Jan. 6 Insurrection Hearings Uncover America’s Dramatic Political Reality

The January 6 Insurrection Hearings have had something for everyone it seems. Part reality drama, part tragedy, part dark comedy, and wholly telling of the dangers American democracy faces, the hearings covered a whole lot of ground.

Chaotic Days

What became abundantly apparent was an ousted president with an eye on dictatorship and a White House in chaos. Bennie Thompson, (D-Miss.) says, “Trump was the only person in the world who could call off the mob. He could not be moved.”

Instead, while a violent and angry crowd breached the Capitol, the panel emphasized that Trump sat at the head of the table in the oval office dining room to watch the insurrection on Fox News. Despite frantic appeals by staff and multiple aides, “Trump could not be moved to rise from his dining room table and walk a few steps down the White House hallway into the press briefing room where cameras were anxiously and desperately waiting to carry his message to an armed and violent mob savagely beating and killing law enforcement officers,” Thompson says. Instead, Trump tweeted that Mike Pence lacked the “courage” to block or delay the election results during the time that Congress was certifying Biden’s presidential victory. In doing so, Trump put a target on his own vice president’s back.

The hearings paint a dramatic picture of a man trying to hold on to power in the face of losing the election.

The Comedy of Hypocrisy

Then, there is the comedic twist starring Senator Josh Hawley (R, Mo.). Few people failed to smirk at the hypocrisy of Hawley’s fist raised in solidarity with the protesters followed by a video of him running away in panic to save his skin from the protestors chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” While hearing attendees laughed out loud, social media users had a field day with the footage at Hawley’s expense. While Hawley claimed he would “Never apologize for giving voice to the millions of Missourians and Americans who have concerns about the integrity of our election,” the video speaks for itself. Clearly, Hawley’s desperate sprint away from the mob showed his second thoughts about encouraging the insurrection.

A Dangerous Time

The hearings highlighted the very real sense of danger that White House aides and members of the Secret Service faced during the height of the insurrection. Multiple texts from Fox News personalities, aides, and other employees convey the sense of urgency felt in trying to get Trump to act. Some staff sent texts or made phone calls to their families to “say goodbye” in the event there were mass causalities.

Finally, Trump videotaped a statement during which the president encouraged protestors to go home. However, Trump chose to repeat baseless claims of voter fraud and did not condemn the violence. His message to protestors amounted to, “So go home. We love you. You’re very special.” Trump also told protestors, “I know how you feel.” The tragedy is that while the videotape was made, police had been battling the protestors for hours and police radio traffic relayed, “Another officer unconscious.”

Guilty of Contempt

Finally, Trump’s former advisor, Steve Bannon, was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress for ignoring the House January 6 committee. The Justice Department told jurors during the trial that Bannon didn’t turn over documents and testify before the January 6 committee when he was required to do so because he thought he was “above the law.

“I stand with Trump and the Constitution,” Bannon tells the Daily Mail.

After deliberating for less than three hours, jurors returned the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston argued that Bannon “did not want to recognize Congress’ authority.” Bannon’s sentencing is scheduled for October 21, when he will face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 days and up to one year. He could also be fined from between $100 and $100,000. He is expected to appeal.

Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) called Bannon’s conviction “a victory for the rule of law and an important affirmation of the Select Committee’s work.”

Stay Tuned

If all of this has been a challenge to keep straight, buckle up. It has been announced that the committee will “reconvene” in September. Vice Chair Liz Cheney says, “Doors have opened; new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break.” Cheney indicated that there is considerably more to do and, “We have far more evidence to share with the American people.”