WASHINGTON - Chairman Bennie Thompson opened Thursday's prime-time hearing of the Jan. 6 investigating committee, saying Donald Trump as president did "everything in his power to overturn the election" he lost to Joe Biden, including before and during the deadly Capitol attack."He lied, he bullied, he betrayed his oath," charged Thompson, D-Miss.After months of work and weeks of hearings, committee co-chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming said "the dam has begun to break" on revealing what happened that day, at the White House as well as in the violence at the Capitol.This was probably the last hearing of the summer, but the panel said they will resume in September as more witnesses and information emerges."Our investigation goes forward," said Thompson testifying remotely as he isolates after testing positive for COVID-19. "There needs to be accountability."New video of the Capitol Riot, including alleged crimes by the Proud Boys and others, shown at the congressional hearing on June 9.
This version includes some censored profanity.Plunging into its second prime-time hearing on the Capitol attack, the committee vowed close scrutiny of Trump’s actions during the deadly riot, which the panel says he did nothing to stop but instead "gleefully" watched on television at the White House.The hearing room was packed, including with several police officers who fought off the mob that day.
The panel is diving into the 187 minutes that Trump failed to act on Jan. 6, 2021, despite pleas from aides, allies and even his family.