On Thursday, the January committee held another hearing. It was not something I knew about until I started seeing comments on social media. These things are becoming less and less newsworthy, operating more as a coping mechanism for liberals, never seeming to actually move the ball forward.
Perhaps it’s because there’s no way forward. Nick Arama, my colleague, spoke about the hearing but did not attempt to prove the theory.
To get people thinking “Man!” we got more random emotional dredge. It was tossed against a wall. This was terrible! This was really bad!” Liz Cheney spent the evening discussing Josh Hawley’s shocking confession that he ran through a hallway.
The most viral video from the hearing was this one. To gain political points, Hawley was shown the video. He is accused of fist-pumping at “rioters” before running away.
It is unclear why Hawley ran down the hall. It seems plausible, given the circumstances. However, this context is irrelevant to the committee.
Another revelation was a text message sent by Tim Murtaugh, an ex-aide to Trump. It claimed that Trump had not taken responsibility for inflaming protesters. Trump had spoken at an even larger protest a mile away before a small group with about 100 people reached the Capitol. One MSNBC legal analyst called this the “whole case”.
Let me clarify. Trump’s aide thought that he lit the crowd which caused it to get out of control. Phang doesn’t know that such a case exists.
Murtaugh believed the crowd had killed a Capitol Police officer. However, months later, it was revealed that Brian Sicknick had suffered a stroke. The medical examiner said that there was no evidence that Sicknick had been attacked, bear-sprayed, or suffered any other injuries that could have contributed to his condition.
The committee played radio chatter and offered information that suggested that Mike Pence’s security detail was worried about the situation.
To the January 6th committee, my response is “So what?”
While it isn’t meant to be harsh, it does not reflect the committee’s stated goal to provide evidence of a seven-step plan to violently overturn an electoral process. It is possible to sympathize with the people who were afraid on that day.
Why does the committee keep tinkering on the margins when there is no evidence that Donald Trump orchestrated or executed a violent rebellion on January 6?
