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January 6 hearing: Capitol riot inquiry invokes emotional police testimony

At times wiping away tears, four officers detailed the repeated violent attacks by the pro-Trump mob. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, was also overcome.

The House select committee formed to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol convened its first hearing on Tuesday, hosting a panel of four police officers who defended the building against a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

The testimony, which included new video footage from the day, was both emotional and dramatic, as the officers described being overwhelmed by rioters who were better equipped for the battle that unfolded.

  • Officer Dunn, a 13-year veteran of the Capitol Police force, recounted enduring racist slurs, in powerful testimony about confronting the mob. More on the officers here.
  • The officers provided chilling, detailed accounts of being knocked unconscious, beaten and fearing death at the hands of a mob that outnumbered them. They choked up reliving the hand-to-hand combat they faced on Jan. 6.
  • Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., issued striking criticism of her party for blocking an independent commission to examine the attack. She is one of two Republicans serving on the committee, at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's invitation.

Senators reach agreement on emergency funding bill for Capitol security

Frank Thorp Vproducer and off-air reporter

Just hours after the House hearing ended, leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday reached an agreement on a $2.1 billion emergency supplemental funding bill to shore up the budgetary hole needed to secure the U.S. Capitol in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot.

The bill includes almost $1 billion for Capitol security — $100 million for Capitol Police, $300 million for security measures and $500 million for the National Guard, which concluded its mission at the Capitol in May. Officials said in a letter this month that the National Guard was still awaiting reimbursement for the cost of the deployment.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he hopes to pass the bill in the Senate this week, but Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects senators like Rand Paul, R-Ky., to object to the quick consideration of the bill. 

The bill also includes roughly $1.1 billion for the special immigrant visa program to assist with Afghan interpreters coming to the United States as American troops withdraw from the nation's longest war.

Capitol Police chief 'proud' of officers who testified, 'fought like hell'

Olivia Olander

In a statement tweeted from the official U.S. Capitol Police account, Chief Tom Manger said he's "proud of the officers who had the courage to share their stories" as part of the select committee hearing. 

He praised the officers' descriptions of "the horrors and heroism on January 6," adding that he is "equally proud" of all the officers "who fought like hell to preserve our democracy." 

Manger was named the new chief of the Capitol Police this month, following an extensive search. He took charge of the department Friday. 

Members of committee could return before August recess ends to continue work, chair says

Teaganne Finn

The select committee could return before the end of the August recess to continue working and possibly hold another hearing, Committee Chair Thompson told reporters after the conclusion of the hearing. 

"We now have a body of testimony that we will review. We are in the process of putting that together. I put some members on notice that they won't enjoy the entire August recess, but we will give them time to work in their districts," said Thompson. "But, conceivably, we could come back before the end of August." 

The committee has not set any additional hearings, however "we will be discussing in the next several days about what the August recess will look like," said Thompson. 

Only Congress can find out if anyone in power had a role in attack, Hodges says

Teaganne Finn

Officer Hodges urged the panel to continue investigating to figure out if anyone in power played a role in the attack. 

"I need you guys to address if anyone in power had a role in this, if anyone in power coordinated, or aided or abetted, or tried to downplay, tried to prevent the investigation of this terrorist attack, because we can't do it," Hodges said, in response to a question as to what the officers would expect the committee to accomplish in its  investigation. 

Separately, Officer Fanone asked for an investigation into the activities leading up to Jan. 6 which may have resulted in the attack.

"It's interesting from a law enforcement perspective, as a police officer — a lot of these events happened in plain sight. We had violent political rhetoric," he said.

NBC News previously reported that extremists made little secret of ambitions to 'occupy' the Capitol in the weeks before the attack. Additionally, there were hundreds of social media posts discussing plans to move on the Capitol, including a map of the building and talk of how to create a stampede that would overwhelm Capitol Police, according to a report by a nonprofit research group, and a separate review by NBC News, in April.

Fanone also suggested that the inquiry examine whether or not there was collaboration between members and "these terrorists," he said. 

