Violence, Secrecy, and Fleeing Josh Hawley: The 8 Biggest Revelations From the Jan. 6 Hearings So Far

The Jan. 6 committee is holding its ninth and — supposedly — final public hearing on Thursday. The panel is expected to key on former President Donald Trump’s role in the riot, and to exhibit evidence provided by a Danish film crew that trailed longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, who has been connected to extremist groups who played a role in the attack. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) told CNN this week that the committee will present “pretty surprising” new material.

The committee’s final hearing was initially scheduled for Sept. 28, but was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. The hearing on Thursday will be its first since July 21, when the committee detailed what Trump was doing as the riot unfolded, bringing an end to a blistering two months of televised revelations about the effort to overturn the election results culminating with the violent breach of Congress. Here’s a refresher on some of the biggest moments from those first eight hearings as the committee prepares to present its findings to the public for the final time.

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Trump had a “direct and personal role” in effort to push states to overturn the election results

The committee’s fourth hearing detailed how Trump pressured individual state legislators to get them to go back into session and declare him the winner, or to send two slates of electors to Congress so that Vice President Pence could choose the one declaring Trump the winner. It didn’t work, which led Trump’s team to try to fabricate fake slates of electors for states to send to Washington. “According to federal district Judge David Carter, President Trump and others likely violated multiple federal laws by engaging in this scheme, including conspiracy to defraud the United States,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said.

Mark Meadows and Steve Bannon warned things were going to get bad on Jan. 6

Former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified in June that the former chief of staff told her things might get “real, real bad on Jan. 6.”

The warning came on Jan. 2, 2021, after former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told Hutchinson she should be “excited” about what was going to happen in four days. Hutchinson said Giuliani said something to the effect of, “We’re going to the Capitol, it’s going to be great. The president is going to be there. He’s going to look powerful.”

Hutchinson says she then spoke with Meadows about the conversation. Meadows, who was in his office, didn’t look up from his phone. “He said something to the effect of, ‘There’s a lot going on, Cass. I don’t know,’” Hutchinson recounted of what Meadows told her in response to Giuliani’s comments. “‘Things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6.”

Bannon said on his radio show a few days later, on Jan. 5, that “all hell” was going to break loose on Jan. 6. The committee revealed he had talked to Trump earlier in the day.

Trump demanded armed supporters be let into rally before calling for march to Capitol

Hutchinson also testified that on Jan. 6, Trump insisted that security measures be taken down at his Ellipse rally in order to boost the size of the crowd, arguing that people carrying weapons were “not here to hurt me.” Hutchinson said she overheard Trump say something to the effect of, “‘I don’t fucking care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the fucking [magnometers] away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here.”

“President Trump was aware that a number of the individuals in the crowd had weapons and were wearing body armor,” added committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney before playing a clip of Trump telling the crowd that, “We’re going to walk down — and I’ll be there with you — to the Capitol.”

Trump lunged at Secret Service agent who refused to take him to the Capitol

Hutchinson also testified that on Jan. 6 an irate Trump railed against aides and Secret Service officers who refused to transport him to the Capitol, allegedly yelling, “I’m the f-ing president, take me to the Capitol now,” and attempting to grab the steering wheel of the presidential limousine as it left the rally at the Ellipse.

“The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel,” Hutchinson said. “Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, ‘Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing. We’re not going to the Capitol.’ Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel. When Mr. Ornato had recounted this story to me he had motioned toward his clavicles.”

Multiple GOP lawmakers sought pardons for trying to overturn the election

“Perry contacted the White House in the weeks after Jan 6. to seek a presidential pardon,” Cheney said in June of Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who tried to get a Trump-loving official appointed attorney general after William Barr didn’t do enough to help overturn President Joe Biden’s win. “Multiple other Republican congressmen also sought presidential pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election,” Cheney added.

Josh Hawley ran away from the rioters he had cheered on

Hawley voted against certifying the election results, in addition to raising a fist in solidarity with mob.

Trump personally tried to tamper with Jan. 6 witnesses

Cheney closed the committee’s sixth hearing with a revelation that Trump attempted to call a witness following the committee’s previous hearing. The witness did not answer the call, instead having their lawyer inform the committee. Cheney says the committee supplied the information to the Department of Justice.

It seems others tried to tamper with witnesses, as well. Cheney also read a statement from a witness who was told they would “stay in good graces in Trump World”  if they continued to be a “team player.” The witness was also warned that Trump reads deposition transcripts. Another witness was called before their deposition and told that “he knows you’re loyal, and you’re going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition.”

Trump told staff Mike Pence “deserved” to be hanged on Jan. 6.

The rioters attacking the Capitol set up a mock gallows for Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to illegally stop the certification of the election. The committee revealed that Trump endorsed the crowd’s chants of “Hang Mike Pence” when speaking to his advisers. “Maybe our supporters have the right idea,” he said, according Cheney. “Mike Pence deserves it.”

Trump bashed Pence on Twitter as the riot was unfolding, which, as the committee revealed during its third hearing, caused the mob to surge. “The situation was already bad,” Sarah Matthews, a former aide to Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, recounted. “It felt like he was pouring gasoline on the fire by tweeting that.”

The hearings made abundantly clear that Trump condoned the riot. “President Trump believed his supporters at the Capitol … and I quote… ‘were doing what they should be doing,’” Cheney said. “This is what he told his staff as they pleaded with him to call off the mob.”

Trump not only personally refused to call off the mob, he ignored a call from the Pentagon, instead opting to “call senators to encourage them to delay or object to the certification,” as Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) said in July. Nevertheless, Trump was well aware of the situation at Congress. The committee established that he and his White House team knew within 15 minutes of leaving the stage at the Ellipse that “the Capitol was besieged and under attack.”

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