""President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home. He chose not to act," is a verified statement made by then-Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) during a July 2022 hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack. This quote encapsulated a central argument of the January 6th Committee: that President Trump's lack of action during the Capitol riot was not an oversight, but a deliberate decision. Key points regarding the quote and the committee's findings:The 187 minutes: This timeframe refers to the period from when Trump concluded his speech at the Ellipse around 1:10 p.m. to when he finally released a video on Twitter urging rioters to "go home in peace" at 4:17 p.m. on January 6, 2021.Deliberate Inaction: Kinzinger and the committee argued that Trump was aware of the violence unfolding at the Capitol but remained in the White House dining room watching television, ignoring pleas from his aides, family members, and Republican lawmakers to intervene and condemn the violence.Purpose of Inaction: The committee contended that Trump's inaction was due to his belief that "the mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose" of delaying or halting the certification of Joe Biden's election victory.Dereliction of Duty: Both Kinzinger and co-leading committee member Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) described Trump's conduct during this period as a "complete dereliction of his duty to our nation" and a "supreme violation of his oath of office".Evidence presented: The committee presented detailed evidence, including testimony from former White House aides like Sarah Matthews and Pat Cipollone, highlighting Trump's resistance to making an immediate and forceful public statement to stop the attack. The committee's final report concluded that there was sufficient evidence to refer Trump to the Department of Justice for potential criminal charges, including "assisting, aiding or comforting" an insurrection, largely based on his actions (or lack thereof) during these critical 187 minutes." "WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - Donald Trump sat for hours watching the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol unfold on live TV, ignoring pleas by his children and other close advisers to urge his supporters to stop the violence, witnesses told a congressional hearing on Thursday.The House of Representatives Select Committee used its eighth hearing this summer to detail what members said was Trump's refusal to act for the 187 minutes between the end of his inflammatory speech at a rally urging supporters to march on the Capitol, and the release of a video telling them to go home."""President Trump sat at his dining table and watched the attack on television while his senior-most staff, closest advisors and family members begged him to do what is expected of any American president," said Democratic Representative Elaine Luria.The panel played videotaped testimony from White House aides and security staff discussing the events of the day.Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone was asked question after question in the recorded testimony about Trump's actions: did he call the secretary of defense? The attorney general? The head of Homeland Security? Cipollone answered "no" to each query.""He's got to condemn this shit ASAP," Trump's eldest son, Don Jr., appealed in a text message to Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows. "They will try to fuck his entire legacy on this if it gets worse."The onslaught on the Capitol, as Vice President Mike Pence met with lawmakers, led to several deaths, injured more than 140 police officers and delayed certification of Democratic President Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 election.Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the committee, said Trump had no interest in calling off the rioters."The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose, so of course he didn't intervene," Kinzinger said."And 5 years later, here we are. Trump-ettes gleeful at the coming destruction of the BBC.
David Ainsworth ● 21d