Sat down 45 minutes beforehand. The standard Tweetdeck columns opened. First column, all of those political wonks I grouped together under the custom list titled “Impeachment” and created during the first impeachment hearings. How long ago was that? Then, two columns with search results for the hashtag #January6thCommitteeHearings, one filtered for tweets with a minimum of 20 likes (trending) and one filtered for tweets with a minimum of 100 likes (more sticky). Pre-hearing commentary on MSNBC; streaming hearing on C-SPAN. Let’s go.
United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack > First hearing (June 9, 2022)
8:04 PM
Rep. Bennie Thompson
8:15 PM
Rep. Liz Cheney
Both had strong statements. Their clarity and precision was notable. No politics. I liked Rep. Thompson’s reflections back to civil rights and the taking away of democratic rights, but I suspect such an approach is… uncompelling to those who might need compelled. Rep. Cheney’s was longer (his ~15 min and hers ~25?) and had a more rhetorical structure. He was prelude to her first act. Rep. Thompson was coolly passionate, Rep. Cheney dry and precise. Between both there were only nuanced differences. Rep. Cheney, however, seemed to be preparing us all for what will follow.
(We all hate her. And all hate ourselves for relying on her to assist in stripping away the deceit. God, she’s almost the worst possible messenger.)
Of note in the presentation was that it almost completely consisted of Trump cabinet/advisers/family/acolytes whose testimony collapsed any suggestion that he (1) did not know the election was legitimate and (2) did not know that his actions would precipitate an insurrection.
8:33
8:50
And now, video aggregating the events of the entire day of the insurrection. I know why people aren’t watching this. It is very difficult. After-the-fact, I realize I had to take moments to relax and detach as the ignorant cruelty rolled on. I don’t know how the witnesses present, who were part of those who suffered, could watch.
9:02
Video ends and a 10 minute recess, one person in the audience I saw was crying, many with 1000-yard stares. Shaken.
(Image found later from ABC. This was all of us.)
Since C-SPAN direct coverage has ended, I’m back to Chris Hayes, Rachael Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Joy Reid, Nicole Wallace on MSNBC while I get another beer…
9:13
Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards opens as the first of two witnesses for the evening.
Nick Quested was filming a documentary on the oath keepers and was with Enrique Tarrio (Proud Boys) the day before and on that day.
9:37
After Rep. Thompson questions Quested, he passes off to Rep. Cheney to get Officer Edwards’s testimony. During the riot, she was knocked unconscious when the crowd pushed her back onto concrete steps where she hit her head. When she regained she returned to duty (?!). Her descriptions of the carnage were as chilling as the videos earlier in the evening. She was the physical witness to what we were shown. All I could think during her testimony is that these officers must have needed therapists to prepare for televised questioning.
Rep. Thompson closes with videos of the rioters statements, all praising Trump for asking them to come, but some slightly bitter that he didn’t go with them as he promised. Are these people that dumb?
9:55
Adjourned.
Most notable:
- After the insurrection, Republican representatives were trying to get pardons from Trump, understanding their culpability.
- Many/100s of Proud Boys skipped Trumps speech and instead went to the Capitol for what appears to be reconnaissance.
