Former President Trump on Thursday dismissed a House committee’s vote to subpoena him for testimony about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, as a publicity stunt.
“Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago?” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the House panel investigating the Capitol riots on Jan. 6 voted to subpoena him.
“Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting? Because the Committee is a total ‘BUST’ that has only served to further divide our Country which, by the way, is doing very badly – A laughing stock all over the World?” Trump continued.
The nine-member panel on Thursday voted unanimously at the conclusion of its hearing to subpoena Trump for his testimony about the events leading up to, and on the day of Jan. 6, 2021, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol to try and halt the certification of the 2020 election results.
“He is the one person at the center of the story of what happened on Jan. 6. So we want to hear from him. The committee needs to do everything in our power to tell the most complete story possible and provide recommendations to help ensure that nothing like Jan. 6 ever happens again. We need to be fair and thorough in getting the full context for the evidence we’ve obtained,” Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said before the vote.
Thompson said the subpoena was also a matter of holding Trump accountable for his attempts to overturn the election result, which resulted in the violence of Jan. 6.
The subpoena is not likely to result in testimony from Trump, however. The former president has repeatedly derided the investigation as a partisan witch hunt, and is expected to challenge the subpoena in the courts, a process that is certain to extend beyond the life of the special committee, which is set to end later this year.
“Today, 26 days before the Midterm Elections, America is truly a nation in decline. Inflation is out of control, the crime rate is at an all time high, and the crisis at our southern border has never been worse,” Taylor Budowich, a Trump spokesperson tweeted.
“However, instead of using their final days in power to make life for Americans any better, Democrats are doubling and tripling down on their partisan theatrics. Democrats have no solutions and they have no interest in leading our great nation,” he continued. “They are simply bitter, power hungry & desperate. Pres Trump will not be intimidate by their meritless rhetoric or un-American actions. Trump-endorsed candidates will sweep the Midterms, and America First leadership & solutions will be restored. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”