As the House select committee continues to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, it appears that those who were cloistered within the inner sanctums of the White House or nearby “war rooms” may soon be compelled to come forward and tell the truth.
Following a slew of newly issued subpoenas to several former Trump administration officials and allies, including Michael Flynn, former national security adviser, attorney John Eastman, ex-campaign manager William Stepien and former Trump spokesman Jason Miller, the panel has made it clear that it wants to see hidden records and hear testimony related to the day of the attack and the weeks that followed.
Trump has attempted to invoke presidential immunity in his efforts to thwart the investigation. And while a federal judge has denied Trump’s claim, the former president says he will appeal the decision – all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.
That is certainly within his rights but Americans deserve to know the truth – the whole truth and nothing but the truth. While America’s roots go back to jolly old England, we are not a nation of kings and queens. Further, while former presidents retain certain privileges and the respect afforded any who has once held the office of commander in chief, they have since returned to the common citizenry.
They are no longer the president of the United States.
As the committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said in a recent statement, “In the days before the January 6th attack, the former president’s closest allies and advisors drove a campaign of misinformation about the election and planned ways to stop the count of Electoral College votes.”
“The Select Committee needs to know every detail about their efforts to overturn the election, including who they were talking to in the White House and in Congress, what connections they had with rallies that escalated into a riot and who paid for it all,” the statement said.
We agree with Rep. Thompson’s assertion and remain anxious to not only hear what really happened but support any actions that will prevent such “backroom schemes” from ever becoming actualized again.