Chairman Aguilar: We know Donald Trump is determined to whitewash what happened on January 6th. But try as he might, the facts have not changed.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and former member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats for a hearing marking the five year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. You can watch the full hearing here and read the full transcript of the Chairman’s remarks below.
CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Thank you, Ranking Member Raskin. It’s a privilege to be here with you, Chairman Bennie Thompson, our current and former colleagues to mark the fifth anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, and to honor the bravery of the police officers who sacrificed so much for our safety and democracy that day.
We know Donald Trump is determined to whitewash what happened on January 6th. But try as he might, the facts have not changed: Five years ago today, Donald Trump sat in the White House for 187 minutes—more than three hours—and did nothing as the Capitol was invaded, police officers were beaten and his own vice president was hunted. The most powerful person in the world watched his supporters attack the Capitol from just blocks away and did nothing to stop it. Not only did he refuse to call off the mob, but he poured fuel on the fire. As rioters were chanting “Hang Mike Pence” streamed into the Capitol through smashed doors and windows, Trump tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution…” In the minutes following that tweet, the violence intensified. Vice President Pence was rushed to safety, coming within forty feet of the very people searching for him. Rioters closed in on the House and Senate chambers, and Members of Congress still trapped inside. And all around the Capitol, police were beaten, bear-sprayed and tasered by the mob acting in Trump’s name. But still, Trump sat back and did nothing.
As shocking as the January 6th insurrection was to us, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Donald Trump. It’s what he wanted. For months, Trump had undermined the results of the 2020 election with the help of Republicans in Congress, concocted criminal schemes to subvert the Constitution, and—ultimately—instructed his supporters to march on the Capitol, all in an attempt to cling to power. In the words of former Special Counsel Jack Smith, “The evidence was that he caused it, and that he exploited it, and that it was foreseeable to him.”
And the dangers of that day did not cease when the Capitol was eventually cleared. For years, career prosecutors and law enforcement professionals worked tirelessly to put the perpetrators of that day behind bars. Now, President Trump is putting the perpetrators in power and punishing those who held them accountable. Let’s watch.
Since January 6th, Donald Trump has only intensified his attacks on America’s fundamental democratic institutions. He has weaponized our justice system to reward his allies and punish his enemies. He’s pursued policies that prioritize the interests of his wealthy friends over the needs of working people. And he has flouted the system of checks and balances that has been the bedrock of our nation for nearly 250 years. But at a time when it feels our democracy is in peril, Americans of all stripes are coming together to preserve our great experiment. There is an ever-growing coalition of people who are willing to put patriotism above allegiance to any person or party. Who share a fundamental commitment to an America by and for the people, where no one is above the law.
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