Jan. 6 hearing makes case Trump at 'center' of 'conspiracy' to overturn election

In his opening statement, Chairman Bennie Thompson -- looking directly at the camera -- called Jan. 6 an "attempt to undermine the will of the people" and "only the beginning of what became a sprawling multistep conspiracy aimed at overturning the presidential election."

"Trump was at the center of this conspiracy, and ultimately, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down Capitol and subvert American democracy," he said.

Thompson said the attack on the Capitol was "the culmination of an attempted coup" and a "brazen attempt ... to overthrow the government"

"The violence was no accident," he said. "It represents President Trump's last stand, his most desperate chance to halt the transfer of power."

Chairman Bennie Thompson has gaveled in the committee's first prime-time hearing intended to "remind you of the reality of what happened that day."

"But our work must do much more than just look backwards. Because our democracy remains in danger," Thompson will say in his opening statement, according to an excerpt released by the committee. "The conspiracy to thwart the will of the people is not over."

Americans will hear live testimony from a Capitol Police officer and documentarian who were on the scene of the attack and watch never-before-seen video footage in a rare congressional hearing made for television.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the select committee, was the first member to arrive on Capitol Hill through the member entrance, according to an NBC pool reporter.

Asked how she was feeling, Cheney said, "Good, thank you," as she walked inside.

Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., the only other House Republican to accept a seat on the panel, have faced relentless attacks from within their caucus for their participation. Cheney was removed from her No. 3 House GOP leadership post last year, and both were formally censured by the Republican National Committee for choosing to investigate what it controversially called "legitimate political discourse."

Demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday ahead of the House select committee's first prime-time hearing of its Jan. 6 investigation.

Participants held signs reading, "Not above the law."

The panel is looking to explain what it calls a "coordinated, multi-step effort" by Trump and his supporters to overturn his 2020 election loss.