Trump 'chose not to act' as mob attacked, Jan. 6 committee says

The committee said he did nothing to stop the Capitol assault for 187 minutes.

ByAlexandra Hutzler and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: July 22, 2022, 1:33 AM EDT

The House Jan. 6 committee's second prime-time hearing focused on what it said was then-President Donald Trump's "187 minutes" of inaction -- from the time he left the rally at the Ellipse, to then watching the attack on the U.S. Capitol on TV at the White House until he finally called on his violent supporters to go home.

Here is how the hearing unfolded:

Jul 21, 2022, 8:27 PM EDT

Trump 'chose not to act' during attack: Kinzinger

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., attempted to explain Trump's behavior on Jan. 6, when it took him several hours to respond to the riot.

"The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose, so of course he didn't intervene," Kinzinger said, noting the congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory was delayed for hours due to the violence.

"Here's what will be clear by the end of this hearing," Kinzinger said. "President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home. He chose not to act."

Jul 21, 2022, 8:29 PM EDT

Cheney swears in witnesses

Committee vice chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has sworn in the hearing's witnesses -- ex-staffers Matthew Pottinger, who was a member of the National Security Council, and Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy press secretary.

Both witnesses, seen as Trump White House insiders and supporters, resigned from their positions on Jan. 6 in the wake of the riot.

Former National Security Council member Matthew Pottinger and former Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews are sworn in for a hearing by the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack, July 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Saul Loeb/Pool via AFP/Getty Images

Jul 21, 2022, 8:11 PM EDT

Vice Chair Liz Cheney gavels in hearing, committee to reconvene in September

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., gaveled in the committee around 8 p.m. as Chairman Bennie Thompson participates virtually after testing positive for COVID-19.

Cheney, the committee's vice chair, will preside over the hearing. Thompson said she will be responsible for maintaining order and swearing in witnesses.

Thompson also gave a preview of what's in store tonight as the committee analyzes Trump's response to the attack as it unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington.
Julio Cortez/AP, FILE

"For 187 minutes, this man of destructive energy could not be moved," Thompson said of Trump. "He could not be moved to rise from his dining room table, and walk the few steps down to the press room."

Thompson said the committee's work won't stop here, stating it will reconvene in September.

Jul 21, 2022, 7:59 PM EDT

Bennie Thompson will chair the committee remotely after contracting COVID-19

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., will chair the committee remotely after testing positive for COVID-19. He announced his diagnosis on Monday.

"Gratefully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted," he said at the time. "I am continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will be isolating for the next several days."

Related Topics