’s not likely to start now. Where the committee has relied on the media to push its narrative, there are truths it’s certainly left out. For example, Trump’s proclamation that protestors wishing to make their voices heard should do so “peacefully and patriotically.” He has stood by this time and again, even when the committee produced “evidence” to the contrary.
Putting Trump on the stand could obliterate all the lies the committee has pushed and show the other side of the case, the one they worked hard to hide or explain away.
Then, there’s the question of whether Trump will agree to testify in front of a committee so obviously biased against him. According to sources, the former president has said he would testify if the proceedings were held live. This would prevent the doctoring of clips to manipulate his words and further feed the media frenzy.