Hearing adjourns

Right at about 1 p.m., Chairman Thompson adjourned Tuesday's hearing, after roughly three and a half hours of testimony from four police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Dunn says he wants the committee to 'get to the bottom' of who sent the mob

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Officer Dunn responded to the idea that people are trying to politicize the Jan. 6 attack by saying, "It's not a secret that it was political." 

"They literally were there to 'stop the steal,'" Dunn said of Trump's supporters, echoing a mob rallying cry and the movement among the former president's supporters that perpetuated the lie that the election was stolen. "So when people say it shouldn't be political, it was and it is. There's no getting around that."

Dunn said that telling the truth shouldn't be hard.

"Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are being lauded as courageous heroes. And while I agree with that notion, why? Because they told the truth? Why is telling the truth hard? I guess in this America, it is."

He said it was hard fighting on Jan. 6, and difficult to show up to work the day after. It was still hard when the fencing that had been up around the Capitol since the attack was finally removed months later, he said.

"The fence came down and still nothing has changed. Everything is different but nothing has changed," he said.

As for the purpose of the committee's inquiry, Dunn said, "If a hitman is hired and he kills somebody, the hitman goes to jail. But not only does the hitman go to jail, but the person who hired them does. There was an attack carried out on January 6, and a hitman sent them. I want you to get to the bottom of that."

Former Trump officials can testify about efforts to overturn election, DOJ says

The Justice Department has told several former Trump administration officials that they can answer questions from Congress about efforts by then-President Donald Trump or department officials to challenge, stop the counting or overturn the results of the presidential election.

The letters are being sent to former officials who were asked to testify or answer further questions from the House Oversight and Senate Judiciary committees, according to Justice Department and congressional officials Tuesday.

The news came as officers who defended the Capitol from the mob testified during the first hearing of the Jan. 6 select committee. Read more on the story here.

Officer Hodges says rioters were 'terrorists,' then reads from U.S. code to back it up

Officer Hodges came prepared.

He understood why some people might take issue with his description of the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters as domestic terrorists. He then read directly from the U.S. code defining such actors.

"I can see why someone would take issue with the title of terrorist. It's gained a lot of notoriety in our vocabulary in the past few decades, and we like to believe, 'No, that can't happen here, no domestic terrorism, no homegrown threats,'" Hodges said.

He then read from U.S. Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 113B, Section 2331, which defines terrorism.

It defines domestic terrorism as "acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

Rep. Murphy says she was hiding near where Officer Hodges was crushed holding back rioters

Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., began her questioning by thanking Officer Hodges and showing a video of him defending the Capitol entrance, revealing she was hiding in a location close to where he was holding back rioters.

Murphy said she was stationed about 40 feet away from the tunnel battle Hodges was engaged in and was with Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y.

"The reason I was able to hug [my family] again is because of the courage you and your fellow officers showed that day," she said.

Dunn reflects on racial slurs he faced on Jan. 6 as representative of America

Rep. Schiff asked Officer Dunn about the racial epithets he faced and if he felt this was representative of America at large.

"I guess, it sounds silly but I guess it is American," Dunn said. "But it's not the side of America that I like. It's not the side that any of us here represent. We represent the good side of America, people that actually believe in decency, human decency, and we appeal to, just the good in people. That's what we want to see."

Dunn added that he is glad Republicans are also part of the committee.

"That's encouraging. It's encouraging, so that's the side of America that I say, 'Yes, this is America,'" Dunn said. "This is the side that I like and the side that I acknowledge."

Schiff also tears up: 'It must be an Adam thing today'

Teaganne Finn

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., choked up near the conclusions of his questioning of the select committee's witnesses, commending the officers for risking their lives.

"It must be an Adam thing today," said Schiff, referring to Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the panel, who had previously gotten emotional during his allotted questioning time.

"I believe in this country and I believe in it because of people like you who understand what the flag means and what our constitution means and risk their lives to defend it," Schiff said. 

Hodges explains why he and many other officers didn't shoot at rioters

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Hodges said that he and likely many other officers didn't shoot at the rioters because they feared it would escalate the situation. 

"I was wondering how many more bombs are there? What's the trigger? Is it going to be a cellphone? Is it on a timer? How many guns are there...if we start firing, is that the signal to set off the explosives?" Hodges said in his testimony.

