Summary of WATCH LIVE: Jan. 6 Committee hearings - Day 1

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

The first day of hearings on the January 6 insurrection revealed that there is still a lot of mistrust between Republicans and Democrats. The two witnesses who testified described what they experienced on that day, and their testimony will be important for understanding what actually happened and for generating solutions to prevent something like this from happening again.

00:00:00 On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election. The House Select Committee investigating what led to January six is kicking off the first of its public hearings. More than 500 days have passed since that violent and deadly insurrection, and we'll start tonight's coverage by taking a look back at how that day unfolded with PBS news hours. Trump supporters from across the country gathered in the nation's capitol to protest Congress's certification of the 2020 presidential election results. To use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal. At a rally near the White House, President Trump spoke to a crowd estimated in the thousands. Everyone from ordinary Americans to conspiracy theorists, proud boys to members of right wing extremist groups. We will never give up. Trump repeated the lie that the election was stolen. Urging his supporters to march to the Capitol and fight. You'll never take back our country with weakness. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. Around 1 p.m. as Trump is wrapping up his remarks in the park, the day turned violent. A group of his supporters on the western side of
00:05:00 On January 6, 2017, rioters breached the Capitol and entered different parts of the building, including the Senate and House chambers, the Rotunda, and the offices of lawmakers. In the days and months that followed, more than 720 people were arrested and charged with crimes linked to the attack. The physical destruction of that day has since been cleaned up, but questions of how to repair the deeper damage to our democracy remain.
00:10:00 Officer Harry Dunn and Sergeant Aquilino Gunnell discuss the events of January 6, 2017, when they and other officers were attacked while protecting the Capitol. Dunn states that many politicians tried to downplay what happened, and that he is angry and wants to fight for justice.
00:15:00 The first day of hearings into the events of January 6, 2021, features testimony from Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Sergeant Aquilino Garneau, as well as Sandra Garza, Harry Dunn's partner for 11 years. Sandra Garza describes Brian Sicknick as a kind, gentle man who would never raise his voice or become angry. She believes those responsible for his death should be held accountable.
00:20:00 The video discusses the death of Brian Kolfage, a U.S. Army veteran and supporter of President Donald Trump. Kolfage died after being assaulted during a riot in Washington, D.C., and some people have questioned the connection between his death and the chemical spray that was used against him. Kolfage's family believes that Trump is responsible for his death and they hope that he will be held accountable in the future.
00:25:00 The January 6 attack on the Capitol was a violent insurrection carried out by opponents of then-Vice President Joe Biden. One year later, misinformation campaigns are trying to discredit the event by focusing on what happened the year before, when protests took place against police brutality. Republicans in Congress are trying to downplay the attack's significance while President Trump and his allies try to blame it on left-wing groups.
00:30:00 Hundreds of people were arrested and injured during protests and riots in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2017. Republican representatives have recast those awaiting trial for their part in the attack as political prisoners, and President Donald Trump has reinforced that message. The effects of January 6 ripple beyond Washington D.C., and experts and historians are watching closely to see where America and its democracy is headed.
00:35:00 This YouTube video summarizes the first day of hearings on election fraud and related issues, which are important because they could impact the 2020 election. The video argues that the hearings are important because they will provide more information about what happened after the 2020 election.
00:40:00 The House Select Committee investigating the January six insurrection is gaveling in the first of at least a half dozen public hearings. The hearings are important for understanding what actually happened on January 6th, and they're also important for generating solutions to vulnerabilities in our democracy.
00:45:00 The first day of Committee hearings on January 6 revealed that Republicans and Democrats don't trust each other to appoint members to the House Select Committee on January 6, which is intended to investigate what happened on that day. Tonight, two witnesses will testify about what they experienced on January 6.
00:50:00 The House Oversight Committee is holding hearings on the Trump administration's potential ties to Russia. In opening remarks, the committee's chair, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), said that the hearings are important because the Trump administration had a security threat to Congress itself. The hearings are also important for Democratic purposes, to change public perception of the danger of political violence.
00:55:00 The first trial of those is in July. So Democrats could well be pushing for criminal charges against other members of the Trump administration that are not just about contempt of Congress, but are about the insurrection itself. They don't have the power to levy those charges, but they're building that case here in the court of public opinion. And I believe many of them will hope that the Department of Justice acts. We don't know if that.

