Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chaired the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, responded to President-elect Donald Trump floating jail time for members of the former congressional committee, underlining he is 'not afraid of [Trump's] most recent threats.'
Thompson stated that Trump has undermined the rule of law and degraded democracy for years, emphasizing that the committee is not intimidated by Trump's threats. He reiterated that no amount of misinformation or intimidation can erase Trump's responsibility for the violence on January 6.
Trump accused Thompson, former Rep. Liz Cheney, and others of deleting evidence related to the investigation and suggested they should go to jail. In response, Thompson affirmed that the committee followed all House rules during the investigation and that their work stands on its own.
The Jan. 6 committee was established in 2021 to probe the Capitol breach by Trump supporters. The investigation concluded last year, with referrals to the Justice Department recommending criminal prosecution for Trump's involvement.
Trump has alleged that the committee deleted evidence, a claim supported by a report from House Republicans. However, Thompson and Cheney have denied mishandling evidence, with Thompson emphasizing the importance of protecting sensitive material.
Cheney condemned Trump's remarks as an assault on the rule of law and reiterated that there is no factual or constitutional basis for investigating a congressional committee's work.
The ongoing clash between Trump and committee members underscores the deep political divisions surrounding the events of January 6 and the subsequent investigations.