"That's the reason why I didn't shoot anyone," he said.

Hodges said there were about 9,000 "terrorists" at the Capitol that day and only a couple hundred officers.

"If that turned into a firefight, we would have lost and this was a fight we couldn't afford to lose," he said.

Gonell calls attack 'an attempted coup,' says U.S. would have sent help to another country

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., showed Jan, 6. body camera footage from Sgt. Gonell, who called the attack on the Capitol an "attempted coup."

"If it had been another country, the U.S. would have sent help," Gonell said. 

"They were calling us traitors," Gonell said about Trump's supporters, "Even though they were the one doing, committing the treasonous acts that day."

Referring to why he wanted to return to his job at the Capitol despite concerns from his family, Gonell said Tuesday, "My sense of duty for the country, for the Constitution, at that time was bigger than even my love for my wife and my, my son. I put that ahead."

'I was up s--- creek without a paddle': Officer Fanone describes mob attacking him

Teaganne Finn

Leigh Ann Caldwell

Teaganne Finn and Leigh Ann Caldwell

Fanone, an officer with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, recalled being violently assaulted from every direction and eventually pulling himself away.

"I knew I was up s--- creek without a paddle," he said, breaking his emotional testimony to chuckle softly at the cliché. His tone then turned serious as he walked the panel through a video clip of his body camera footage from the attack that had just been been shown.

"I was trying to push guys off of me, create some space." Fanone said. 

Individuals were trying to grab Fanone's gun and he specifically remembers one of them lunging at him, time and time again. "I heard people in the crowd yelling, 'Get his gun. Kill him with his own gun.'"

Fanone said he thought about using his weapon and believed there were individuals who wanted to kill him.

While the mood in the room has been somber as the officers testify, there's a noticeable shift when video footage plays. As the clip from Fanone's body camera aired, the officers watched, with Fanone looking away very briefly at one point.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., kept glancing between the video and the officers. All committee members were listening intently as Fanone described the scene.

Kinzinger gets emotional as his questioning begins

An emotional Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the panel, choked up as he began his allotted questioning time.

He praised the officers for their actions on Jan. 6 and condemned how other Republicans are handling the inquiries about the riot as a partisan brawl.

"I'm a Republican, I'm a conservative," he said, adding, "It's time to stop the outrage and the conspiracies" and "we need to reject those who promote it."

Kinzinger added he's on the panel "to investigate Jan. 6 not in spite of my membership in the Republican Party, but because of it."

'It's insulting': Gonell responds to Trump's assertion that there was a 'lot of love' in the crowd

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Cheney asked Sgt. Gonell how he feels hearing former President Trump describe there being a "lot of love" in the crowd of his supporters on Jan. 6 when they attacked the Capitol. 

"If those are hugs and kisses, we all should go to his house and do the same things to him," Gonell said.

"To me, it's insulting, it's demoralizing," he continued. 

A few minutes later, he said that he didn't mean that people should literally go to Trump's house and said he apologizes for his "outburst." 

Gonell said that he and other officers tried to prevent everyone inside the Capitol from getting hurt and instead of sending in the military, he said that Trump "egged" on his supporters to continue fighting. 

'Words are weapons': Dunn reflects on mob berating him with racial slurs

After delivering powerful testimony about being bombarded with racial slurs on Jan. 6, Officer Dunn, who is Black, called the words "weapons."

"Disheartening that we live in a country with people like that," Dunn said, "who attack you based on the color of your skin. Those words are weapons."

"Once I was able to process it, it hurt," he added. "It hurt just reading it now, thinking about it. ... It just hurts that we have people in this country that result to that regardless of your actions and what you desire to do to make a difference out there."

In his opening testimony, Dunn said he responded to the mob suggesting that no one voted for President Joe Biden that Dunn himself had voted for him.

"'You hear that guys? This n----- voted for Joe Biden,'" Dunn said someone in the crowd responded, adding the more people shouted: "'Boooo, f------ n----.'"

"No one had ever ever called me a n----- while wearing a uniform," Dunn said.

