January 6 hearing: hard-hitting evidence puts Trump at heart of assault on democracy – as it happened

A video showing former president Donald Trump speaking appears on screen during a House select committee hearing on the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

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Key takeaways

• The committee made the case that the attack on January 6 was the “culmination of an attempted coup.” Presenting an overview of this hearing and the ones to come, House select committee chair Bennie Thompson and vice-chair Liz Cheney presented their finding that the violent mob that descended on the Capitol was no spontaneous occurrence. Video testimony from Donald Trump’s attorney general, his daughter, and other allies make the case that the former president was working to undermine the election results and foment backlash. “The central question is whether the attack on the Capitol was coordinated and plan that you witnessed this what a coordinated and planned effort would look like,” Thompson said. “It was the culmination of months long effort spearheaded by President Trump.”
• Even as Trump carried on his lies that victory was stolen from him, his own administration and allies agreed there the election was legitimate. Former attorney general William Barr testified that he expressed that Trump’s claims of a stolen election were “bullshit”. A Trump campaign lawyer told Mark Meadows in November “there’s no there there” to support Trump’s claims of widespread fraud. Even Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, said she was convinced by Barr that the election was legitimate.
• Graphic footage and harrowing testimony from officer Caroline Edwards, who on the first line of defense against the attacking mob, reiterated the terror of the insurrection. Edwards compared the scene to a war zone, saying she was slipping on others’ blood as she fought off insurrectionists. “It was carnage. It was chaos. I can’t even describe what I saw,” she said. The officer sustained burns from a chemical spray deployed against her, and a concussion after a bike rack was heaved on top of her. Officers and lawmakers watching the hearings teared up as they relived the violence of that day.
• As the attack was being carried out, and the mob was threatening vice president Mike Pence’s life, Trump and his team working to undermine the election carried on their work. After Pence refused to block the election certification, Trump and his supporters turned against him, and Trump fomented resentment in his tweets. As the mob cried “Hang Mike Pence!” the committee presented evidence that Trump suggested that might not be a bad idea.“Mike Pence deserves it,” the president then said. As violence ensued, “the Trump legal team in the Willard Hotel war room,” continuing attempts to subvert the election results, Cheney said.
• Footage and testimony from film-maker Nick Quested, one of two witnesses at the hearing, suggested that the Proud Boys had planned to attack. On the morning of January 6, Quested testified that he was confused to see “a couple of hundred” Proud Boys walking away from Trump’s speech and toward the Capitol. The committee implied that this might have allowed them to scope out the defenses and weak spots at the Capitol.

Updated at 3.53am BST

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Following the harrowing video and testimony, Lila, a Capitol police therapy dog, is there to provide support.

Lila, the USCP therapy dog, is on the scene providing comfort after the hearing wrapped.

Family members of the officers who died after the 1/6 attack are finding comfort in this sweet pup. pic.twitter.com/Kb6pWRLzbQ

— Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) June 10, 2022