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, 9:32 PM EDT

Committee shows Hawley's raised fist, then video of him fleeing

In a moment that's resonated from Thursday's hearing, the committee shared a photo of Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley walking across the Capitol before protesters who had started to gather at the security gates.

Sen. Josh Hawley gestures toward a crowd of supporters of President Donald Trump gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory Jan. 6, 2021.
Politico via AP, FILE

"As you can see in this photo, he raised his fist, in solidarity, with the protesters," Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., said.

Luria said a Capitol police told the committee that the gesture "riled up the crowd."

"It bothered her greatly because he was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers," Luria said.

The committee then showed footage of Hawley, who had voted against certifying the results of the election, later fleeing "after those protesters he helped to rile up stormed the Capitol," Luria said.

Jul 22, 2022, 9:14 PM EDT

Secret Service agents began to 'fear for their own lives': Witness

The Jan. 6 committee played new audio of Secret Service radio traffic as the attack occurred.

Demonstrators attempt to enter the Capitol building during a protest, Jan. 6, 2021.
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

The traffic indicated that officers were very concerned about safely evacuating Vice President Mike Pence after the Capitol was breached.

"If we lose any more time, we may lose the ability to leave. So, if we're going to leave, we need to do it now," one agent is heard saying.

An unidentified White House security official said in chilling testimony that members of Pence's detail "were starting to fear for their own lives."

"There were calls to say goodbye to family members," the official said in a recorded interview. "Whatever the reason was on the ground, the DCPD (D.C. police department) felt that it was going to be very ugly."

A recording of members of the Former Vice President Mike Pence's detail is played 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., July 21, 2022.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

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.

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