Analysis: McCarthy chooses not to defend (or condemn) actions of Trump, his supporters

Republican leaders have chosen to neither defend nor condemn former President Donald Trump and his supporters who stormed the Capitol in his name Jan. 6. 

The voluntary silence is effectively a plea of no contest to allegations that House GOP leaders have acted as accessories after the fact in fighting against the investigation.

Those who deny what happened or play it down, "betray their oath of office," Officer Michael Fanone said during his opening testimony.

"The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful," he said, raising his voice and slamming the table.

The only Republicans participating in the hearing — Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. — were appointed by Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., over the objections of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy chose to withdraw the rest of his party's appointees to the panel when Pelosi nixed two lawmakers who have cast doubt on the inquiry, the danger posed by the rioters and the risk the attack created for the republic.

In doing so, he gave up the opportunity to create distance between Republican officials, including Trump, and the rioters. McCarthy opted not to defend any of them. And maybe that's because it's impossible to defend the indefensible. 

Biden not expected to watch select committee hearing live

Teaganne Finn

Teaganne Finn and Mike Memoli

President Joe Biden is not expected to be watching the Jan. 6 hearing in real-time due to his schedule, according to multiple White House officials.

He will likely watch clips or headlines but he’s not sitting down and watching it, according to officials. 

Another official said the president fully supports House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the committee leadership, and the courage of those testifying who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6. 

Officers around the Capitol watch the hearing on their phones

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Haley Talbot

Rebecca Shabad and Haley Talbot

Officers around the Capitol complex Tuesday were seen watching the hearing on their phones as their fellow officers delivered emotional testimony about their experiences defending the building before the select committee. 

Many officers were huddled together as they watched. A few remarked to NBC News how important it was to witness. 

D.C. officer Hodges describes how he was violently attacked, pinned against a door

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges described how he was violently attacked on Jan. 6, calling the rioters "terrorists" and recounting being told "you will die on your knees." 

As they rioters marched toward the Capitol, Hodges said a man yelled, "'Here come the boys in blue.'" Other people booed, calling them "stormtroopers" and "traitors," he said in his testimony. 

While defending inside the Capitol, he said someone pushed his thumb into his eye, "attempting to gauge it out." 

One man, he said, grabbed the front of Hodge's gas mask and beat his head against the door with it. Hodges said that the man was "foaming at the mouth." 

"I knew I couldn't sustain much more damage and remain upright," said Hodges, who said that he was afraid he was going to collapse and be a liability to his colleagues or "dragged into the crowd and lynched."

"I did the only thing that it could do and screamed for help," he said.

Sgt. Gonell breaks down in tears

NBC News

Image: Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell
Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell wipes his eye as he watches a video being displayed during a House select committee hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 27, 2021.Jim Bourg / Pool via AP

Gonell testified moments later that he thought he could have died that day, defending the Capitol from the pro-Trump mob.

Cheney’s striking criticism of GOP leadership

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney's appearance at the hearing was an act of defiance against Republican Party leaders, including former President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

But that was nothing compared to what she said in her opening statement about what she described as GOP efforts to cover up what happened and the importance of ex-White House aides testifying against Trump. 

"On January 6 and the days thereafter, almost all members of my party recognized the events that day for what they actually were," Cheney said. "One Republican, for example, said, quote, 'What is happening at the U.S. Capitol right now is unacceptable and un-American. Those participating in lawlessness and violence must be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'"

That member: Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who has since sought to discredit the investigation and was appointed to the committee by McCarthy before Pelosi nixed the selection.

"We must overcome the many efforts we are already seeing to cover up and obscure the facts," Cheney said.

Even for a lawmaker who has criticized her party's leaders publicly before, Cheney's shaming of fellow Republicans while under the spotlight of such a high-profile congressional hearing was breathtaking, and she made clear she was doing it in what she believes is the best interest of the party and the country.

Cheney also urged fellow Republicans who served under Trump to give the committee insight into what the then-president was doing as some of his supporters stormed the Capitol.

"We must know what happened here at the Capitol. We must also know what happened every minute of that day in the white House," Cheney said. "Every phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during, and after the attack. Honorable men and women have an obligation to step forward. If those responsible are not." 

