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, 8:57 PM EDT

White House logs show Trump did not make calls to issue orders

White House logs showed that former President Donald Trump "did not call to issue orders," according to Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va.

Senior law enforcement officials, military leaders, members of former Vice President Mike Pence's staff and D.C. government officials that the committee interviewed also said they did not hear from Trump that day, Luria said.

An image of the Presidential Call Log from Jan. 6, 2021, is displayed on a screen during a hearing by the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, July 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Call logs shown during the hearing indicated that Trump did not make any calls between 11:04 a.m and 6:54 p.m. that day.

Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary, testified for the committee that Trump did want a list of senators to call.

"He was calling senators, to encourage them to delay, or object, the certification," Luria said.

The committee showed the testimony of Pat Cipollone, then-White House counsel, saying he was not aware of any calls Trump made to the U.S. attorney general or the secretary of Homeland Security.

Jul 21, 2022, 8:54 PM EDT

Pat Cipollone describes effort to have Trump make a 'strong' statement

Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone told the committee he and other officials attempted to push Trump to make a strong statement condemning the violence almost immediately.

"I think it was pretty clear there needed to be an immediate and forceful response, statement, public statement, that people needed to leave the Capitol now," Cipollone said in a taped deposition.

PHOTO: A video of former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is shown on a screen during a hearing by the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 21, 2022.
A video of former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is shown on a screen during a hearing by the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the US Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on July 21, 2022.
Al Drago/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Ivanka Trump, White House lawyer Eric Herschmann and then-chief of staff Mark Meadows all felt the same, Cipollone testified.

Cipollone said it would've been "possible" for Trump to go to the White House briefing room to make a statement at any time. Sarah Matthews, the deputy press secretary at the time, testified live that it would have taken "probably less than 60 seconds" for Trump to go to the briefing room from his position in the dining room off the Oval Office.

Jul 21, 2022, 8:45 PM EDT

Witness confirms 'heated' exchange in Trump's SUV on Jan. 6

Rep. Elaine Luria said that there is "evidence from multiple sources regarding an angry exchange in the presidential SUV" confirming Cassidy Hutchinson's previous bombshell testimony.

Hutchinson told the committee on June 28 that a member of Trump's security detail told her the president tried to grab the steering wheel as he demanded to join his supporters after his speech at the Ellipse. His team ultimately refused the request.

Sgt. Mark Robinson, a retired member of the Metropolitan Police Department responsible for the motorcade that day, told the committee he heard a similar description of what took place inside the vehicle.

"The description I received was the president was upset and was adamant about going to the Capitol, and there was a heated discussion about that," Robinson said in a videotaped interview.

Sgt. Mark Robinson, a retired member of the Metropolitan Police Department responsible for the motorcade on Jan. 6, appears on the video during the prime-time hearing, July 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

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."

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