Republicans tear into Democrat plans to hold prime-time January 6 hearings, say it'll be 'rehearsed'

Rep. Banks told DailyMail.com that Pelosi is refusing to release information about 'her own staff's role' in the Capitol security failures on January 6, 2021

Rep. Banks told DailyMail.com that Pelosi is refusing to release information about ‘her own staff’s role’ in the Capitol security failures on January 6, 2021

Republican lawmakers are tearing into the Democrat-led House Select Committee investigating January 6 on Wednesday over its plan to hold prime-time televised hearings on last year’s Capitol riot.

The panel, assembled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to probe what led to the deadly events at the United States Capitol that day, could hold the evening-time public hearings as soon as early April.

GOP Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana told DailyMail.com that Pelosi is more interested in hearing ‘rehearsed’ testimonies than providing information about the Capitol’s security issues.

‘Nancy Pelosi loves televising rehearsed hearings, but still refuses to release any information about her own staff’s role in the security failure on January 6 even after the Senate requested it,’ Banks said.

‘Americans deserve transparency, but they’re getting a cover-up.’

Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia accused Democrats of trying to divide the country with the televised hearings.

‘Rather than working hand in hand with Republicans to reunify the country, Democrats are using January 6th to further divide us because they don’t have anything positive to show for the last year of complete Democrat control of Washington,’ Carter told DailyMail.com. 

A day earlier the Georgia Republican denounced the committee as ‘partisan’ on Twitter and accused his colleagues across the aisle of ignoring issues like inflation and the border crisis. 

Thompson said on Tuesday night the committee is looking at prime-time televised hearings

Republicans are accusing the Pelosi-created panel of politicizing the Capitol attack

Republicans are bashing Nancy Pelosi (right) and the committee she assembled after its chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (left), said on Tuesday night that the panel wants televised hearings during prime-time viewing hours

Others in the Republican sphere are also criticizing the prime-time showings.

Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the National Republican Committee, questioned why Democrats did not appear more concerned about the pipe bombs found outside of the national Republican and Democratic Headquarters last year — to date a suspect has not been named.

‘A year later, congressional Democrats have focused on political theater, have not explained why they left the Capitol vulnerable, and have never mentioned the pipe bombs placed at RNC and DNC headquarters,’ McDaniel told DailyMail.com.

‘To date, the terrorist who placed the bombs has still not been found. As we have said repeatedly, violence cannot be tolerated, but for Democrats, this is all about politics and primetime headlines, and has nothing to do with justice or democracy.’

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson wrote on Twitter Wednesday, ‘This would come across as a political stunt that actually discredits any seriousness.’

Thompson told Bloomberg on Tuesday evening that a ‘series’ of hearings televised during prime-time television hours, when millions of Americans have returned home from work or school, would give the public the ‘best opportunity’ to see the committee’s work firsthand.

Thursday will mark one year since Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, forcing lawmakers, their staff and journalists to evacuate Congressional chambers and hide

Thursday will mark one year since Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, forcing lawmakers, their staff and journalists to evacuate Congressional chambers and hide

‘The public needs to know, needs to hear from people under oath about what led up to January 6th, and to some degree, what has continued after January 6,’ Thompson said.

He said those hearings could occur in late March or early April. 

Much of the bipartisan House probe has focused on the role Donald Trump played on January 6, and whether he knowingly incited his supporters to break into the Capitol and stop lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory by force.

But it appears top Democrats have already made up their minds.

During her daily news briefing on Wednesday Press Secretary Jen Psaki previewed Biden’s planned remarks, to be delivered at the Capitol exactly one year after the riot.

She said the speech would feature the president discussing the ‘singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage we saw.’ 

A conservative blogger said the televised hearings amount to a 'political stunt'

A conservative blogger said the televised hearings amount to a ‘political stunt’

Yesterday, Rep. Carter denounced the committee as 'partisan' and accused Democrats of ignoring the crisis at the border and inflation

Yesterday, Rep. Carter denounced the committee as ‘partisan’ and accused Democrats of ignoring the crisis at the border and inflation

A right-wing activist called for the GOP to conduct its own January 6 investigation if they take back the House in November

A right-wing activist called for the GOP to conduct its own January 6 investigation if they take back the House in November

Conservative activist Ned Ryun slammed Psaki as a ‘joke’ and called for Republicans to launch their own investigation if they win the majority in 2022. 

‘What a total joke. When GOP takes House back there need to be hearings on what really happened on Jan 6; FBI, Pelosi, etc,’ Ryun wrote on Twitter.

According to recent reports, Republicans already are conducting their own parallel probe into the riot.

Banks is allegedly putting together a report after a GOP investigation that’s being co-run by other lawmakers Minority Leader McCarthy nominated for the committee but Pelosi shot down, according to Axios.

The report doesn’t name who they are, but in July McCarthy pulled all five of his picks — Reps. Banks, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Troy Nehls of Texas — after Pelosi rejected Banks and Jordan.

Nehls, Banks and Jordan all voted against certifying Joe Biden’s electoral college victory.

Banks’ Capitol riot report will allegedly detail failures to secure the Capitol building for the day’s violent events, heed intelligence warnings and leaving Capitol Police unprepared.

source: dailymail.co.uk