Recently, Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, maintained that he’d have no problem speaking to anybody about his conversations with former President Donald Trump on January 6. His statement may soon be tested.
As the investigation into the Capitol riots led by the Democrats unfolds in the coming months, several Republicans including McCarthy could get caught in the crosshairs. However, Republicans are prepping their own strategy once McCarthy names his picks. According to GOP sources, they want to put the focus on the steps that Speaker Nancy Pelosi took or didn’t take to secure the Capitol building that day.
The panel of lawmakers investigating the deadly attack are looking to find answers about the January 6 insurrection. The probe will begin with US Capitol Police officers’ testimony about their experiences that day.
In addition to the main causes of the insurrection, Democrats on the committee have stated that they plan to explore the reasons behind a string of law enforcement and intelligence failures. That means that in the weeks ahead, the Democrat-led panel may reach out to Republican lawmakers who not only sought to overturn the election results that day but also constantly communicated with the former President and his team.
About calling GOP lawmakers, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the select committee, told CNN that they need to have access to all the information that is available.
But Republicans have cautioned that calling in GOP lawmakers could ignite a tit-for-tat situation that would lead to demands for Pelosi’s testimony. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican from North Dakota stated, “The minute you start calling members from the other party, you’re going to escalate it into exactly what my colleagues are concerned about.”