Reply to “Comment on the Capitol Security Breakdowns after the Capitol Attack on January 6” and a Call for a Democratic Congressional Speaker
- The intelligence community and law enforcement agencies were able to detect the potential for violence after the attack on the Capitol. Intelligence pointed out to potential violence at the Capitol as January approached. This intelligence was shared between the executive branch and the National Security Council.
Republicans cast the report as a rebuttal to the House select committee’s investigation into January 6 as they are set to take control of the chamber and endeavor to take back the narrative. Republican lawmakers have said the security failures are paramount and that the select committee overstepped its mandate in its 17-month probe.
Trump’s former Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, in an interview with the select committee, denied Trump gave him formal orders authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops to the Capitol on January 6.
Their primary recommendation centers around reforming the US Capitol Police Board and bolstering congressional oversight of the Capitol Police force – two issues that were identified by lawmakers of both parties in the wake of the January 6 attack.
But the GOP report is silent on other efforts to disrupt the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election and selective in its criticism of political leaders and their culpability in the security breakdowns on January 6. There are largely discredited allegations to cast blame on Pelosi and former President Donald Trump.
The report was supposed to be released on Wednesday, but has been delayed until Thursday. The executive summary blames Trump for the insurrection.
The GOP report comes from the five Republicans who House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy initially appointed to serve on the select committee before deciding members of his party would not participate.
Congressional Investigation of the January 6 Capitol rioting: A Republican-Leading Committee Approving Trump’s Decency to Leave the Capitol
It includes a timeline of events that occurred on January 6, making no mention of the fact that Trump waited hours before calling on the rioters to leave the US Capitol that day and omitting incendiary remarks he made at the rally preceding the attack.
Instead, the report paints Trump as only encouraging his supporters at the White House Ellipse to march to the US Capitol and demonstrate “peacefully,” noticeably omitting other parts of the speech, including when he encouraged rally goers to “fight like hell.”
Trump sent a message after the Capitol had been broken into, saying: ” Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement.” They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!
The House select committee has revealed testimony from several former White House officials saying Trump repeatedly refused to call off the rioters despite being asked to do so by a number of his closest advisers.
The GOP report doesn’t address whether Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops before January 6 or not.
According to the final report of the incident, Major Gen. William Walker wanted to send troops to the capitol on January 6th but he needed to resign the next day.
The committee made its findings based on an interview it did with Walker and other National Guard officials. The panel also interviewed top Defense Department officials involved in the National Guard response.
Walker said that he would have done it, but not for the letters from his superiors.
Controversy has swirled over the delay in sending National Guard troops to the US Capitol on January 6 with members of both parties seeking to blame one another for the lack of reinforcements that day.
The committee noted that the replacement plan of the acting attorney general with Jeffrey Clark would have been disastrous, since the Justice Department was leading the response to January 6.
The Justice, Homeland Security and Defense departments discussed who would lead, as Trump was considering installing Clark, who was sympathetic to him blocking the congressional certification of the vote.
A law firm representing Clark sent out a new statement on his behalf Thursday night, attacking the House panel as too political and calling for a Republican-led House investigation into ” intelligence and security perimeter failures that led to a group of rioters bursting into the Capitol.”
The January 6 Committee was a political and public relations disaster, says the statement. The Committee is desperately trying to make a splash with criminal referrals it was obvious from the very beginning that its members were going to try to destroy their conservative political opponents.