1/ The Jan. 6 committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump, demanding documents and his testimony under oath. “This is a question about accountability to the American people,” the panel’s chair, Bennie Thompson, said ahead of the vote. “He must be accountable. He is required to answer for his actions.” In the committee’s ninth public hearing, the panel focused on Trump’s “staggering betrayal” of his oath of office and his efforts to reverse the 2020 election, including his role in events that led to the violence at the Capitol. Before voting to subpoena Trump, the committee revealed new evidence that Secret Service agents in charge of assessing the risks of the Jan. 6, 2021, protest had expressed concerns about the rally more than a week before, were aware that many in the crowd would have weapons, and that Trump’s supporters planned to go to the Capitol threatening violence, including that Pence would be “‘a dead man walking if he doesn’t do the right thing.’” One agent described the morning of Jan. 6 as the “calm before the storm.” The panel also disclosed an email that Trump’s election night speech to falsely declare victory was part of a “premeditated plan.” The committee also revealed that Trump secretly ordered all U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan and Somalia days after losing reelection to leave the problem to “the next guy.” The order was signed but was never carried out, which the committee says is evidence that Trump knew he had lost the election. The panel’s vice chairwoman, Liz Cheney, added that the committee “may ultimately decide” to make a series of criminal referrals to the Justice Department. The subpoena will expire at the end of this congressional term, which is Jan. 3, 2023. If Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, the committee could vote to hold him in criminal contempt of Congress. If they do, it will then go to the full House for a vote. (Politico / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / NPR / CNN / Bloomberg / ABC News)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2022/10/13/day-632/