Ultimately, the participation or absence of those former aides — and the picture they can draw of Trump — will go a long way to determining how close the committee can get to drawing a full picture of the riot.

Officer Fanone says he was 'at risk of getting killed with my own firearm' by Jan. 6 mob

Michael Fanone, an officer with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, said he decided not to use his firearm on the mob that attacked him outside the Capitol because he worried they would see the escalation as a reason to kill him. 

"'Kill him with his own gun,'" he recalled one rioter saying. "I still hear those words in my head today."

He said the events were "unlike anything I've ever seen" or "could've imagined happening in my country."

"I was grabbed, beaten, tased," Fanone said in his opening testimony. "All while being called a traitor to my country."

He said he was dragged into the crowd. Rioters grabbed his badge and ammunition, beating him with fists and metal objects. "I was electrocuted again and again and again with a taser," he said, adding that watching footage of the riot is painful for him.

Fanone blasted the "indifference" shown to him and his colleagues by Republican members who've downplayed the riot — slamming his fist down on the table as he noted it.

Sgt. Gonell becomes emotional as he details defending the Capitol

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Sgt. Gonell became emotional sharing his terrifying experience defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, pausing several times in his testimony as he detailed how he could have died. 

"I was falsely accused of betraying my 'oath' and of choosing my 'paycheck' over my loyalty to the U.S. Constitution – even as I defended the very democratic process that protected everyone in that hostile crowd," Gonell said in his opening statement. 

He said that the rioters "called me a 'traitor,' a 'disgrace,' and shouted that I (an Army veteran and police officer) should be 'executed.'"

Gonell, an immigrant, described growing up and seeing America as a symbol of freedom. He choked up as he explained that he later found out that his wife and relatives in the U.S. and abroad were frantically calling and texting him from 2 p.m. onward that day. But he couldn't let his family know until 4:26 p.m. that he was alive. 

"I could have lost my life that day, but as soon as I recover from my injuries I will continue forward and proudly serve my country and the U.S. Capitol Police," he said.

Rep. Thompson: 'A peaceful transfer of power did not happen this year'

Capitol Police officers testifying at hearing watch video footage of Jan. 6

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Leigh Ann Caldwell

Rebecca Shabad and Leigh Ann Caldwell

While the video footage from Jan. 6 played in the room during Thompson's opening statement, the four Capitol Police officers watched attentively. 

Sgt. Gonell took a Kleenex and wiped his eyes at least three times. At one point, Officer Fanone stopped watching and looked down. He looked back up and started to watch again about 30 seconds later. 

During the video of Officer Hodges in the door, Hodges shifted slightly in his chair but didn't look away.

At another point, Fanone looked down and then over to his right at Gonell. He then stood up and whispered something to Gonell and clenched his shoulder, offering a measure of solidarity and support.

Thompson cuts to video during his opening statement

About halfway through his opening statement, Thompson cut to video and audio footage of the Jan. 6 riot to bolster his point.

The footage showed the violence police officers faced from the mob, distressed calls they made back to dispatchers, and calls from rioters to harm House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Cheney says committee must investigate 'what happened every minute of that day in the White House'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

The American public deserves "the full and open testimony of every person with knowledge of the planning and preparation" for Jan. 6, Cheney said in her opening statement, criticizing her own party for not joining the investigation. 

"We must know what happened here at the Capitol. We must also know what happened every minute of that day in the White House — every phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during and after the attack," she said. "If those responsible are not held accountable, and if Congress does not act responsibly, this will remain a cancer on our Constitutional Republic, undermining the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democratic system."

Cheney said that the committee must enforce subpoenas "promptly" and must "overcome the many efforts we are already seeing to cover up and obscure the facts."

The Wyoming Republican said that every lawmaker and elected official across the country have a question to ask themselves in the wake of Jan. 6. 

"Will we adhere to the rule of law, respect the rulings of our courts, and preserve the peaceful transition of power? Or will we be so blinded by partisanship that we throw away the miracle of America? Do we hate our political adversaries more than we love our country and revere our Constitution?"

Officer Dunn to say he endured racial slurs, physical exhaustion during Capitol attack

Teaganne Finn

Officer Harry Dunn, a 13-veteran of the Capitol Police force, will testify that on the day of the Jan. 6 attack, he endured racial slurs from the mob and physical assault. 

