The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack made clear Thursday evening that it intends to connect every provable thread about an “attempted coup” to Donald John Trump.
So determined was then-President Trump to hold on to power after he lost the 2020 presidential election that he ignored reality, disregarded the Constitution and oversaw a conspiracy to stop the peaceful transfer of power — an effort, had it not been thwarted, that would have sent American democracy into chaos.
That description of events, as presented by the committee during a rare prime-time hearing, shows an account of a president motivated by self-preservation — regardless of the costs. As the panel continues to reveal its findings more fully in hearings over coming weeks, it will seek to show that Trump was central to the effort to overturn the election and that Republican allies, including those currently serving in the House, had a role in that enterprise.