01:00:00 - 02:00:00

Today is the first of two hearings in which the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol will be discussed. The hearings are being held by the bipartisan, House-controlled Jan. 6, 2021 Committee, which is investigating the attack.

01:05:00 Tonight is the first of two hearings in which the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will be discussed. The hearings are being held by the bipartisan, House-controlled Jan. 6, 2021, Committee, which is investigating the attack. The committee is chaired by Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi who was born and raised in a town with a history of supporting slavery, the KKK, and lynching. The committee expects to release a multimedia presentation with video evidence of a conspiracy theory to explain the attack.
01:10:00 In 2020, Donald Trump lost the presidential election to his Democratic opponent, despite efforts by the Trump administration to claim that the election was stolen. Attorney General William Barr warned the president that making such claims would be a "stain on our democracy," but Trump persisted. In 2019, Trump's former attorney general, Bill Barr, wrote a memo stating his opposition to the president's claims of voter fraud. Trump's efforts to challenge the results of the election in court failed, and in 2020 he lost the election to his Democratic opponent.
01:15:00 The video provides a recap of the events of January 6, 2017, which culminated in a failed attempt to overthrow the government. The video also features statements from representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties about the importance of investigating what happened that day.
01:20:00 The video recounts the events of January 6th, when a group of people descended on the Capitol building in order to try to stop the inauguration of Donald Trump. The video highlights testimony from witnesses who will testify live in hearings in the coming weeks. Some of those witnesses will testify about what motivated the violence, including comments made by those who participated in the attack.
01:25:00 This video provides a transcript of the first day of hearings for the House Judiciary Committee on the Trump administration's plan to overturn the presidential election. The witnesses discuss Trump's false claims about election fraud, and the attorney general and deputy attorney general who had to tell Trump those claims were false.
01:30:00 The president's daughter comments on Attorney General Barr's statement that the department found no fraud sufficient to overturn the election, accepting what he was saying. The transcript provides further detail about the president's efforts to replace the attorneys general and the consequences of doing so.
01:35:00 The first day of hearings focused on Republicans' efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the election results, as well as President Trump's attempts to pressure Pence. Several witnesses testified about Pence's loyalty to Trump and about how Pence knew his arguments had no chance of success. The hearings continued on Tuesday with testimony about the Trump team's efforts to halt the electoral vote count.
01:40:00 On January 6, 2021, a group of Trump officials met at the White House to discuss a range of radical ideas, including the possibility of military intervention to overturn election results. The meeting was discovered by White House lawyers and quickly ended, leading to the violence that day. The staff testimony will reveal that Trump was fully aware of the situation and encouraged the violence.
01:45:00 On January 6, 2017, Trump staff urged him to call off the mob attacking the Capitol. Trump would not, and by the time he did release a video telling the mob to leave, it was too late. Multiple members of Trump's own cabinet resigned in disgust, and it was only after hours of violence that he finally released a video telling the mob to leave.
01:50:00 The first day of hearings for the committee investigating the 2017 presidential election began with testimony from top White House officials. One of these officials, Jared Kushner, addressed threats from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and his team of lawyers to resign in the weeks before January 6th. Kushner claimed that his interest at that time was on trying to get as many partners done as possible, and that he knew Cipollone was always saying they would resign. The Select Committee obtained this footage as part of its investigation, which includes footage of violence from January 6th.
01:55:00 The first day of committee hearings on the Trump/Pence presidential campaign finance scandal resulted in some interesting developments, including the revelation that the vice president may have to step in and certify the facts of the case if Ryan fails to do so.

02:00:00 - 03:00:00

The first day of hearings on the January 6th attack on the Capitol featured testimony from law enforcement, media, and congressional staff. Witnesses described the events leading up to the attack, the attack itself, and the aftermath. The hearings are continuing tomorrow with testimony from Mike Pence and Jeff Bennett.