"No one had ever-ever-called me a n----- while wearing the uniform of a Capitol Police officer," Dunn will say during his opening statement, using a racial slur. He will add, according to prepared remarks, that in the days following other Black officers also told him their stories of racial abuse Jan. 6.

Dunn will recall being drained "both physically and emotionally, and in shock and disbelief over what had happened."

Dunn said he has had to attend multiple counseling sessions and is now receiving private counseling therapy for the persistent emotional trauma. He will also urge the committee to review the services available to officers, specifically the amount of leave they are allotted. 

Thompson in opening statement says Capitol rioters nearly succeeded

Rep. Bennie Thompson, who is chairing the committee, said in his opening statement that the Capitol rioters "came dangerously close to succeeding" on Jan. 6 and that while President Joe Biden took office, a peaceful transfer of power "didn't happen this year."

"These rioters were organized. They were ready for a fight. And they came close to succeeding," Thompson said. "It’s frightening to think about how close we were. A few inches of wood and glass. An officer turning left instead of turning right."

He criticized those seeking to "whitewash" the events of Jan. 6 — some Republicans have suggested the event has been overblown — and said it would not have taken place if not for the lies spread about last fall's election.

"We need to understand how and why the Big Lie festered," Thompson said. "We need to know minute by minute how January 6th unfolded. We need to understand how the rotten lie behind January 6th has continued to spread and feed the forces that would undermine American democracy. And we need to figure out how to fix the damage."

Capitol Police Officer Gonell to say he was more afraid Jan. 6 than during Army deployment to Iraq

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, one of the Capitol Police officers testifying Tuesday, will say in his opening statement that on Jan. 6 he felt like he was experiencing "something from a medieval battlefield." 

"On Jan. 6, for the first time, I was more afraid working at the Capitol than during my entire Army deployment to Iraq. In Iraq, we expected armed violence, because we were in a war zone. But nothing in my experience in the Army, or as a law enforcement officer, prepared me for what we confronted on Jan. 6," he will say, according to prepared remarks. 

Gonell will say that he and other officers were "punched, pushed, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemical irritants, and even blinded with eye-damaging lasers" that day and sustained injuries to his hands, his left shoulder, his left calf and right foot. He has undergone fusion surgery on his foot, he said, and was told he needs surgery on his shoulder. He said he's been on medical and administrative leave for the last six months.

"For most people, Jan. 6 happened for a few hours that day. But for those of us who were in the thick of it, it has not ended," he will say. "That day continues to be a constant trauma for us literally every day, whether because of our physical or emotional injuries, or both."

House Republicans lash out at Pelosi ahead of first Jan. 6 hearing

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

House Republicans lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ahead of the first hearing on the Jan. 6 attack, saying Democrats are trying to promote a certain narrative about the riot and cover up for Pelosi. 

"Why were we ill-prepared for that day," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said at a press conference outside the Capitol, repeating a talking point that Pelosi bears some responsibility for the riot. 

McCarthy said that Republicans want to participate, but Pelosi is trying to prevent his members from asking the "tough questions" about why U.S. Capitol Police weren't prepared to take on hundreds of Trump supporters who rioted outside the Capitol, with many storming the building. 

He said that because Pelosi won't seat the members he appointed, it "becomes a failed committee and a failed report, a sham that no one can believe."

Elise Stefanik of New York, who was selected as the House GOP Conference chair after select committee member Liz Cheney was ousted from the No. 3 leadership position, said, "The American people deserve to know the truth that Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility as speaker of the House for the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 6 And it was only after Republicans started asking these important questions that she refused to seat them."

Cheney says panel could call Jordan as a witness, subpoena McCarthy and Trump

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Cheney, among the two Republicans on the select committee, said Tuesday morning that the panel could call Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as a material witness and could subpoena House Minority Leader McCarthy and even former President Trump. 

In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Cheney said that Jordan may be called as a material witness because she said he was “involved in a number of meetings in the lead-up to what happened on Jan. 6, involved in planning for Jan. 6, certainly for the objections that day.”

