PD Editorial: Finishing the story of Jan. 6

Most people made up their minds about Donald Trump a long time ago, but there’s still ample reason to tune in to the House hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Call it a riot or an insurrection or, as Chairman Bennie Thompson said in his opening remarks for Thursday’s prime-time hearing, “an attempted coup,” this was an unprecedented attempt to overturn the results of a U.S. presidential election.

Our democracy held. Though our institutions bent, they did not break.

But the insurrection, fueled by Trump’s false claims of electoral fraud, came dangerously close to succeeding. Rioters armed with stun guns and swinging flagpoles breached the Capitol, chased House members and senators from their chambers and delayed certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

The violent attack on Capitol Police officers unfolded on live television, and the House select committee presented previously unseen footage during its captivating first session. But the hearings are about more than the events of a single day in Washington. The committee promises to fill in the blanks about a monthslong effort to keep Trump in power, culminating in the events of Jan. 6.

It may be tempting to write the hearings off as political theater, especially for supporters of the ex-president. But the first session already added or confirmed details that should concern everyone.

There were clips of administration and campaign officials, including then-Attorney General William Barr and first daughter Ivanka Trump, saying they told the president he lost the election and there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. When rioters began chanting “hang Mike Pence,” Rep. Liz Cheney said Trump showed no concern for his loyal vice president. “Maybe our supporters have the right idea,” she quoted him as saying. Cheney also reminded viewers that several Cabinet secretaries resigned in protest of Trump’s failure to call out the National Guard or take any other action to stop the violence and protect Pence and members of Congress. They understood their oath was to the Constitution and not any person or political party.

As the hearings continue over the next several weeks, the committee intends to present evidence and testimony about individuals and extremist groups behind the assault on the Capitol and what the president, his administration and members of Congress did before, after and during the attack.

If committee members continue to stick to the facts, the hearings will become an important part of the historical record. They also should give pause to any voters hoping Trump decides to run again in 2024.

For Congress, the committee’s findings provide another opportunity to revisit the Electoral Count Act, the 19th century law that governs certification of presidential elections, which is supposed to be a ministerial duty. Trump and his supporters tried to exploit the vaguely worded law to persuade legislators to overturn election results in several states. Failing that, they tried to get Pence to reject electoral votes from some states won by Biden. There’s time to clarify the law before the 2024 election, and NBC News reports that a bipartisan group of senators is close to a deal.

The full story of what happened on Jan. 6 is still being old. The hearings reconvene Monday. We plan to tune in. You should too.

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