02:00:00 The first day of committee hearings on the Affordable Care Act were full of tense moments, as protesters and lawmakers clashed. One lawmaker, Fred Gray, was injured when he was hit in the face with a brick, and the protesters were urged to leave by committee chairman Paul Ryan. However, many protesters refused to leave, and in the end, four members of the committee were forced to evacuate the building. The protesters' main concern was the proposed cuts to Medicaid, and they are now calling for a nationwide boycott of the healthcare law.
02:05:00 The Committee of the House of Representatives held hearings on January 6 to discuss the violence that erupted on that day in Washington, D.C. Several witnesses testified about the preparations that were made for the attack, including information about handheld radio frequencies that were being used by the attackers. The mob was used as a force multiplier by the attackers, who were well-trained and equipped.
02:10:00 Today's Committee hearings began with a stomach-churning video of events leading up to January 6, when a group of House Republicans held a closed-door meeting to discuss ways to discredit then-President-elect Donald Trump. Among those in attendance was Liz Cheney, whose testimony outlined an extensive conspiracy led by Trump and his advisers. Other witnesses included Paul Rosenzweig, a former Washington D.C. prosecutor, and Lisa de Jordan, a Congressional staffer who was in the hearing room on January 6. The hearings are continuing tomorrow with testimony from Mike Pence and Jeff Bennett, the White House adviser responsible for carrying out the fraudulent elector scheme.
02:15:00 The first day of committee hearings on the shootings at the Capitol begins with witnesses testifying about the events of January 6. witnesses include representatives from the Department of Justice, the Capitol Police, and the media. President Biden is said to have kept a respectful distance from the hearings, while the White House has been in close coordination with the House speaker's office.
02:20:00 Officer Edwards was called a lot of things on January 6th, 2021, in the days thereafter. She bravely tried to prevent an angry crowd from advancing on the Capitol, but was overrun and knocked unconscious as the crowd advanced on the Capitol. Mr. Quick's footage of the Proud Boys was shared for the first time this evening.
02:25:00 The Select Committee to investigate the January 6, 2019 attack on the U.S. Capitol has obtained substantial evidence that President Trump's December 19, 2020 tweet calling for attendees to come to Washington, D.C. on January 6th energized individuals from the Proud Boys and other extremist groups, leading to an increase in membership for the Proud Boys and the formation of quick reaction forces in anticipation of coming back to the Capitol on January 6th. The committee also learned that Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, had planned to block the peaceful transfer of power shortly after the November 3rd election and that Mr. Tarrio took credit for documents and videos obtained by the Department of Justice that night during the attack.
02:30:00 On January 6, rioters infiltrated the United States Capitol building, resulting in the arrests of two individuals connected to violent extremist groups. One of those groups, the Oath Keepers, is also connected to the Burning of the Black Lives Matter flag that took place in December.
02:35:00 A journalist describes the events leading up to the attack on the Pittsburgh Peace Circle by a large group of Proud Boys, and how Trump sent the angry mob in their direction.
02:40:00 Officer Edwards recounts the hours leading up to the attack on the Capitol, during which time he and his fellow officers were guarding the bike racks. Joseph Biggs, a member of the public, started to speak about Congress and then the tables turned as the crowd with orange hats joined in. Ryan Samsel, one of the attackers, was seen conferring with other members of the crowd.
02:45:00 On January 6, 2017, the first day of hearings for the Committee on the Judiciary's investigation into the events of August 12, 2016, a group of protesters attempted to breach a barricade blocking their way to the building. After destroying their first obstacle, the protesters advanced on law enforcement, prompting Officer Edwards to grab bike racks to help protect comrades. He was then pushed back and injured in the head, but returned to duty. When another group of protesters began spraying pepper spray, Officer Edwards was injured in the eyes and taken to be decontaminated. He continued to hold the line until he was tear gassed and eventually retreated.
02:50:00 The first day of hearings on the shooting of Representative Steve Scalise begins with testimony from witnesses. One witness, a Capitol police officer, remembers the chaos of the day and the bravery of the officers who fought in the gun battle.
02:55:00 The select committee holds hearings on January 6, 2018, to examine the events of that day. Witnesses share accounts of the violence and talks about what motivated the participants. Mary McCord, Paul Rosenzweig, and Danielle Harvin provide analysis of the testimony.

03:00:00 - 03:05:00

The first day of public hearings on the January six attack drew attention to the White House and Capitol, with analysts commenting on the case being built. The next hearing is scheduled for this coming Monday, June 13th, and will be in the morning.