Pelosi blocked Jordan's appointment to the committee.

Cheney, who said that the committee's investigation is "not a game" and "deadly serious," said that the panel could subpoena McCarthy and Trump, but that “the committee will go wherever we need to go to get the facts.”

The Wyoming Republican said she can’t explain why many of her fellow Republicans are trying dismiss the events of Jan. 6, adding, “I cannot explain why they have, in such a short period of time, gone from understanding that danger, to now, in some cases, trying to whitewash it, trying to ignore what happened and embracing President Trump, who we know a number of the people who were here invading the Capitol, said they were here doing it because of him.” 

Kinzinger calls McCarthy comments about him 'childish'

Teaganne Finn

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Monday snapped back at Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's comments about him accepting his assignment to the panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

"He can call me whatever names you want," said Kinzinger, of Illinois. "I'm an elected member of Congress. I'm a Republican."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday that she had appointed Kinzinger, an outspoken Trump critic, to the House select committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 riot.

McCarthy criticized Kinzinger's addition in a statement, calling it a "self-appointment" that will not make the panel's inquiry a "serious investigation."

Kinzinger joins the only other Republican on the committee, Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, who was ousted as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference after she criticized Trump and fellow Republicans for continuing to push false claims of fraud in the 2020 election.

If McCarthy choses to take actions against him and Cheney, Kinzinger said, "I think that probably says more about them than it does for us." 

Four law enforcement officers testify about Jan. 6 attack

Dartunorro Clark

Four law enforcement officers who were on the front lines during the Jan. 6 attack will testify at the select committee hearing. This is the first time they will tell their stories under oath at a congressional hearing.

Harry Dunn, private first class, U.S. Capitol Police

A 13-veteran of the force, Dunn's testimony of enduring racist slurs from the mob during the riot was included in Trump's second impeachment trial. Dunn has also said he endured physical assaults from the mob and has been vocal about what happened the day of the attack. 

Aquilino Gonell, sergeant, U.S. Capitol Police

Gonell was beaten with a flagpole during the riot and later told media he thought he would die that day.

Michael Fanone, officer, Metropolitan Police Department

Fanone has said that he suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury in the aftermath of the violent attack. Fanone has been vocal in his criticism of politicians downplaying the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol when hordes of rioters were egged on by Trump's lies about election fraud.

Daniel Hodges, officer, Metropolitan Police Department

Hodges was seen in viral videos trapped between doors during the Capitol riot, attempting to keep the protesters from storming the Capitol. Despite the excruciating pain he appeared to be in during the attack, he later told reporters he was happy to do his duty. The FBI has arrested a Connecticut man for allegedly assaulting Hodges. 

Cheney to give opening statement at Jan. 6 hearing

Dartunorro Clark

Rep. Liz Cheney, one of the two Republicans serving on the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, is expected to give an opening statement today. 

The Wyoming Republican, who was tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is serving as the de facto ranking member after Pelosi rejected two of the five GOP members selected by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, prompting him to pull all five off the panel.

Cheney was ousted from her leadership role in the GOP conference after criticizing former President Trump for his role in the riot. She voted in favor of an article of impeachment against him. 

The hearing, entitled “The Law Enforcement Experience on January 6th,” is expected to last roughly 2 to 3 hours and will feature witness testimony from several law enforcement officials who were present on the day of the attack. 

 

McCarthy's picks will be absent from the committee. Here's why.

Dartunorro Clark

When the Select Committee on the Jan. 6 attack begins its work, there will be no one on the panel selected by GOP leader Kevin McCarthy. 

That's because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of McCarthy's picks for the select committee, which prompted McCarthy to pull all of his proposed appointees. The picks included Republicans Jim Jordan of Ohio, Jim Banks of Indiana, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas. Pelosi rejected Banks and Jordan because of the "the impact their appointments could have on the integrity of the investigation."

On Monday night, McCarthy tried to force a House vote to allow his picks to be placed on the committee, but it was rejected 218 to 197. 

Republicans have argued that Democrats are using the commission for political messaging. But Pelosi has added Republican Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming, both of whom are outspoken Trump critics, to the committee.